| | Anglers Help Catch a Cure for CF in North Carolina
November 9, 2007
Grand Champion Angler John Andrews (r) and his captain, Fisher Culbreth (l), display their trophies. |
In 1988, CF parents Gary and Susan Ellis founded the Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series to raise funds for research into a cure for CF. Today the “Redbone” has grown to include 25 tournaments held on both coasts and in the Bahamas, and has contributed more than 10 million dollars to support the work of the CF Foundation.
The fifth annual Cape Fear Red Trout Celebrity Classic, a Redbone tournament sponsored by the Carolinas Chapter-Raleigh, was held this year on the exclusive private Figure Eight Island. The three-day event began on October 18 with an elegant captain’s dinner at the Yacht Club. An array of exciting auction items included paintings by George Pocheptsov, a fifteen-year-old artist whose clients include Michael Jordan, Colin Powell, Hillary Clinton, and Celine Dion; and an adorable 8-week-old Labradoodle puppy who—by the end of the night—had a happy new home. In a highlight of the evening, Jennifer Altman, whose 18-month-old daughter Alyssa has CF, spoke from the heart in her Bid for a Cure.
After two days of fishing in the catch-and-release tournament, an awards ceremony culminated in a surprise victory for Grand Champion Angler John Andrews, who caught an amazing 22 fish in a single day.
In addition to the efforts of a dynamic team of volunteers, corporate sponsors Chaos Boatworks, the James Millis Jr. Foundation, Charter Lakes Marine Service, Hampton Inn-Landfall, and Rippy Automotive helped make the event a success, raising approximately $70,000, a $30,000 increase over last year’s amount.
“This is one of the highest-quality events I have ever been a part of,” said Steve Wells, co-chair of the Executive Committee, who also participated in the fishing. “I am so proud tobe contributing to a cause as important as finding a cure for CF.”
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