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Hooked on Shelter Fishing Derby organizer Donna Kirsch, along with Clancy Solomon, proudly displays the catfish she caught at the 2015 tournament. This year's event, the 10th annual edition, gets underway Sept. 21 at Selkirk Park. Registration is $65.
It’s an event that’s reeled in nearly $60,000 over the past nine years for the Manitoba Real Estate Association’s (MREA) Shelter Foundation.
Slated for Sept. 21 at Selkirk Park, the 10th edition of the Hooked on Shelter Fishing Derby is shaping up to be the best yet, says tournament co-ordinator/MREA governor Donna Kirsch.
"We’re very excited about this year’s derby," Kirsch says. "Right now, we have 52 participants entered and are looking to get about 65 or more if possible. The one thing I’d like to emphasize is that the event isn’t just for realtors — it’s open to the public and we encourage them to come out to Selkirk Park on Sept. 21 to help out a great cause."
The entry fee of $65 covers parking, boat launch, lunch and prizes. Those prizes will be doled out for the longest catfish, walleye and drum; for hidden length drum, catfish and walleye; the highest total accumulated length team (per person) — and more.
"There will also be captain’s draw, plus a grand prize that fishermen I know tell me is an incredible prize — a high-tech Humminbird Helix 9 GPS Fishfinder," Kirsch says. "The tournament will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and then Danny’s Whole Hog will provide lunch before all the prizes are handed out."
While the day figures to be filled with fun — and larger-than-life fishing stories — the event has a serious underlying purpose.
"Net proceeds from the tournament go the the MREA’s Shelter Foundation," Kirsch says. "Over the past nine years, it’s raised over $57,000 that’s been part of the (approximately) $700,000 that the Shelter Foundation has paid out in grants to worthy shelter-related organizations. The derby raises anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on participation levels. Every little bit helps."
A good example of an organization that’s appreciated the financial assistance is Esther House, an organization that helps women with addictions.
"Those women apply after undergoing a 31-day addiction treatment, and that’s simply not enough time to overcome their different addictions," Kirsch says. "The women who are accepted into Esther House can stay there for up to a year and learn essential work skills, how to look after their finances and how to interact with people in day-to-day life. Many of those women have never had that kind of structure in their life before."
Even a seemingly small grant of $5,000 can be huge for such organizations, adds Kirsch.
"The more money we raise through events like the Hooked on Shelter Fishing Derby (as well as Gimme Shelter, an event put on by the MREA and WinnipegREALTORS every March), the more we can give out. As realtors, we want to help as many people as we can because we believe that every person deserves respect, a good place to live and a chance to lead a productive life."
To register, or sign on as a sponsor, for the Hooked on Shelter Fishing Derby, call Donna Kirsch at 204-781-8141 or 204-654-2929, or send an e-mail to dkirsch@mymts.net.
