A beautiful day out on the lagoon yielded great catches as anglers reeled in support at the third annual Mardy Fishing Tournament to benefit the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, followed by an awards ceremony at Riverside Cafe.
Funds raised during the catch-and-release tournament support the MFCF enrichment programs for children in 13 elementary schools, six middle schools and one high school, as well as those that take place at various local nonprofits and recreation centers in the county.
The event casts a wide net, covering the waters from the Sebastian to the Fort Pierce Inlets, targeting snook, redfish and trout.
“It was a really fun event. I love seeing all these guys come out and enjoy the day and support our cause. It’s a tournament to help our kids here in Indian River County,” said Tom Fish, MFCF chairman emeritus.
“We are very grateful for all our sponsors and anglers who helped us make it such a success. Together we are helping a lot of children who need us, and we are making a positive impact on their lives,” he added.
“Our board has really enjoyed running this event. Most of us play tennis for sport, so hosting this event has forced us to learn about the sport of fishing, and it’s allowed us to bring in a whole new group of donors and supporters to help us with our cause,” agreed Lynn Southerly, MFCF executive director.
The fishing tournament supports MFCF programs, which continue to expand their reach and fund new initiatives virtually every grant cycle. In 2025, its programs touched nearly 3,800 children during the fall, spring and summer semesters.
“The more awareness about what we do that we can spread throughout the community, the more money we can raise and the more children we can help. Having fun doing it is just icing on the cake. We will definitely continue to hold it again in future years. We are even considering adding one to our spring schedule of events, so stay tuned,” said Southerly.
This fall, the foundation granted $100,000 to 20 after- and in-school programs offering diverse opportunities for growth and skill-building, such as tennis, golf, swimming and basketball, as well as gardening, art, chorus, cheerleading, equine and farm life, and tutoring.
“We even added our first pickleball program, which we are running at the Boys and Girls Club,” said Southerly, adding that if it’s successful, they will likely add more locations in future grant cycles.
“A couple of the boys who have fished with us in this event each year have reached out to say they would like to help us add a kids’ fishing clinic or camp. We are definitely going to take them up on that offer. It’s all exciting stuff, and we hope the excitement continues,” said Southerly.
She noted that in order to continue to provide all these great programs they rely 100 percent on donors, tournament participants, and sponsors.
“We are thankful to all of them because healthy, happy kids have way better outcomes in life, and they are the future of our community.”
Upcoming events include the Jan. 26 Mardy Fish Golf Tournament at Windsor, and the May 4-10 USTA Pro Circuit Tennis Tournament at Sea Oaks.
For more information, visit mardyfishchildrensfoundation.org.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
