Donated boat to be raffled for Wounded Warrior Anglers
An 18-foot Nautic Star, 1810 Nautic Bay boat is being raffled off, courtesy of the owner of Fort Myers Marine, to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Anglers of America Inc., a 5013c organization.
“They are good guys, good people,” Fort Myers Marine owner Chuck Calkins said of the group’s founders Judy and David Souders. “I think it’s a great organization.”
He said he was excited to provide the boat to help the organization.
“I’m excited to be affiliated with them in this function,” Calkins said.
Raffle tickets for the boat are $20 a ticket, which can be purchased at the Olde Fish House Marina or by calling Judy at 423-620-9104.
The boat, which is 18-feet 2-inches long with a 7-foot 8-inch beam, includes a 90-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha with a magic tilt trailer. The 1810 Nautic Bay also has a 35-gallon fuel capacity.
Calkins said the Nautic Star product is about 10 years old and is ranked 7th in fiberglass boats for the whole United States and 4th in Florida in sales.
“We feel pretty blessed,” Judy said of the boat.
In addition to the raffle tickets being sold to raise money for the organization, the Souders are also hosting their first fishing tournament. The Thomas W. Mawer Memorial Battle of Matlacha Fishing Tournament will be held Saturday, Nov. 10.
The boat will be on display during the tournament and raffle tickets will be available to purchase.
Registration fees for the tournament are $50 per adult angler 14 years of age and older, and $25 per child angler 13 and younger. The registration fee includes a T-shirt and meal ticket for a barbeque dinner.
David said individuals can set up their own team how ever they choose – one adult, three kids or two adults two kids – whatever they wish.
The fishing tournament, which is a photo tournament, begins at 7 a.m. The anglers will be fishing for the longest mangrove snapper, longest sheepshead, longest Spanish mackerel and the total length trash can slam. All photos must be downloaded by the final check in time of 3 p.m.
Registration can be done online at www.woundedwarrioranglers.org, by stopping at the Olde Fish House Marina or by sending a registration form and fees to Wounded Warrior Anglers of America Inc., Attention Battle of Matlacha, 3609 Embers Parkway, W., Cape Coral, FL 33993.