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Pro angler Chad Morgenthaler
teams
with Special Olympics to host bass tournament
Rend Lake Tournament to Benefit Athletes
in Illinois
August 8, 2006 - NORMAL, Ill. Professional
bass fisherman Chad Morgenthaler of Coulterville, Ill., is hooked
on Special Olympics. He is teaming up with Special Olympics Illinois
and the Law Enforcement Torch Run to host the Chad Morgenthaler
Bass Tournament presented by Jasper Engines & Transmissions
and the Franklin County Tourism Bureau on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1
at Rend Lake in southern Illinois.
The weekend includes the two-day buddy team format
tournament, Beat the Pro fishing and casting contests, a Family
Fun Zone and a chance to win great prizes. Professional fishermen
participating include Morgenthaler, Greg Pugh, Terry Tucker and
Ranger Pro Terry Bolton.
Morgenthaler is a three-time Bassmaster Classic
qualifier and has several FLW Top 10 tournament finishes. He
became involved with Special Olympics Illinois in 2005 when he
donated a day-long fishing trip as part of an online auction
sponsored by the organization. Special Olympics athletes were
on hand at Crab Orchard Lake in southern Illinois to see Morgenthaler
and the auction winner begin their fishing trip. That experience
led to Morgenthaler's interest in hosting a charity tournament
for the organization.
"I was inspired by the courage and enthusiasm
shown by the Special Olympics athletes," said Morgenthaler.
"After talking more with Special Olympics Illinois, we agreed
a fishing tournament would be an exciting way to introduce the
organization and its athletes to a previously untapped audience
of fishermen."
"We currently have three great pros who have
agreed to participate and are expecting more to come onboard,"
Morgenthaler said. "We plan to make this an annual event
and hope to make it the largest charity fishing event in the
state in the future."
The fishing tournament is limited to the first
200 boats to register. The $200 entry fee per boat includes the
big bass pot. There is a $10 procrastinator's fee for entries
received after Sept. 22, 2006.
Registration for the tournament is from 3 to 5:30
p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, at Rend Lake Resort, the official housing
site for the tournament. A pre-tournament meeting will begin
at 6 p.m. at the resort. The meeting includes dinner, an auction
of great fishing items and a meet and greet with the pro anglers.
The Family Fun Zone will be open from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Rend Lake Sailboat Harbor, which
is also the launch site for the tournament. The Jasper Engines
& Transmissions show car will be available for viewing.
For entry forms or more information, contact Jeff
Henson at Special Olympics Illinois at 800-394-0562, email him
at jhenson@soill or visit www.soill.org.
Chad Morgenthaler, 39, has been a professional
bass fisherman since 2002. He is sponsored by Jasper Engines
& Transmissions, Ranger Boats, Yamaha Motors, Lowrance Electronics,
Wave Worms, Minn Kota, Kistler Rods, Maxima Line, Plano, Svanda
Auto Group, Nameoki Village Marine and FishingWorld.com.
Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit organization
offering year-round training and competition in 19 sports for
nearly 20,000 athletes ages 8 years and older with intellectual
disabilities. Special Olympics programs enhance physical fitness,
motor skills, self-confidence, social skills and encourage family
support.
The Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single
largest year-round fund-raising event benefiting Special Olympics
Illinois. The intrastate relay and its various fundraising projects
have two goals: to raise money and increase public awareness
for the athletes of Special Olympics. Each year, more than 3,000
officers in Illinois run more than 1,500 miles carrying the Flame
of Hope through the streets of their hometowns and deliver it
to the State Summer Games in Normal in June.
For more information and tournament registration,
click here.
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