WELSH, La. — Bassmaster Elite Series pro Dennis Tietje hopes becoming a coloring book hero will help kids catch their dreams and help find a cure for children suffering from brain cancer.
When Tietje picked up Gopher Industrial as a sponsor, he found out David Jones, the owner of the industrial supply company, wanted to print a coloring book for kids. Tietje suggested adding some fishing themes to the book, so Jones decided to incorporate Tietje as a character in the kids activity book, The Gopher’s Tools For Success: Catch Your Dreams!
The Louisiana pro will be distributing the activity books during assemblies Tietje will be holding at various elementary schools in Louisiana and Texas. He held his first assembly this spring at Welsh Elementary School and handed out 75 books to kindergarten students. See photos here.
“That was amazing to see their reactions,” said Tietje. “After they opened all the books, you could have heard a pin drop when they were coloring. That was really, really special.”
During the assembly, Tietje asked the students what they wanted to be when they grew up and then told them how to catch their dreams by using the tools suggested in the activity book. The book spells out the tools for success through the word “gopher”: set Goals, be Organized, always Prepare, be Honest, get your Education and keep Reading.
Tietje and Gopher Industrial are also teaming up to sell the coloring books as a fundraiser for The Cure Starts Now Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for brain cancer in children. The coloring books sell for $2 plus shipping with all the proceeds donated to The Cure Starts Now Foundation. To order the activity book, click here.