The following is from the blog of Diane Probst, President/CEO of the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives.
he 11th annual Babes on the Bay Fishing Tournament, Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 at the Festival Grounds at Rockport Harbor, was an absolute true example of how people can work together and make great things happen for their community.
As I was going through the community on Friday evening, I observed "Babes" grocery shopping at HEB, shopping for last minute items at Walmart, getting gas for both cars and boats, eating at many of our local restaurants, staying in our hotels, going to our convenience stores and so on. Tournament Director Karol Scardino said there were over 1,067 women this year fishing in the tournament. A total of 302 teams were out on the water. This is an incredible turnout. It is an incredible turnout but what was also amazing is the "spirit of fun" held throughout the two-day period. Women just seemed to be having fun! The kick-off and captains meeting Friday night at around 8 p.m. was a great time as teams found out the official starting time, rules and regulations and when and where the weigh-in is held. They registered for cash pots for the heaviest redfish, spotted sea trout and team stringer. The Babe’s Shopping Mall was open both days. They were encouraged to fish anywhere. There were no boundaries. On Saturday from 12 Noon to 4 p.m. the ladies all started arriving at the big tent. They were given a mesh bag to put their four winning fish in. The evening finished off with an awards presentation, drinks and dancing at the big tent on the Festival Grounds. Over half of these women come from out of town. In addition to coming from Houston, Austin and San Antonio they have come from as far away as Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina, California and Colorado. On average each woman spends more than a $100, some spending more and some spending less, in the local economy on food, gas, souvenir, fishing shirts, beverages, etc. If you do the math, that is $106,700 towards the local economy. Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is one of the organizations who benefit from this annual tournament. A membership to CCA is purchased for each entrant out of their registration money. Total funds raised was just under $25,000. Babes on the Bay also donates $2,000 to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Go for Fish, Not Drugs Fishing Tournament. Every year the tournament has also donated a portion of the proceeds to the Texas Legacy Fund and earmarked to restock Aransas Bay. Our hats are off to all the folks helping organize this event. It is a great event for our community, for CCA, and most of all, for the WOMEN who enjoy being a "Babe" for the weekend!
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