The second annual Little Juniata Fly Fishing Classic was held yesterday and today in Spruce Creek as a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis.
Chief Executive Officer of the Spring Ridge Club Don Beaver is the local organizer of the event. Beaver said he wanted to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis to bring about awareness and a cure for two reasons.
The first reason is because growing up in Bellwood, Beaver knew of five kids who were affected by Cystic Fibrosis. None of these kids lived past the age of 22, and two died before they were teenagers.
The second reason is because national tournament directors Gary and Susan Ellis of the Florida Keys established the fundraiser as a worthy cause around the United States. Ellis’s daughter Nicole is affected by Cystic Fibrosis.
Through the advancements of medicine and technology, she is 18 years of age, a high school graduate, and currently on a trip to Russia.
Beaver said when he was in high school, most kids with Cystic Fibrosis died by the age of 18. Now, the life expectancy is between the ages of 18 and 33 years of age, with some adults living well into their 40s.
Mercury-Marine and Redbone Series matched the national tournament directors the Ellis’s with local organizer Beaver to establish the fundraiser in Spruce Creek.
The fundraiser started over the weekend and ends today. About 30 – 40 people from Tyrone, Bellwood, Spruce Creek and Huntingdon volunteered their time to make the event a success. The president of the Little Juniata Fly Fisherman Association Toby Richardson also volunteered his time to the event.
Burley’s of Tyrone was on hand for the catering for the weekend, and had enough food to feed approximately 80 people.
On Saturday evening a pig roast was held along with a live auction that raised over $10,000 for Cystic Fibrosis. Trips to the Bahamas and the Rocky Mountains were auctioned off as well as fly fishing equipment.
Yesterday the competition began in the morning. There were 20 teams registered, with two people to a team. Teams came from all over the United States to fish the Little Juniata River. People came from Florida, New York, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Texas just to compete in the event and raise money for a worthy cause.
Each team had one hour to fish a certain stretch of the stream. Between the two people, they could catch up to eight fish, measure and release them. The team with the most accumulated amount of inches would win the tournament.
Awards and trophies were presented today. Beaver said the final count of the money raised has not yet been tallied, but as of last evening, the event raised over $32,000 for Cystic Fibrosis. Last year, the event raised $15,000.
Beaver said the whole purpose of the event is to bring about awareness for Cystic Fibrosis and to find a cure.
In August there is a scheduled breast cancer retreat where Beaver donates the fly-fishing facilities to women who are recovering from breast cancer. The women fly fish, which exercises muscles and provides physical therapy. Also, the retreat provides social interaction with other women who have gone through the same experiences.
Another retreat in the summer is Camp Compass, where a group of inner-city kids from Allentown come to stay at the facilities. The kids enjoy the outdoors in a fun and relaxing atmosphere.
