Editor’s note: This event occurs this weekend so if you wish to attend or donate to King’s Home in hopes of acquiring Randy Howell’s boat, you’d better hurry.
Five years and close to half a million dollars later, Randy Howell is his usual energized self as he explains to me that this year his annual fundraiser for King’s Home will be better than ever. The 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic winner is doing what he’s done the past 4 years – putting his Triton up for a great cause. With a donation to King’s Home, you can have a chance at it. But that’s only half the story.
King’s Home is not your typical sponsor for an angler on the Bassmaster Elite Series. It’s a collection of 22 residential group homes that serve hundreds of at-risk children, women and mothers with children every year. Randy spreads their message, and unlike many other Elites, doesn’t spend his offseason trying to sell his old boat. The boat giveaway is nothing new. Randy is getting quite good at giving away his boat these days. But the event surrounding the giveaway has taken on a life of it’s own.
Called Kampfire for the King, the event includes a 5K run called “Run Away from Domestic Violence” followed by a fishing derby, and finally the drawing for Randy’s boat. You can find out more about the events here. But what’s even more important than the fun day on Saturday, Nov. 14 is what will be going on with the children who are currently staying at one of the King’s Home properties. Randy called as many high school and college fishing teams as he could, and 18 teams will be present. The idea is to pair a high school or college fisherman with one of the King’s Home children. This does two things, both of them great – it gives the King’s Home child a different experience and gives the high schooler a new perspective and perhaps an understanding of what it’s like to help someone who needs it.
No matter what, when you put a fishing rod in a kid’s hand, something good will happen. If you live near Chelsea, Ala., come meet Randy and his friends at the Kampfire and you can watch it happen yourself.
