Funds help establish new or expand existing High School Fishing clubs
The Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Foundation has announced the availability of grants to Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school fishing clubs in Florida of up to $500 per school to establish new or expand existing clubs. The grants are offered via a two-year initiative with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The grants can be used by school teams/clubs to pay SAF dues for participating students, cover the cost of running team-sponsored tournaments, purchase student jerseys or other club costs. The initiative will help recruit new anglers, retain existing anglers during a critical developmental period, and reactivate lapsed anglers, including parents and grandparents, eager to support fishing as a high school sport. Florida High School Fishing clubs that have at least 10 SAF members or are interested in becoming an SAF-affiliated club are eligible and encouraged to apply for the grants. “High School Fishing in the most impactful recruitment tool that our industry has,” FLW Foundation Director Dave Washburn said. “Studies conducted by the Illinois High School Association show that 60 percent of High School Fishing participants do not participate in other school-sponsored sports. This means that participating schools are reaching a whole new segment of the student body, giving them an incentive to make good grades and a sense of school pride that they may not previously have had.” The program will increase sales of youth and regular fishing licenses among high school students and recruit new anglers to the sport. Many youth demonstrate less interest in fishing as they enter high school. This program intends to retain these younger anglers and create lifelong avid anglers who have a strong conservation appreciation. Funding provided by RBFF will be administered by the FLW Foundation. Additional requirements include completion of aquatic education and/or boater safety courses and a conservation project. All Florida high schools and members of the Home School Cooperative are encouraged to apply. Special consideration will be given to schools that include novice anglers in their club roster.
The Florida High School Fishing Grant Application is available at FLWFishing.com/Foundation. Applications are generally reviewed within three to five business days, but may be as long as four weeks. Applicants are encouraged to begin applying as soon as possible. More information on the FLW Foundation is available at FLWFishing.com/Foundation. Questions from the public should be directed to Dave Washburn by emailing [email protected] or calling 270-252-1607. Please note that this is not a toll-free number.
About Fishing League Worldwide (FLW)
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros.
About the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF)
RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns to create awareness around boating, fishing and conservation, and educate people about the benefits of participation. Take Me Fishing and Vamos A Pescar help boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan and equip for a day on the water. The campaign websites, TakeMeFishing.org, and VamosAPescar.org, feature how-to videos, information on how to get a fishing license and boat registration, and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots.
By: Joe Opager, Director of Public Relations
