Fishing For A Cause Raises Close To $200,000 For The Schwartz Center

The 6th annual Fishing for a Cause tournament, fundraiser and dinner raised nearly $200,000 from June 25 to June 26 in the waters of Buzzards Bay to benefit children and families of The Schwartz Center.

The annual event featured more than 100 anglers and over 300 guests at the seaside dinner, making it once again the largest annual fundraiser for Meeting Street’s Dartmouth campus. Fishing for a Cause has raised more than $800,000 in its history.

At the conclusion of the tournament, participants enjoyed a seaside dinner emceed by comedian Lenny Clarke. The dinner celebrated tournament participants, dedicated supporters, and the children and families that will benefit from the proceeds.

This year’s winning anglers were:

STRIPED BASS

1st – Brian Combra: 49.00" – Newport, RI

2nd - Jay Stoebel: 40.125" – Derry, NH

3rd - Gene Connors 40.00" – New Bedford, MA

BLUEFISH

1st – Rob Taylor: 32.00" – Newport, RI

2nd - Rob Wood: 31.00" – Tiverton, RI

3rd - Jim Mandly: 29.50" – Providence, RI

FLUKE

1st - Jack Sprengel: 25.25" – Warwick, RI

2nd - Maria Tulloch: 24.00" – New Bedford, MA

3rd - Pierre Messier: 20.00" – Fall River, MA

For more information about this year’s event please visit http://www.meetingstreet.org/FFAC or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FishingForACause/.

About Meeting Street /The Schwartz Center: "Founded in 1946, Meeting Street compassionately and innovatively empowers children and their families to thrive by fostering the development of the whole child. Meeting Street’s vision is to be a national leader in child development, education, research and training. Today, Meeting Street works with more than 4,000 children and families annually through its core programs: Early Intervention, Early Head Start, Olneyville Initiative, Healthy Families America, The Early Learning Center, The Grace School, The Carter School in Rhode Island, and The Schwartz Center in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.MeetingStreet.org."

Photo Captions:

Brian Combra Award: Brian Combra, of Newport, RI, took home the trophy for 1st place in the striped bass division in the 6th annual Fishing for a Cause event to benefit The Schwartz Center and Meeting Street. Combra donated his $2,500 winning check to Schwartz Center.

Brian Combra Fish: Brian Combra, of Newport, RI, shows off his winning 49 inch striped bass. Combra took home the trophy for 1st place in the striped bass division in the 6th annual Fishing for a Cause event to benefit The Schwartz Center and Meeting Street. Combra donated his $2,500 winning check to Schwartz Center.

Robert Taylor Award: Rob Taylor, of Newport, RI, took home the trophy for 1st place in the bluefish division in the 6th annual Fishing for a Cause event to benefit The Schwartz Center and Meeting Street.

Jack Sprengel Award: Jack Sprengel, of Warwick, RI, took home the trophy for 1st place in the fluke division in the 6th annual Fishing for a Cause event to benefit The Schwartz Center and Meeting Street.

Jack Sprengel Fish: Jack Sprengel, of Warwick, RI, shows off his winning 25.25 inch fluke. Sprengel took home the trophy for 1st place in the striped bass division in the 6th annual Fishing for a Cause event to benefit The Schwartz Center and Meeting Street.

Maria Tulloch Kiss: Maria Tulloch, of New Bedford, MA, kissing her catch during the 6th annual Fishing for a Cause event to benefit The Schwartz Center and Meeting Street. Tulloch took second place in the fluke division, with a 24 inch catch.

Eugene Connors Award: Gene Connors, of New Bedford, MA is awarded third place in the striped bass division in the 6th annual Fishing for a Cause event to benefit Schwartz Center and Meeting Street.

With additional reporting by Sal Lopez