Matlacha Hookers’ PIE fishing tourney Nov. 7
The 22nd Pine Island Elementary Fishing Tournament & Derby will be at Olde Fish House Marina Sunday, Nov. 7. Any elementary school aged child is eligible to participate. Tickets are $35, however every child can fish, whether or not a parent sponsors that child.
There will also be a catch-and-release adult fishing tournament beginning at 7:30 a.m., with a registration fee of $75 and captains meeting the night before at the Olde Fish House Marina. Cash payouts of at least $2,500 can be expected and lunch will be provided.
Donna Jo Ruscik said the derby started to provide Pine Island Elementary with new books for the library, in support of the school’s accelerated reading program.
“When we started 22 years ago, they literally had two chest-sized book cases in the library. Over the years we expanded the library by adding numerous books,” Ruscik said.
According to Ruscik, the children of Pine Island Elementary are voracious readers, often going through books at a rapid pace, which she attributes to the encouragement of the teachers at the school. The library today has grown enormously, which she said, is due to what began 22 years ago.
Over the years, funds from the tournament have been used for other PIE projects.
A playground was built one year, said Ruscik, since the school did not have a proper playground at the time, and white boards were added to every classroom. The Ipad lab was also built from past proceeds of the fishing tournament.
“What we decided to do, approximately 10 years ago, was to offer grants to the teachers to offset their out-of-pocket costs,” Ruscik said.
From the proceeds of this event, $2,500 will be divided among the teachers to spare them some personal expense with the demand of supplies. In the event that the tournament is highly successful, $2,000 will be set aside for a continuing education scholarship awarded to former students of Pine Island Elementary.
Although the one-day event has varied through the years, Ruscik saud it has totaled proceeds up to $20,000 in the past. The remaining funds, she said, will be applied to grants for teachers.
“Sometimes it’s used for special equipment for their classrooms to help them teach. Often it’s for field trips,” Ruscik said.
The intention of the tournament is to get the children fishing, she said. Although the benefit is to the teachers, school and students seeking higher education, having an interactive fun day is the top priority.
The children are supplied with brand new rods, reels, bait and tackle, she said, so they can go about their fishing excursion. All day activities are provided, along with a T-shirt the kids can decorate themselves, and a goody bag, provided by local businesses.
Lunch for the children is also provided and they are eligible for prizes. This year, there will be an entry to win one of six brand new bicycles and helmet for a girl and boy in each of the three categories: kindergarten and first grade, second and third grade, and fourth and fifth grade.
Local musicians will perform live throughout the tournament, orchestrated by Molly Brown, and there will be a silent auction. Although food will be available throughout the day, the traditional barbecue will begin at 2:30.
“We are so excited to have this opportunity. The impact that it’s made on the school, the children, the families and the teachers is evident. We know there’s a need for it. This is a very family friendly day, with no pets please. We host this event with joy and pride in being able to give back to the community,” Ruscik said.
The Olde Fish House Marina is at 4530 Pine Island Road, Matlacha.