Montgomery ISD Fishing Team: An Eventful Evening
This past Friday Evening, the MISD Fishing Team was heavily involved in the first fundraiser of the Montgomery Bass Booster Club (MBBC) held at the Lone Star Community Center. This event raised funds for the members of the Team to help reduce the costs of the Tournaments which they compete in, plus provide scholarships for Team Members wishing to attend College or Trade School.
I know you’re saying to yourself, wait a minute, hasn’t the MISD Fishing Team been around for ten years? The answer is yes, but the newly formed MBBC under the direction of Jerry Arthur, Sean Hoernke, Bobby Kay Hatzold, Annette Smith, and Amanda Gatewood, felt compelled to put together a booster club for the Team. The MBBC’s primary goal is to raise money for the students and captains of the Team to offset the exorbitant costs of tournament fishing, plus provide scholarship funds.
There were many other helping hands with parents and others volunteering, taking on duties such as manning the fryers, to helping with set up and take down, which were instrumental in making this event so successful. Unfortunately, there were too many to be mentioned here, but just know that the Students of the MISD Fishing Team, along with the MBBC leadership know that this fundraiser would not have been as successful as it was, without the many parents and members of the community volunteering.
There were many Montgomery dignitaries in attendance as well, such as School Board Members Dr. Matt Fuller, Trey Kirby, Eddie Winn, as well as the new Superintendant, Dr. Mark Ruffin. When the doors opened at 6:00, we were greeted by Nashville Recording Artist Payton Howie. The reigning Texas Radio’s Vocalist of the Year set the tone with her unique style of Country Music, for what was going to be “An Eventful Evening.”
Since we are the Fishing Team, what were we going to serve for dinner? You guessed it, Fried Catfish and Shrimp with all the fixings. Luckily for the Team, the Fish & Shrimp was donated by the Hasara Family.
After dinner, and right before the live auction, it was announced that one of the MISD Team members Curtis McCauley III, had verbally committed to attend Drury University on a Bass Fishing Scholarship worth eighty thousand dollars. That’s right, you read correctly, EIGHTY thousand towards his education to fish in college! Curtis will be joining former MISD Fishing Team member Cade Lipham at Drury University in Springfield Missouri, where the pair hope to lead Drury to a National Title.
After this announcement, things really got heated up when auctioneer Vince Ross got on the microphone to start the live auction. Bidding was heavy with Greg Sanford & Jake Dixon from Montgomery jumping in the fray early and often, especially after Buster Barsh from Barsh Auto Services threw in free oil changes for any winning bidder. However, it was Clay Jones from Shepherd that stole the show, outbidding most on many of the items. He was later quoted as saying, “I love helping these young people do good wholesome things like fishing.”
The silent auction was just as successful, with many kindhearted folks in the community stepping up and donating very nice items and services. All told, this event was able to raise just under 37 thousand dollars to go towards expenses and scholarships for members of the MISD Fishing Team.
“An eventful Evening” indeed.
