Lydia Ann Cancelled
Fellow Anglers & CfR Supporters,
After a lot of thought and discussion, we have unfortunately decided to cancel this year’s Lydia Ann Fly Masters tournament. While we look forward to our event each year and the impact it has on Casting for Recovery, it is also important this year to ensure the safety and wellbeing of each of our participants and donors. The most obvious reason for cancelling this year is the COVID-19 pandemic. With the most recent spike in Texas and talk of a “second wave,” there continues to be a lot of uncertainty and we expect that will continue into the latter part of this year. Secondly, we have to keep in mind the material impact that the shutdowns and overall economic strain have had on a lot of small businesses, many of which are our donors and tournament supporters.
Now that the not so fun part is out of the way, let’s talk about what we can all do this year to support CfR and to support our local communities.
- Casting for Recovery: If you are in a position this year to do so, I would encourage you to make a personal donation to Casting for Recovery. They are still committed to their great mission and are working to find ways to hold their retreats while also keeping everyone safe. Even a small donation can make a big difference. You can donate at https://castingforrecovery.org/donate/.
- Alternate CfR Support Methods: I would encourage everyone to look at the CfR donation page linked above as it shares several non-conventional ways that you can support the organization. Things like Donating your Birthday or signing up for Amazon Smile are great and easy ways to help support CfR and get your friends involved at the same time. Take a look at the different ideas they have and find a creative way to support CfR!
- Local Business Support: While our main mission of the tournament is to raise money for Casting for Recovery, this year is a different animal. Many of our supporters had to shut down their stores earlier this year and are just now slowly reopening. For many businesses, like our local fly shops, the shutdown hit during the ramp up into the summer, a usually busy time. I would encourage those of you who are able to make an extra effort this year to help support your local businesses. Whether it is a fly shop, a local restaurant or other small business, let’s do our best to help our neighbors get through this challenging time.
I am sure that many of us are going stir crazy with the quarantine and the shut downs, so make the effort to get out and get some fresh air (safely and socially distanced of course). There is at least 6’ of space between the poling platform and casting deck of a skiff, so chasing redfish may be the perfect socially distanced activity! Hopefully you are all able to get our and wet a line and we look forward to seeing you all again for the 2021 tournament! Stay safe, stay smart and get out on the water if you can.
Tight lines,
Rob Burlingame
(210) 885-3730 cell
Category: Causes
