On April 15 at 9 a.m. select members of Fujifilm’s pro-fishing team will visit Tucker Elementary School in Lowell, Ark., to meet with an assembly of fifth-grade students. The anglers will talk about the family-friendly sport of fishing and the importance of conservation. The team will be in Rogers for the $1.25 million Wal-Mart Open powered by Tyson on Beaver Lake that takes place April 13-16.
A goal of the visit is for the children to gain an appreciation of the environment by learning about conserving fish habitats and being respectful of nature. The anglers will take this opportunity to educate students about why more than 52 million people pick up their rods and wet a line each year – because fishing is a fun, wholesome activity the entire family can enjoy. They will talk about life as a pro angler and give the children a chance to ask questions. The visit is tailored to introduce the next generation of anglers to the wonderful world of fishing.
Fujifilm’s pro team, which includes some of bass fishing’s most successful anglers, has had a consistent presence in the communities that have hosted Wal-Mart FLW Tour events during the last five years. The team has made several appearances in local grade schools and children’s hospitals on the tournament circuit, encouraging children to get involved in the lifelong sport of fishing.
“Fujifilm is proud to sponsor a winning team of anglers,” said Cindy Bogan, national account manager, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. “With their influence and guidance, we feel strongly that our team will educate kids about the fun of fishing and the importance of conservation, while inspiring the next generation of anglers and photographers.”
Fujifilm will offer another opportunity for children of all ages to learn more about fishing during the Wal-Mart FLW Tour’s Family Fun Zone, which is free and open to the public. Fujifilm will set up a fishing pond for children to catch trout, have their photos taken with their catches and then release the trout back into the pond. The Fun Zone runs from 3-5 p.m. April 15 and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. April 16. It will be set up at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 2110 West Walnut in Rogers.
Outside the tournament, Fujifilm also takes an active role in motivating children to fish, photograph and release. For the past four years, Fujifilm has sponsored the “Fish, Photograph and Release” (FPR) program to promote and encourage kids and their families to fish, take a photograph of the catch, and then release the fish back into the water.
“The success of the Fish, Photograph and Release program demonstrates Fujifilm’s commitment to and support of fishing while also incorporating the fun of photography,” Bogan said.
The 2005 Fujifilm pro-angler team comprises Randy Blaukat of Lamar, Mo.; Robert Bogan of Farmington, Ark.; Scott Bonnema of Forest Lake, Minn.; Brent Brady of Hixson, Tenn.; Joel Richardson of Kernersville, N.C.; Sean Stickler of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Shawn Strader of Rockwood, Tenn.; Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn.; Sam Swett of Covington, La.; and Wes Thomas of Hanover, Ind.
Headquartered in Valhalla, N.Y., Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. is a subsidiary of Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd. and delivers technology solutions to meet the imaging and information needs of retailers, consumers, professionals and business customers.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour and seven other national tournament circuits offering a combined $30 million in awards through 214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old organization is the purveyor of America’s largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.
For more information on FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, call (270) 252-1000.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as title sponsor of the FLW Tour in 1997 and today is the title sponsor of all FLW Outdoors events.
By: Dave Washburn, vp comm, FLW Outdoors
