Several Young Cancer and Rehab Patients Enjoy a Very Special Day of Fishing in Biscayne Bay as part of the upcoming Herman Lucerne Backcountry Fishing Competition

(Homestead, FL) – Most of the children who participate in the annual Fordyce Guides for Kids program have never even been out on the water.  For many, it is an opportunity of a lifetime to share a half-day with an experienced fishing guide, reeling in the “big one” out on Biscayne Bay.   At 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 14th, a dozen young cancer and rehab patients from Baptist hospitals around South Florida will once again set out from Bayfront Park in Homestead with their parents and a group of experienced fishing guides who have volunteered their time and vessels for the kids.

“Many of the children this year are new to the program, most never having even been out on the water,” said Laurie Sargent, a senior child life specialist at Baptist Children’s Hospital in Kendall who is helping to organize the youths to participate in this year’s event.  “We have one child this year who really wants to participate and who is in a wheelchair.  We were so happy to just tell his parents that we secured a guide with a boat that can provide the child safe and comfortable access.  We also have one very special six-year old boy, a bone marrow transplant patient, along with his courageous younger sister who was his donor.  They are both so excited to get out there.”

During the last four years, the Fordyce Guides for Kids program has provided an opportunity for more than 50 children to get out and enjoy a day of sun and fun.  The program has raised more than $60,000 for children’s services at Homestead Hospital.  In previous years, this money has helped to purchase telemetry equipment for pediatric patient rooms to enable cardiac monitoring of each child, a Braslow cart and a defibrillator to enhance the nursing staff’s ability to respond to cardiac and respiratory emergencies and three auto syringe IV pumps to allow gradual introduction of medication into a child’s IV.

The Fordyce Guides for Kids program is affiliated with the Herman Lucerne Backcountry Fishing Competition, an annual fishing event in its eighth year set to kick off on April 20th – 22nd.  For more information on the Fordyce Guides for Kids program or the fishing tournament, call 786-243-8112 or log on at www.lucernegossman.com.

NASA Astronaut Bruce Melnick joins Pete Johnson as emcees/auctioneers of Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Fishing Competition

(Miami, FL) - Expect a fun, lively and profitable evening for the Homestead Hospital Foundation as   two time NASA space shuttle astronaut Bruce Melnick and his fishing partner Pete Johnson team up as auctioneers and emcees for the eighth annual Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Fishing Competition. The enthusiastic duo have been a huge success in raising money at numerous charity tournaments across the state including the Redbone tournaments for cystic fibrosis, auctioning off a wide variety of fishing trips, artwork, fishing and sporting gear --- and they’re here to kick off the Herman Lucerne Memorial at Friday Night’s Family Festival scheduled for Friday, April 20th at 6 – 8 pm.   

Former Astronaut Bruce Melnick has spent more than 300 hours in space, orbiting the Earth 207 times, aboard Space Shuttle missions in 1990 and 1992.  During STS-41 aboard Discovery, Bruce helped deploy the Ulysses satellite into a polar orbit around the Sun.  During his second mission aboard the maiden voyage of Endeavor, Bruce and his crewmates performed the dramatic recovery and re-boost of the Intelsat VI satellite, utilizing the first and only three-person spacewalk.

Prior to joining the Astronaut corps, Bruce was a highly decorated U. S. Coast Guard helicopter rescue and test pilot.  His numerous honors include two Distinguished Flying Crosses and the U. S. Secretary of Transportation Heroism Award for rescue missions performed throughout his twenty-year career.

Bruce recently retired as vice president of The Boeing Company where he was responsible for supporting many of the programs throughout Florida, including the International Space Station, the Space Shuttle and the Delta rocket family.

Johnson, of Scottsdale, Arizona's Johnson Communications has been the PR/media relations counsel and spokes person for such names as Rolex, the IGFA, Mercury Outboards, Sea Ray Boats, and Cigarette Racing for many years. A former Tampa Bay daily newspaper reporter and long time CBS-TV sportscaster there, Pete has been helping at fishing tournaments whenever needed as an MC, radio/TV spokesman, auctioneer for countless live and radio auctions, a feature writer/photographer, and author of feature stories and news releases for the many Rolex, IGFA and Redbone fishing tournaments worldwide.

Both Bruce and Pete are honored to be involved and teaming-up for the Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Competition and the Homestead Hospital Foundation.

For tickets to the Friday Night Family Festival call the Homestead Hospital Foundation at 786-243-8112 for tickets today.

Annual Backcountry Fishing Competition in Everglades National Park
Offers a Weekend of Fun for Everyone (Angler or Not!)

(Miami, FL) - Whether or not you are going to cast a line during the 8th Annual Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Fishing Competition on April 20-22, 2007 you can still join in the fun to help raise money for children’s services at the new Homestead Hospital.  Families are invited to kick off the annual competition at a Friday Night Family Festival on Friday, April 20th at the Harris Field Pavilion in Homestead from 6 – 8 p.m. 

Come enjoy a finger-lickin’ BBQ dinner, entertainment and lots of games and activities for the kids.  You can even bid on a four-night Carnival cruise in the luxurious owner’s suite or a weekend stay at Ocean Reef with a round of golf for two during the evening’s live and silent auction all for a great cause!  Tickets at the door are $25 for adults and $10 for kids (age 5-12).  Buy the tickets in advance and $5 each ticket.  Call the Homestead Hospital Foundation at 786-243-8112 for tickets today.

For the anglers who are getting their rods and reels ready for the most challenging backcountry competition here in South Florida, log on to the new web page at www.lucernegossman.com to register today or for a look at the latest tournament schedule and rules. The entry fee for the tournament is $300 per angler until April 1 and $325 after that.  Last year’s tournament attracted more than 55 boats and 117 anglers.

This worthwhile event honors the memory of Herman Lucerne and Rudy Gossman, DMD, two men who were beloved for their devotion to their South-Dade community, friends and families.

Registration Opens for Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Fishing Competition

The eighth annual Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Fishing Competition is scheduled for April 20- 22, 2007.  This unique competition attracts many seasoned and well-rounded anglers who enjoy the challenge of participating in a backcountry competition with the opportunity to catch many eligible species such as tarpon, snook, redfish, trout, snapper, bonefish and bass or black drum.   The anglers will launch once again this year from Flamingo Marina in the beautiful Everglades National Park.

All proceeds from the fishing tournament benefit children’s services at the new Homestead Hospital scheduled to open this spring. The entry fee for the tournament is $300 per angler until April 1 and $325 after that, according to tournament committee chair Lloyd Wruble.  Last year’s tournament attracted more than 55 boats and 117 anglers.

“The tournament begins Friday evening with the Captain’s Meeting and Tournament Kickoff featuring a delicious dinner and grand auction at the Harris Field Pavilion in Homestead,” Wruble said. The Friday dinner this year will be a family event, open to the public, and efforts will be made to attract several hundred parents and children to attend, he said.

“Saturday’s fishing is followed by a reception where you can get the first day’s results and hear all the fish tales you can bear to listen to,” said Wruble. “The Sunday prime rib awards dinner recognizes the tournament winners and awards the Ed Stephanic Conservation Award to a person who is an outstanding proponent of the great natural wonders of South Florida.”  Sunday’s awards banquet will be held at Capri Restaurant in Florida City. 
           
A highlight of the tournament each year is the Rob Fordyce Guides for Kids Tournament. “Fifteen children who have been patients at Homestead Hospital or one of the other Baptist Health hospitals are taken out for a day of fishing,” said Wruble. “The very best professional guides in South Florida volunteer a day to take these children out and provide them with the most memorable day of fishing.”

Homestead Hospital has the only dedicated pediatric unit in south Miami-Dade and the Upper Keys.
In previous years, funds raised by the fishing tournament have helped to purchase telemetry equipment for patient rooms to enable cardiac monitoring of each child, a Braslow cart and a defibrillator to enhance the nursing staff’s ability to respond to cardiac and respiratory emergencies and three auto syringe IV pumps to allow gradual introduction of medication into a child’s IV. 

Opportunities still exist to sponsor various phases of the tournament. These include sponsorship of the kickoff Captain’s Meeting gathering on Friday night and the Sunday night awards banquet.

For more information on sponsorships or participating in the tournament, call Mr. Tom Schramm at 786-243-8531. Online registration is available at www.lucernegossman.com.
 
The Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Fishing Competition is one of the Homestead Hospital Foundation’s flagship events.  The Homestead Hospital Foundation is part of the Baptist Health South Florida Foundation, the fundraising arm for the hospitals affiliated with Baptist Health South Florida.  Baptist Health, the largest not-for-profit healthcare organization in the region, also includes Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children's Hospital, South Miami Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Mariners Hospital, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Baptist Outpatient Services. For more information, visit www.baptisthealth.net.

For more information contact: Thomas Schramm (786-243-8531)

Rolex/IGFA Inshore Championship Tournament takes on new name
Prestigious fly and light-tackle competition continues world wide impact

DANIA BEACH, Fla. USA --- The International Game Fish Association’s (IGFA) annual fly and light tackle Rolex/IGFA Inshore Championship Tournament has taken on a new name.

“The new title for the tournament will reflect the event’s continuing global growth beginning with the upcoming seventh annual IGFA Inshore World Championship (IWC),” said Mike Myatt the IGFA tournament director.

            “We’re extremely pleased with not only the championship and the publicity generated by it but with the growth of the IGFA sanctioned qualifying events that have evolved over the six years in locales on the continents of North and South America, and as far away as Africa and Australia. Last year they grew to 55 events in over eight countries on four continents attracting some tremendous competitors among the 2,800 anglers represented.

            “The title sponsorship of Rolex has come to an end. We’ve deeply appreciated their generosity since the beginning of the inshore championship in 2001 and we will be working with them in other events.”

            Myatt said negotiations are underway and a new presenting sponsor for the IWC is expected to be named within a month.
Over the last several years the prestigious fly and light-tackle catch-and-release event has been hailed as the “super bowl of inshore fishing.”

            The IWC is the second in a series of world wide competitive invitational fishing events that includes the upcoming newly named eighth annual IGFA Offshore World Championship for billfish which will be held in May in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  In that “tournament of champions” some 70 teams of anglers representing qualifying tournament wins in more than 33 countries are expected to compete.

For further questions regarding the IGFA Inshore World Championship, contact tournament coordinator Denise Hartman, at 954-924-4243, or email: DHartman@igfa.org.

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 over 125 countries and territories. The IGFA welcomes visitors to its 60,000-square-foot interactive Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Dania Beach, Florida