May 10, 2018, Pittsgrove, NJ. Recipients of The Ike Foundation® second annual Fishing Scholarship Awards have been announced, according to Mike Iaconelli, professional bass angler and president of the foundation.

Winners are Rory Franks from OH, Morgan Miracle from KY, Eric Schuhrer III from NJ, Eric Obenaus from CA and Morgan Krell from NY. All have grade point averages of 3.3 or better, are avid anglers or contribute to outdoor conservation and are headed to college in the fall, as required for scholarship consideration.

Foundation trustees conducted a blind review of the 100+ high school seniors who applied. Applicants submitted essays about lessons they learned from their fishing experiences, along with references, grades, and information about extracurricular activities. Trustees scored submission using a pre-defined point system.

A Scholarship Benefit Dinner held in February, was attended by almost 300 people and corporate sponsors that support The Ike Foundation® in their mission to get kids fishing.

The Ike Foundation® also announced four upcoming events:

• A free kid’s fishing tournament, Ike’s Hook'em Early Kids Fishing Event, Saturday, May 12th at Haddon Lake Park, NJ. Two hundred children, aged 15 and under, along with their parent chaperones are registered to compete for prizes based on the total length of the fish they catch. Fishing slots filled quickly, and registration closed early. All ages will enjoy fishing, food, games, coloring, and a reading of Amir’s Big Catch by the author Sheila Jones.
• The third annual Ike’s Celebrity Benefit Dinner, Friday, July 20th, 6:30-11:00 pm, on the Battleship New Jersey on the Camden Waterfront Harbor, Camden, New Jersey. Many of the professional bass anglers and celebrities taking part in the next day’s event attend the dinner and talk with guests. An auction of donated items including fishing products, jewelry, sports memorabilia and more, takes place during the evening. Tickets, which cover food and drink, are still available.
• The third annual Ike’s Celebrity Pro-Am Tournament, Saturday, July 21st, from 7:00 am to 3:00pm at the Camden Waterfront in Camden, New Jersey. Amateur anglers pay an entry fee to fish with a pro, fish from their own boats, or fish from a kayak to compete for prizes. The kayak division is a Hobie Fishing Worlds Qualifying Event 8. The first-place winner of the boat division will receive a brand new BassCat boat, and the winner of the kayak division will win a competitor’s spot and paid expenses to the 2019 Hobie Worlds in Australia.
• The Ike’s Free Family Fun Fest will also take place on Saturday, July 21st, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at Wiggins Park on the Camden Waterfront. This event is free and includes a ‘Dry Land’ High School Fishing Challenge, games and prizes a ‘color your own bait’ station, live music, delicious food and a Yards Beer Garden. All attendees are welcome to stay for the fishing tournament weigh-in.

Previous Ike’s Celebrity Pro-Am Tournaments have been met with great reception from the community and bass fishing industries. Almost 20 professional bass anglers and celebrities joined in the competition. Ike’s Family Fun Fest attendees enjoyed such family-friendly activities as carnival games, auctions, music, and food, along with visits to the nearby Camden Children’s Garden and Battleship New Jersey. Every child that attended the event walked away with a brand-new Flambeau tackle box and enough free tackle to fill it. Thanks to the success of past tournaments, the foundation has been able to support other kid’s fishing programs by providing fishing equipment to approximately 30 youth community organizations across the country.

The Ike Foundation® appreciates the generous donations from individuals and sponsors, including Toyota, Abu Garcia, Bass Cat Boats, Hobie, Yamaha, Flambeau, Rapala and many, many more. A full list of sponsors is found at https://theikefoundation.org/sponsors.

The Ike Foundation®

The Mission of The Ike Foundation® is to get more kids fishing and in the outdoors, especially youth in areas where those activities are not readily available. We support youth fishing clubs, civic groups and charitable organizations that promote the sport of fishing, the ecology of the outdoors and the responsibility each person has to maintain our planet’s natural resources.

Founded in 2014 by professional bass angler Michael Iaconelli and his wife, Becky, The Ike Foundation® is approved by the IRS as a 501©(3) tax-exempt organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.