Idaho B.A.S.S. Nation hosting memorial tournament

Mountain Home, Idaho —The Idaho B.A.S.S. Nation is hosting a memorial tournament to honor the military and the late Idaho Nation President Jared Spickelmier.

The fifth annual Jared Spickelmier Memorial Patriot Tournament to benefit the Folds of Honor organization will be held June 3 at C.J. Strike Reservoir in southwestern Idaho. Folds of Honor provides educational scholarships to the children and spouses of fallen and disabled service members. The intent of the tournament, in addition to raising scholarship funds for Folds of Honor, is to honor veterans and active military members.

In last year’s tournament, the Idaho B.A.S.S. Nation (IBN) raised $3,000 for Folds of Honor through 22 entry fees, donated big fish pots and sponsor contributions. A raffle was also held to raise additional funds. 

Entry fees for the open team tournament are $50 for veterans and $100 for non-veterans. A cookout, raffle and awards ceremony will be held after the weigh-in.  For more details and an entry form for the tournament, visit the IBN website, http://idahobassnation.com.

Spickelmier was IBN president in May 2014 when he worked in partnership with B.A.S.S. to organize the first state Nation tournament in the country to help further the mission of Folds of Honor. As a Marine Corps veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Spickelmier enthusiastically took on the task to organize the first Folds of Honor tournament in just over a month.   However, on Nov. 4, 2014, Spickelmier lost his own private battle to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

As a tribute to his memory, the IBN renamed subsequent tournaments the Jared Spickelmier Memorial Folds of Honor Tournament. Over the four years the tournament has been in existence, approximately $6,000 has been raised and donated by the IBN.