For the fourth consecutive year, we are proud to announce our sponsorship of the ChaseN'Tailz KDW Fishing Tournament, taking place August 25th and 27th in Jupiter, Florida. At least 150 boats are slated to compete.
Jay and Summer Warren established the nonprofit ChaseN'Tailz in memory of their late son, Chase, who passed away in 2013 at 10 months old from complications of a rare neurological disorder known as Gaucher Type 2 for which there is no cure.
Warren family photo. Courtesy / Summer Warren
The tournament, now in its 9th year, helps raise funds to support the nonprofit's mission of helping families with children fighting life-threatening illnesses.
"We change lives by relieving financial stress to provide families more time to create forever memories with their children and connect them with other families / resources," reads the nonprofit's website chasentailz.com.
In 2021, the nonprofit's Chasen Chow program provided free meals delivered room-to-room at the Palm Beach Children's Hospital a few times a month – feeding hundreds, including staff, said Summer. Additionally, in 2021 the foundation was also able to provide emergency financial assistance to 35 families in need with children battling life-threatening illnesses.
"We are hoping to expand our Chasen Chow program to more local pediatric hospitals," she added. "As a parent who spent long periods of time in the hospital with my child, I assure you missing rounds because you went for a meal could prevent you from speaking with your child's doctor for another 12 hours or struggling with leaving your sick child to have a meal is extremely devastating as well as expensive."
TACO Pro Team Bandit Fishing Team with Captain Ron Mitchell, second from right, competed in the 2021 ChaseN'Tailz KDW and won 3rd place overall with a 43.8-pound king mackerel. Photo courtesy / ChaseN'Tailz
For this year's KDW tournament, TACO donated two ShadeFin® kits – portable, lightweight shade systems that attach into rod holders for convenient onboard shade.
TACO Pro Team Bandit Fishing Team is slated to compete again.
"We are thrilled Captain Ron is available to compete in the ChaseN'Tailz KDW on behalf of TACO," said Dana Koman, TACO Marine Marketing Manager. "Captain Ron and the Bandit Fishing Team are well respected in the industry and we are proud to have them fishing for the second consecutive year."
TACO Pro Ambassador Kevin Klepac of Wounded Waters is also slated to compete in the charity fishing tournament with a group of veteran anglers as well.
"We're going to have a team of four to five veterans, including one female Marine vet," said Klepac, who is competing in a 2007 Prokat 2360 with TACO Grand Slam 380 Outrigger Systems. "Hopefully, we catch some fish, but at the end of the day, having a smile on a veteran's face is worth it."
To learn more about and donate to ChaseN'Tailz, please visit the nonprofit's website chasentailz.com.
