The 8th Annual Ryan Newman
Foundation Charity Dinner/Auction and 7th Annual Charity Fishing
Tournament raised over $340,000 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, North Carolina on Friday,
December 7. Local ABC affiliate WSOC News Anchor Blair Miller
emceed the evening’s festivities. Two of country music’s MOST talented
singer/song writers provided the evening’s entertainment, with Tim Dugger and
Grammy nominee Eric Paslay taking to the stage in front of a sold-out crowd of
520 sponsors, NASCAR drivers, professional anglers and fans.
Guests had the opportunity to bid on
silent auction items and participate in the “Fishing for Fun” Raffle. The big
items included a John Deere Gator and a Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV along with
many once in a lifetime race weekend and country music industry experiences.
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. Money raised from the pottery
auction will be used to help vaccinate and sterilize dogs and cats in the
surrounding area.
The event had a country winter theme
and was managed by JHE Productions of Harrisburg, NC. New additions included an
outside Presenting Sponsor VIP tent fit for a Kim Kardashian herself. The area
provided plush white couches and glass tables with all the right touches for
guests to relax and mingle with Ryan and Krissie before the doors opened to the
public.
A mammoth ice sculpture was the
feature attraction hosting a dog, cat, fish and deer circling the Foundation
logo and was surrounded by a large candy bar that was transformed into a
dessert bar after dinner. Guests also walked the red carpet and took photos
with Ryan and Krissie and the photo booths were a crowd favorite for the second
year in a row.
Bass Pro Shops and Bassmaster
presented the charity fishing tournament hosting 148 teams, all competing for a
Nitro Z9 Bass Boat equipped with a motor, trolling motor, electronics and
matching trailer. Lake levels were extremely low, but the anglers unloaded and
took to the water from Blythe Landing on Lake Norman in Huntersville, NC.
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 for the second
year in a row. The two kept the participants and the crowd on their feet while
the anglers weighed-in. Kevin even signed autographs for fans prior to weigh-in
at the Bass Pro Shops display.
This year’s tournament winners were
Travis Rulle from Huntersville, NC and his father Don Rulle from Longmont, CO.
They weighed in five fish for a total weight of 16 pounds and 4 ounces.
“Krissie and I appreciate everyone
who participates in the fishing tournament,” said Ryan Newman. “The weather was
perfect or as Kevin said, we had Chamber of Commerce Weather. The 70 degree day
didn’t make the fishing any better though. December is tough and normally our
tournament takes anywhere from 11 – 16 pounds to win and that’s what we got
with Travis and his dad. It declined rapidly after that.
“I am glad Kevin and Mark were able
to make it back this year because I think the angers and fans watching enjoy
their banter back and forth on stage with the fishermen.”
Second place trophies were taken
home by Cliff Kirby from Catawba, NC and Rick Dunstan from Pinehurst, NC
weighing in five fish at 12 pounds, 12 ounces. Third place went to Shane LeHew
from Charlotte, NC and Adam Yates from Denver, NC. They had five weighing in at
12 pounds, 7 ounces.
Outback Steakhouse, who is a primary
sponsor on Ryan’s No. 39 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet, hosted a rib and chicken
dinner to over 400 anglers and fans. Sponsors of the event and local businesses
were given the opportunity to meet with the public, sample products and give
out information and items from their companies.
John Deere had their newest products
on display, Oral B gave away bags of toothpaste and Kraft Foods sampled Oreo
and Ritz products. Other venders included: Visit Lake Norman, Humane Society of
Iredell County, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Silpada Jewelry, Parks Chevrolet,
PhDs Woodworking and the Ryan Newman Foundation. Kids had their own area to
play in with lots of free giveaways, games and inflatable’s to enjoy while
listening to live music provided by WAME Radio in Statesville. Over 1,000
people visited the boat ramp to show their support of the annual tournament.
While the anglers were on the water,
Ryan hosted a luncheon cruise on a luxury yacht. This was a nice way for
sponsors to see the beautiful scenery Lake Norman has to offer and view some of
the teams attempting to reel that big one in.
“I didn’t know what to think of the
yacht event, but it turned out to be a good thing for our sponsors,” said
Newman. “Fishing isn’t like a golf tournament. It can be frustrating and you
have to have patience, and most of all, be up at the crack of dawn which most
people don’t want to do after our event. It was a good way for them to have
someone on one time with me and check out Lake Norman. It’s something I think
we’ll do again next year.”
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