The 7th Annual Ryan Newman Foundation Charity Dinner and 6th Annual Charity Fishing Tournament raised $333,000 for its animal welfare, education and conservation efforts. The dinner, presented by the Gene Haas Foundation, was held at the Statesville Civic Center in Statesville, NC on Friday, December 9th. Former Miss Sprint Monica Palumbo emceed the evening’s festivities. Country music singer/song writers Kendell Marvel, Billy and Randy Montana and Heidi Newfield took to the stage providing entertainment for the sold out crowd of 500 sponsors, NASCAR drivers, professional anglers, outdoorsmen and fans.
Guests had the opportunity to bid on silent auction items and participate in the “Fishing for Fun” Raffle. The big items of the evening were a John Deere Gator, Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV and a Holstein Hyde Lounge. Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart walked away with the lounge.
Returning this year were hand-painted dog/cat bowls and treat jars painted by the employees of the Ryan Newman Foundation and Ryan Newman Motorsports. Ryan even joined in and painted a set of bowls. Money raised from the pottery auction will be used to help vaccinate and sterilize dogs and cats in the surrounding area.
JHE Productions managed the event, adding a number of surprises. Upon arrival, guests walked the red carpet, taking photos next to an event-themed show car displaying sponsor logos. Presenting sponsors were treated to a VIP reception hosted by Ryan and Krissie prior to the doors opening. New fun items were an ice sculpture of a dog and a cat fishing and photo booths. The photo booths were stocked with props, which guests used to “style” themselves for the photos. The guests were then able to download their photos.
“This year’s event was a huge success,” said Krissie Newman. “We moved the location to the civic center and it didn’t disappoint us. JHE out did themselves and it’s going to be hard to top next year, but I’m looking forward to it. Funds raised from the event will be used for our spay/neuter grants, which will be awarded in the summer.”
For the second year, Bass Pro Shops and BASS presented the charity fishing tournament. Like the dinner, this year’s tournament was the most successful, featuring 197 boats that took to the water from Blythe Landing on Lake Norman in Huntersville, NC. A record number of professional anglers including Jami Fralick, Britt Myers, Marty Robinson, Todd Auten, Boyd Duckett, Guy Eaker, Davey Hite, David Walker and many more competed for the grand prize; a Nitro Z9 Bass Boat equipped with a motor, trolling motor, electronics and matching trailer. Four-time Bassmaster Champion and seven-time Angler of the year Kevin VanDam and Bassmaster Elite Series emcee and Outdoor Channel host Mark Zona were the tournament emcees and kept the participants and the crowd on their feet while 92 teams weighed-in.
This year’s winners were Ron Wolfarth from Oakboro, NC and Larry Inman from Greensboro, NC. They weighed in five fish for a total weight of 13 pounds and 14 ounces. The duo also won the Senior Citizen trophy.
“Krissie and I appreciate everyone who participates in the fishing tournament,” said Ryan Newman. “The weather isn’t the best and the fishing can be tough in December, so to see a record number of entries was pretty awesome. Bass Pro Shops donated a Nitro Z9 again this year, which helps with getting a mix of amateur and professional anglers. There aren’t a lot of tournaments giving out over $60,000 in prizes- especially charity events, so we’re lucky to have great partners that believe in our mission and support us throughout the year.
“I thought Kevin (VanDam) and Mark (Zona) took the tournament to a new level. Their celebrity status in the fishing world helped draw a record crowd for the weigh-in which was also exciting. We would love to have them back next year.”
Second place trophies were taken home by the husband/wife team of John and Angela Mayo of Maiden, NC, weighing in five fish at 13 pounds, 4 ounces. They also took home the big fish and husband/wife honors. Third place went to Troy LeHew of Charlotte, NC and Adams Waters of Denver, NC. They had four fish weighing in at 12 pounds, 13 ounces. Chad and Austin Schroder’s five fish were good enough to win the adult/child trophies.
A chicken dinner and vendor area were added for our supporters to enjoy before the boats returned. Sponsors of the Foundation were given the opportunity to meet with guests, sample products and give out information and items from their companies. John Deere had their newest products on display, Oral B gave away goodie bags, Tornados offered taste testing throughout the day while Tom Johnson RV and Camping Centers gave people the chance to watch sporting events outside the motor homes on display. Other venders included: Visit Lake Norman, Humane Society of Iredell County, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Wine Shop at Home, Bulova and Reeds Jewelers, Wix, Parks Chevrolet and the Ryan Newman Foundation. Kids had a play area with games and inflatables to enjoy while listening to live music. Over 1,000 people visited the boat ramp to show their support of the Annual Ryan Newman Foundation Fishing Tournament.
