Marine
Redbone @ Large Bahamas Celebrity Bonefish Series heads to Abaco for popular Marsh Harbour Classic
ABACO, Bahamas (Feb. 4, 2008) – The second leg of the Redbone @ Large Bahamas Celebrity Bonefish Series is the Marsh Harbour Classic, set April 11-14 in this tropical paradise location. Angler's love to flock south for this popular winter event.
Other events in the Series include the Deep Water Cay Spring Bonefish Classic, held Feb. 8-11 on Grand Bahama Island; the Exuma Classic, held May 16-19 at Great Exuma; and the Deep Water Cay Fall Bonefish Classic, held Nov. 21-24 at Grand Bahama Island.
Approximately 30 Redbone Celebrity tournaments are held each year, with all proceeds benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). Redbone events raised $1,568,000 in 2007 alone, and have raised more than $11 million in 20 years.
Financial support from the Redbone events has allowed tournaments such as the Marsh Harbour Classic to help CFF make tremendous progress in the field of cystic fibrosis 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. Cystic fibrosis continues to be a critical health matter, however, as most individuals with the disease must battle chronic lung infections for their entire lives. At least one person dies from CF each day.
CFF's mission is to assure the means to cure and control the 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 supported CFF for two decades, 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 thriving in the corporate world of international marketing, and she has witnessed - first hand - the advances made in the treatment of the disease.
The seeds for the Marsh Harbour Classic were planted in 1988, when anglers, fishing guides and sports celebrities organized a tournament in this Florida Keys village. The ground rules were simple – to win, the angler must catch and release at least one redfish and one bonefish.
The inaugural Islamorada event was a huge success, and spawned the “redbone” moniker. The current format of the individual tournaments includes freshwater, offshore and flats fishing.
The environments in which the Redbone events take place have played a critical 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. For two decades, this 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 Boomer Esiason, Jim Kelly and Ken Stabler, and the late broadcasting icon Curt Gowdy.
For more information on the Redbone @ Large Bahamas Celebrity Bonefish Series and/or Marsh Harbour 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: Marsh Harbour Classic
WHEN: April 11-14, 2008
WHERE: Abaco, Bahamas
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
