For the 13th year in a row, people from kids to fishing celebrities attended the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge Fishing Challenge on Saturday, June 5, on Gull Lake, where anglers raised more than $435,000 to help people find freedom from addiction.
The cumulative amount generated from this family-friendly tournament since 2009 exceeds $2.9 million. Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge is a faith-based treatment center with short- and long-term programs.
The event was back in person this year and registration was full more than a week before the event with 150 teams. More than 300 anglers caught fish and brought them to the scale at Cragun’s Resort. Several hundred onlookers beat the heat and humidity by moving their chairs to the water while enjoying the weigh-off and listening to the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge choir perform.
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“The event was as much a fun-raiser as it was a fundraiser to save lives of people trapped in chemical addiction. We are seeing amazing things happen and restoring broken families,” tournament director Bernie Barringer said in a news release.
Tournament host Al Lindner said in the news release: “This is about saving lives and fishing - what a great combination. Thank you to the participants and the entire community for helping make this event a huge success and for their continued support of Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge.”
The McDonald’s Big Walleye Award went to Kyle Agre for his 9.26-pound walleye, and the Woods to Water Real Estate Big Bass Award was awarded to Mark Anderson, of Baxter, for a largemouth bass weighing 3.8 pounds. Both men were awarded a giant 3-foot long Rapala Lure that Lindner autographed.
The top three student-angler teams won $1,000 for college scholarships from Sea Foam.
In all, 50 teams earned a trip through the prize tent. Prizes included guided fishing trips, rods, reels, electronics, trolling motors and quality tackle.
Additionally, each team that raised at least $500 was entered into a drawing for a new Lund boat powered by Mercury and outfitted with Humminbird and Minn Kota electronics. The team of Sergi Schvetzoff and Kevin Hennessey, of Minnetonka, won the $20,000 rig.
The funds raised at this event allows Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge to accept people seeking freedom from addiction, regardless of their ability to pay. The 2022 fundraising tournament will hit the waters again Saturday, June 4, 2022.
