After 12 straight years of organizing this charity event, he has it running like a well-oiled machine. Part of his success can be attributed to the fact that he has surrounded himself with a staff of helpers who share his passion for doing everything possible to battle cancer. They all know how much they're appreciated because Chris makes a point of reminding them repeatedly. He kept thanking all of them publicly over and over this past Sunday, June 2, as he masterfully kept the day's events moving along without a single hiccup. It was a precision demonstration by a man who truly believes in what he's doing in memory of his late friend.
From that first tournament more than a decade ago, when $2,030 was raised for the American Cancer Society, the Cancer Classic has been growing by leaps and bounds. Donation totals for the past 11 years topped $109,700 at the conclusion of the 2012 event.
How the Classic Day Unfolds
The day's festivities at West Landing Marina, which is "Home of the Cancer Classic," get started with a fishing tournament, consisting of three separate divisions (Bass Only Division, Open Division and Junior Division). The blastoff is at 6 a.m. (or later, if waiting on acceptable light). Those who come early have access to free coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
There's a five-fish limit for all three divisions.
Weigh-in for the Bass Only Division begins at 2 p.m. Contestants in the Open Division have to be at the scales by 2:15, when the weigh-in closes. Winners in all three divisions are determined by the cumulative weight of their catch.
While the weighmaster totals up all the scores, everyone else makes their way to the picnic area. Here, they are treated to the sights and sounds of live music, along with a pig roast that is second to none.
A picnic is just the thing to wrap up an excellent fishing day. You can meet your family there, or perhaps share the complimentary food and drink with a buddy while talking about "the one that got away."
Whether you throw some good picnic stuff in with your tackle, or just help yourself to all the great free food under a hospitality tent, Chris says, "We hope you'll stay after weigh-in and hang out for an hour or more."
If the food and music aren't enough to keep you entertained, there always are other things available. A sampling this past Sunday included the following:
A classic 1957 Chevy parked on the grounds was drawing its share of admirers. I saw a couple of the fishing contestants drive off in the car.
There also were horse rides available for the children.
Concluding the day's festivities were
the awarding of trophies to the winners of the fishing tournament:
and the drawing for raffle prizes:
I would encourage anyone who hasn't been a part of one of these Steve Gambill Cancer Classics to mark your calendars and make plans now to attend the 2014 event. Here's the link to their website: http://www.daparak.com/cancerclassic.
In an email I received from Chris on 8/2/2013, he updated the Cancer Classic numbers. The final tally for the 2013 event was $14,300. The 12-year total is $124,000.
In an email I received from Chris on 8/2/2013, he updated the Cancer Classic numbers. The final tally for the 2013 event was $14,300. The 12-year total is $124,000.
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