December 6, 2022
Lake Wales, FL- I have a love hate relationship with this time of year. I’ve never been big on celebrating the commercialism of Christmas. But, the commercialism of Christmas has led to great endeavors by organizations such as Toys for Tots. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Toys for Tots and I’m so happy to continue to be apart of such a great cause.
The 9th Annual Toys for Tots 4-Man Open was nothing short of a success. Record participation coupled with a record donation really solidified this event for the foreseeable future. This year’s event featured 22 4-man teams, 44 boats, 88 anglers from all across Florida that ventured out onto the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes via Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge, Marina, and RV Resort for the largest field in the last 9 years of this event.
The event has generated some of the largest single donation pickups for the Polk County chapter of Toys for Tots in recent years, and this year was no different. An estimated $7,000.00-$10,000.00 worth of toys and monetary donations were donated to Polk County Toys for Tots as a result of the efforts from anglers, spectators, and area residents alike. It couldn’t have come at a better time either. Almost 15,000 requests from qualified children are being filled by the Polk chapter this year and it comes during a time of sorrow for all the volunteers. The organization’s Volunteer Director, David “Wally” Waller unexpectedly passed away November 19th of cancer, leaving the organization to quickly put together the pieces in order to fulfill the thousands of requests. Longtime friend of Waller and co-volunteer with Toys for Tots, Angela Davis, has stepped in to continue the work he started and has taken over the Volunteer Director position.
“This is the largest single donation pick up we’ve received this year,” stated Davis in front of a crowd of anglers and Camp Mack area residents who were there to donate and watch weigh-in. “We’re so thankful for your generosity this holiday season as we help to give less fortunate children a Christmas this year.”
The 9th edition of the 4-Man Open saw a record turnout with the 22 teams, some of which came to compete in their first ever Toys for Tots 4-Man Open event. The team of Bobby Bakewell, Robert Bakewell, Kyle Gooding, and Garret Thomas were one of those teams and topped the record field to take home the win. Bakewell and Bakewell weighed the day’s heaviest 5 bass limit with 27.30 pounds. Gooding and Thomas followed up with another 15.13 pounds to give the group a total of 42.43 pounds, more then enough to take home 1st place and a $2,000.00 payday.
Rich Anthony, Kevin Cochran, Bob Grosso, and Tom Craighead teamed up and took home a second place finish and $1,200.00. Anthony and Cochran weighed a 14.61 pound, 5 bass limit. Grosso and Craighead followed up with an additional 21.03 pound bag to give the quad a total of 35.64 pounds. Grosso and Craighead anchored their bag with an 8.81 pound Trophy Catch to also earn the event’s Big Bass award and an additional $440.00.
Third place went to the team of Chaz Hickcox, Trathen Dollar, Jason Brewer, and Demitrius Hart. Hickcox and Dollar’s 15.66 pound bag, coupled with Brewer and Hart’s 17.96 pound bag gave the Crossed Industries team a 33.62 pound total, earning $1,000.00 for their efforts.
Andrew Hall, Will Brown, Tracy Bray, and Jason Liggett rounded out the Top 4. Hall and Brown’s 5 bass limit weighed 12.08 pounds, while Bray and Liggett followed up with a 20.75 pound limit to give the team 32.83 pounds collectively, earning $560.00.
Full results from the event can be found here.
About Toys for Tots
The mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is to assist the U. S. Marine Corps in providing a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas. This assistance includes providing day-to-day leadership and oversight of the Program, raising funds to provide toys to supplement the collections of local Toys for Tots Campaigns, to provide promotional and support material and defray the costs of conducting annual Toys for Tots Campaigns. Other Foundation support includes providing administrative, advisory, financial, logistic and promotional support to local Toys for Tots Coordinators; managing funds raised and monies donated based on the use of Toys for Tots name or logo; providing other support the Marine Corps, as a federal agency, cannot provide; and conducting public education and information programs about Toys for Tots that call the general public to action in support of this patriotic community action program. For more information visits www.toysfortots.org.
Photos Credit: Scott Scarboro
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