Fishing Hall of Fame banquet, Chevy/IGFA free Kids Fishing Clinics affected
The effects of Hurricane Wilma, which tore through south Florida on the morning of Oct. 24th, are still being felt at the International Game Fish Association in Dania Beach, Florida.
As of noon ET, Tuesday, Nov. 1, eight days after Wilma’s destruction, the IGFA headquarters is still without power, phone and internet services as are thousands of neighboring organizations, businesses and residences in communities and counties to the north and south.
Three special IGFA events were scheduled for the week of Oct. 24th including the seventh annual IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame induction sponsored by Rolex, of five men on Tuesday evening, Oct. 25th.
“We hope to make an announcement soon with the rescheduled date of the Fishing Hall of Fame dinner and enshrinement ceremony,” said Mike Myatt, corporate director of the IGFA via a cell phone from his darkened office.
Two other events will also be rescheduled including the IGFA Certified Observer class which was to take place on Oct. 26th at the IGFA headquarters, and the Chevy/IGFA Kids Fishing Clinic in West Palm Beach which was set for Oct. 29th.
The next free Kids Fishing Clinic is still scheduled for Sat. Nov. 5th at the Mote Aquarium in Sarasota, for west coast Florida youngsters.
The IGFA had earlier rescheduled its inaugural Chevy/IGFA Kids Fishing Clinic in Ft. Lauderdale, after Hurricane Katrina made landfall there in late August. That event has been moved to December 17th at the IGFA headquarters in Dania Beach.
Founded in 1939, the IGFA is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping. IGFA members are located in more than 125 countries and territories. The IGFA welcomes visitors to its 60,000-square-foot interactive Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum at its headquarters in Dania Beach. Its phone number is 954-927-2628.
By: Pete Johnson, Johnson Communications
