October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and J. Todd Tucker is leading the charge to get the bass fishing industry informed and involved. The disease hit Tucker and his family close to home, which spurred him to use his pro status to get the word out as much as possible.
“Last year I lost a 32-year-old cousin to breast cancer, so I gave out pink ribbons at last year’s Santee Cooper Southern Open, and they were a big hit,” he said. “I wanted to do something more this year — something that’s tangible.”
The tangible item Tucker came up with is a pink (the color of the breast cancer awareness movement) Big Green Egg jersey. Besides wearing the jersey at tournaments this month, Tucker will be selling them at www.jtoddtucker.com and donating the proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
“This is something that I hope to do each year to raise awareness and money from the bass fishing industry,” Tucker said. “Every other sport has some sort of program that supports this cause, so I wanted to get involved as well.”
Thus far, Tucker has raised more that $2,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Donations to the Foundation can be offered at Tucker’s father’s Web site, www.butchtuckerfishin.com Pink jerseys can be bought at www.jtoddtucker.com. Send J. Todd an e-mail and he’ll send you an order form.
“I want it to be known that I feel really privileged to do what I do for a living, and I want people to know that it’s not what I get out of the sport that I want to be known for. I want to be known for what I’ve given back,” he said. “That’s the way I feel about what I do. Giving back is what really matters for all of us.”