Team Toyota angler Mike Iaconelli continues his passion for getting more kids fishing in areas where outdoor activities are not readily available through a weekend of fun and fundraising at the 2019 Ike Celebrity Pro-Am Bass Tournament, on his home waters of the Delaware River, near Camden and Glouster City, N.J., Aug. 8-10.
The 4th annual event kicks-off with fundraising at “Ike’s Casino Night in the City” on Aug. 8 hosted at Yard’s Brewery, where supporters can enjoy music, casino tables, and great auction items. The cost is $90 per person and includes $200 in casino chips, along with food and drink.
Friday will feature the Pro-Am pairings meeting amid happy hour at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill, N.J. where “Ike Live” will be broadcast, and then Saturday morning, anglers will pursue their passion both by kayak and full-sized bass boat.
The kayak division is a Hobie Tournament of Champions qualifying event. All public fishing waterways in Camden and Glouster counties are in bounds, while top pros like Iaconelli, Bobby Lane, and Jacob Powroznik, along with former Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver Freddie Mitchell and UFC fighter Gregor Gillespie compete the same day with their amateur partners on the Delaware River.
The winner of the bass boat division will leave with a new Bass Cat Boat powered by a Yamaha Outboard, and the winner of the kayak division will get a berth to the Hobie Tournament of Champions. Several other top prizes will also be given away from brands like Lowrance, Power -Pole, RS nets, Flambeau and RAM Mounts.
But perhaps the most meaningful part of the weekend also takes place on Saturday at Camden’s Waterfront Park when roughly 1,000 kids typically arrive to receive a Free Flambeau tackle box, along with free tackle as they navigate through Fun Fest and learn about fishing.
Money raised from the event will benefit the Ike Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Mike and Becky Iaconelli, with the goal of exposing both urban and rural children to fishing, as well as to provide academic scholarships to five college-bound high school seniors annually.
For more information, visit www.TheIkeFoundation.org or call (856) 712-2328.
