Marine
Borski, Boggs and Colliers Hook Top Prizes at Boomer Esiason-F.C.A. Montauk Slam
MONTAUK, N.Y. (Oct. 2, 2007) – Tim Borski has a pretty memorable couple of days at the recent Boomer Esiason Foundation-F.C.A. Montauk Slam. Not only did he earn Grand Champion Angler honors at the event, but he also watched winners in other divisions accept his own donated giclee artwork as prizes.
Borski (Tavernier, Fla.) scored 1,900 points at the event, part of the larger Redbone @ Large Celebrity Tournament Series. Approximately 30 Redbone Celebrity tournaments are held each year, and proceeds from all of the events benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). Borski also received a Rolex watch and a Roger Fowler sculpted trophy for winning.
Borski caught and released four false albacore, seven bluefish and two striped bass at the event and was guided by Capt. Paul Dixon (East Hampton, N.Y.), who earned a Borski giclee for his efforts. Professional baseball hall of famer Wade Boggs (Tampa, Fla.), won his second consecutive celebrity grand champion title at Montauk, with help from guide Frank Crescitelli (Staten Island, N.Y.).
Grand champion team honors went to David Collier (New York, N.Y.) and his father Cal Collier Sr. (Lake Forest, Ill.). The Colliers tallied 2,800 points and were guided by Capt. Brendan McCarthy (New York, N.Y.). David Collier also won the title for the most striper releases.
Borski and Boggs are now qualified to compete in the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Inshore World Championship, scheduled for 2008 in the Florida Keys.
The live auction held in conjunction with the tournament raised over $41,000 for the CFF.
"For two decades the Redbone fishing events, created by Capt. Gary and Susan Ellis, have played a major role in creating awareness for finding a cure for CF," said Dave Rimington, president of BEF. "Though there is still no cure, research and therapeutic developments have increased the lifespan of CF patients and the need for a scholarship program for these students has emerged. We're delighted to be involved with the Redbone in these and other fishing tournaments."
Thanks to the financial support of events such as this tournament, the CFF has made tremendous progress in the field of research and care. The median age of survival for a person with CF has improved from early childhood in the 1950s to 36.8 years today. However, cystic fibrosis continues to be a critical health matter, as most individuals with the disease must battle chronic lung infections for their entire lives. At least one person dies from CF each day.
The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is to assure the means to cure and control this genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive systems of approximately 30,000 children and young adults in the United States.
Redbone founder Ellis and his wife, Susan, have passionately supported the Foundation not only because of its innovative and effective research efforts, but also for a very personal reason: their daughter, Nicole, was diagnosed with CF as an infant in the mid-1980s. Nicole is now a college graduate making her mark in the corporate world, and she has witnessed - first hand - the advances made in the treatment of the disease.
The Boomer Esiason Foundation-F.C.A. Montauk Slam has grown from the seed planted in 1988, when a handful of anglers, fishing guides and sports celebrities organized a tournament in the Florida Keys village of Islamorada. The group focused on just two of the available species: redfish and bonefish. The ground rules were simple – to win, the angler must catch and release at least one of each.
In the past 19 years, Redbone tournaments have contributed approximately $10 million to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The inaugural Islamorada event was a great success, and the "redbone" moniker was born. The current format of the individual tournaments can include freshwater, offshore and flats fishing.
The environments in which the Redbone events take place have played a major role in their success. The Florida Keys, for instance, contain miles of clear flats with acres of turtle grass and marl, features that create a welcoming habitat and a diverse fishery that includes bonefish, tarpon, permit, redfish and snook. Tournaments are also held in such diverse locations as Massachusetts, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Costa Rica, Pennsylvania, Ohio, the Bahamas, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North
Carolina and Louisiana.
Mercury Marine, the official outboard engine of the Redbone events, began its support of the Series in 1992, and the collection of events has drawn the attention and support of big-name celebrities such as the late baseball great Ted Williams, baseball stars Mike Schmidt and Boggs, football legends Jim Kelly and Ken Stabler, and the late broadcasting icon Curt Gowdy.
For more information on the Redbone @ Large Celebrity Tournament Series, visit on-line at www.redbone.org or call 305-664-2002 or 1-877-5-FISH-CF.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., is a donor-supported, nonprofit organization committed to finding therapies and ultimately a cure for cystic fibrosis, and to improving the lives of those with the disease. For more information, visit www.cff.org.
CONTACT:
Steve Fleming
Communications Director
Mercury Marine
Phone: 920-929-5340
Fax: 920-926-2346
Email: steve_fleming@mercmarine.com
or
Gary Ellis
Redbone Foundation
Phone: 877-5-FISH-CF or 305-664-2002
Email: gredbone@bellsouth.net
