Marine
Historic Charleston welcomes anglers to Lowcountry Red * Trout Celebrity Classic
CHARLESTON, S.C. (October 19, 2007) – There are those who
stamp 'Destination: Charleston' on their luggage because of the golf. Or the
architecture. And now, thanks to the popularity of the upcoming Lowcountry
Red * Trout Celebrity Classic (Oct. 26-28), you can add "fishing" to the long
list of reasons to visit this historic town.
Charleston is once again the host site for the event in 2007, and organizers
would love a repeat of a story that came from last year's tournament, when
11-year-old Dylan Wallace won Junior Angler Division Champion honors for the
second consecutive year. Young Wallace also placed in the top 10 in the
entire tournament, which has been held for six consecutive years.
The tournament is part of the larger Redbone Red * Trout Series, a handful of
events held in the southeastern part of the country. Approximately 30 total
Redbone Celebrity tournaments are held each year, and proceeds from all of
the events benefit the CFF.
The Classic is an all-inclusive competitive fishing tournament designed to
please the recreational and avid angler alike, and thanks to the financial
support of events such as this, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has made
tremendous progress in the field of cystic fibrosis (CF) 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 Gary 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 Classic 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 Wade Boggs, football legends
Jim Kelly and Ken Stabler, and the late broadcasting icon Curt Gowdy.
For more information on the Redbone Red * Trout Series and/or the
Lowcountry Red * Trout Celebrity Classic, 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.
WHAT: Lowcountry Red * Trout Celebrity Classic
WHEN: October 26-28, 2007
WHERE: Charleston, South Carolina
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
