November 21, 2006
Tony Stewart and Forrest Wood to support Ryan Newman Foundation Celebrity Charity Fishing Tournament
Early registration discount extended through Thanksgiving weekend
STATESVILLE, N.C. (November 21, 2006) – NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart will be teaming up for a charity event to support the Ryan Newman Foundation. Newman will combine his love for fishing with his passion for philanthropy while hosting the inaugural Ryan Newman Foundation Celebrity Charity Fishing Tournament on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina on December 16, 2006.
The bass tournament is sponsored by Ranger Boats and will be facilitated by FLW Outdoors. Fisherman from across the nation are invited to join NASCAR drivers Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and Tracy Hines, Ranger Boats Founder Forrest Wood, FLW Angler of the Year Anthony Gagliardi, Pro Fisherman Wes Woodall, David Cooke and Chad Morgenthaler for the Ryan Newman Foundation's Inaugural Celebrity Charity Fishing Tournament.
The charity will include a Bass Tournament during the day and a VIP Reception during the early evening. The grand prize of the tournament is a 519VX Ranger Boat with a VZ200TLR HPDI Yamaha motor, valued at $35,000. Other tournament prizes include Minn Kota trolling motors, battery chargers and hand-held radios, G.Loomis fishing poles, Fuji digital cameras, Alltel Wireless RAZR phones, Wal-Mart gift certificates, Mobil motor oil, rod and reel combos from Dick’s Sporting Goods, and cash prizes.
NASCAR driver Ryan Newman and his wife, Krissie, established the Ryan Newman Foundation in January 2005. The mission of the foundation is to educate and encourage people to spay/neuter their pets and to adopt dogs and cats from animal shelters; to educate children and adults about the importance of conservation so the beauty of the great outdoors can be appreciated by future generations; and to provide college scholarship funding through the Rich Vogler Scholarship program to students interested in auto racing careers. Proceeds raised at the fishing tournament will be used to build the Ryan Newman Foundation Endowment that will be a source for grants to nonprofit organizations that fulfill the foundation’s mission.
Newman says, “Conservation is very important to me, which is why my foundation made a $10,000 grant to Trout Unlimited earlier this year. Krissie and I want to be able to help other conservation groups in the future, which is why we are building the Ryan Newman Foundation Endowment by raising funds with events like our Harvest Nights dinner in Atlanta earlier in October and our fishing tournament in December. The fishing tournament is a fun way that NASCAR fans and fisherman can get involved in making a difference. We’re excited about Ranger Boats’ sponsorship of our tournament and their donation of the Ranger Boat as the grand prize. They have been very supportive of the Ryan Newman Foundation and our efforts.”
Registration in the bass tournament for a team of two fisherman is $150 on or before November 26 or $250 after November 26. For more information or to register for the event online, visit www.ryannewmanfoundation.org.
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Photo: Ryan Newman with 2006 Alltel Dodge
