The second annual Salmon Fishing Derby sponsored by Machinists District W24 raised $12,500 for Guide Dogs of America (GDA).
The International Association of Machinists founded GDA in 1948 in Sylmar, California, to train and provide guide dogs to the blind, free of charge. The organization receives no government funding.
“We depend solely on fundraising events like this, voluntary donations and bequests,” said Guide Dogs director and derby participant Dale Hartford, noting that to breed, raise and train one guide dog costs $38,000.
So to help with the cause, 20 professionally-guided fishing boats, each with four-person teams, dropped lines in the Columbia River at the crack of dawn April 7, starting and finishing on the dock of the Red Lion Hotel on the River-Jantzen Beach.
The winning catch was a 23.5 pound salmon reeled in by Lauren Wills. Second place went to Shaughn Scott of Scott Wealth Management Group for a fish weighing 15.13 pounds. They both received gift cards donated by Dick’s Sporting Goods.
A new category this year was a sturgeon derby (for most total inches of sturgeon reeled in, catch and release). Winners were Jack Brock with 159.2 inches and Clint Getty with 149.1 inches. Getty is a member of the Machinists Union. Brock is the son of Matt Brock, one of five former NFL players who fished in the derby. The others were Stan Brock (no relation to Matt), Willie Brock (Stan’s brother), Josh Wilcox, and Tim Guy.
In two years the fishing derby has collected $24,000 for Guide Dogs.
