Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
With Wednesday being the off day for the pros, practice wrapped up Tuesday and the tournament starting Thursday morning, the NPFL continues to provide community outreach to the host cities. This week, NPFL owners, pros and media are furthering the connection and increasing community involvement by taking part in local initiatives to get more people fishing.
Teaming up with the Anderson Library, NPFL pros will be donating fishing equipment to the “check out” program which allows community members to take out fishing gear to use and return when finished, just like books. The program relies on angler donations and the NPFL is proud to help.
Anglers Jay Cranney, Travis Jewell, Chad Aaron, Shaun Mulhall and Emerson Mulhall spent a portion of Wednesday morning rigging up equipment previously donated to the library and will be collecting and donating equipment at the Round Table event this evening. All items collected will be delivered to the library on Thursday.
“We at The League hold the connection to community involvement at the pinnacle of event priorities,” said Paul Benson, VP of Partnership Sales at TNPFL. “The Anderson Library program allowing kids to “Check Out” fishing gear aligns with another fundamental priority of growing the industry and keeping the generational mindset of teaching the love and passion of fishing to kids. We are proud to be able to not only give back to the local community but to do so with the potential to “light the fire” of Bass Fishing to a potential Future Competitor for “The League.”
In addition to the library event, anglers also visited two local elementary schools this morning to read to students and provide boat tours. The NPFL anglers answered all questions and were on hand to talk about whatever was asked. Another group of pros visited the Special Population Recreation Center to speak to adults with special needs. They also were able to tour the boats and talk fishing.
“What the NPFL has been able to do this week with their Angler Round Tables, Community Highlights and Community Outreach elements is bring the event to Downtown Anderson and show the connection between the organization, the anglers, and the event with the community. A lot of people talk about that dynamic, but the NPFL has delivered on that,” said Neil Paul, Visit Anderson.
Click through the gallery of Wednesday’s Community Outreach
