National partnership teaches young people angling and life skills

July 24, 2008, Alexandria, VA???Young anglers from Boys & Girls Clubs in communities across the United States will be "living the dream" when they team up with Bassmaster Elite Series professional anglers August 2, 2008, during the 2008 Empire Chase in Buffalo, N.Y. The Foundation and BASS/ESPN Outdoors have joined efforts to create this unique opportunity for Club youth to fish with Elite Series professional anglers.

The Future Fisherman Foundation, the angling education arm of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), is in its second year of a partnership with the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Law Enforcement and Youth Partnerships for Crime Prevention to implement a national program that brings fishing and aquatic education to Boys & Girls Clubs across the country through the Future Fisherman Foundation's Hooked on Fishing???Not on Drugs?? program. The program focuses on engaging youth in positive activities that collaborate with and support local law enforcement efforts to help prevent crime in America by strengthening relationships between youth and law enforcement. Each Club selected its youth participants based on solid leadership, good behavior and demonstrated angling skills.

"These 40 young anglers represent the hundreds of youth who are a participating in this national effort to reconnect youth with nature. It is wonderful to watch them grow and develop their fishing skills, especially when they are out on the water with these "Angel Anglers" from the Bassmaster Elite Tour," said Future Fisherman Foundation Executive Director Anne Danielski. "More importantly, they are developing self confidence and a true love of the outdoors and the water." The "Angel Anglers" are a group of professional anglers who routinely give of their time and on-the-water experience to introduce young people to fishing.

Danielski noted, "I also want to thank BASS, Gemini Sport Marketing, Shakespeare, ZEBCO Brands, Plano Molding Company, FISHHER, TTI Blakemore Fishing Group, BoatU.S.Angler, Erie County Bassmasters and New York Sea Grant for their generous contributions of equipment in support of this program."

"We are proud to be a part of this program," said Janet Bell, ESPN's Athlete Relations director. "Our anglers love to fish with these children and we all recognize how important it is to connect America's youth to the outdoors and especially to fishing."