Big Fish Classic Presents Donation To Foundation

Big Fish Classic Presents Donation To Foundation
Huk Big Fish Classic recently presented a $5,000 donation to Raymond A. Wood Foundation (RAWF). Pictured, from left, are Stephen Lewis of M.R. Ducks and Huk Big Fish Classic tournament founder; Amy Wood, RAWF director; Alex Wood; and Ellen Waters and Shawn Wood, RAWF board members. Submitted Photos

OCEAN CITY — The tournament directors of the Huk Big Fish Classic presented the Raymond A. Wood Foundation (RAWF) with a donation of $5,000 last Tuesday. The donation was the sum of the proceeds from a raffle of fishing gear that took place during the tournament.

This was the sixth year for the Huk Big Fish Classic, which has grown quickly over the years, with this year having a $503,300 record purse and 72 boats competing. Winners took in large cash payouts for weighing the heaviest fish.

The Raymond A. Wood Foundation was founded in honor of a local brain tumor survivor, Alex Wood (8), an Ocean City Elementary third grader, who was diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma brain tumor at age four and still battles the after effects of tumor treatment.

RAWF provides hospital-grade medical devices, not covered by insurance, to families managing diabetes insipidus, one of the complications of pituitary brain tumors that can cause extremely high or low blood sodium levels due to fluid imbalances which can ultimately can lead to frequent hospitalizations. In two years, RAWF has provided eleven handheld blood analyzers to patients all over the U.S. which totals over which is almost $150,000 of medical equipment and supplies to help caregivers of pediatric patients manage sodium levels at home, reducing hospitalizations. RAWF also provides educational opportunities for caregivers through a yearly conference at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, frequent support gatherings for families and free resources to help manage quality-of-life issues for patients.

This is the second year RAWF was chosen as a beneficiary of this fundraiser. The raffle winnings were comprised of donated items from Penn Fishing, YETI, Squidnation, Breakthru Beverage Group and K-Coast Surf Shop. The winner, an Ocean City local, was announced on the final day of the tournament.

“We are grateful to the tournament directors for once again supporting our work,” said Shawn Wood, co-founder of RAWF. “We currently have a wait list for patients in need of blood analyzers, so this will help us continue to serve them.”

More information about the Raymond A. Wood Foundation can be found at rawoodfoundation.org and Huk Big Fish Classic at bigfishclassic.com.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.