Memorial fishing tourney grows

Published 9:54 pm Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Brinkley Johnson fishes beside his grandfather, Ray Johnson, during last year’s Thomas J. O’Connor IV Memorial Fishing Tournament and Silent Auction at Johnson’s Gardens. This year’s event is set for this Saturday.

Brinkley Johnson fishes beside his grandfather, Ray Johnson, during last year’s Thomas J. O’Connor IV Memorial Fishing Tournament and Silent Auction at Johnson’s Gardens. This year’s event is set for this Saturday.

Though Thomas O’Connor died in May 2013 at the age of 36, he continues to make a difference in the community through the efforts of his family.

The Thomas J. O’Connor IV 2015 Memorial Fishing Tournament and Silent Auction will be held June 6 at Johnson’s Gardens on 3201 Holland Road.

O’Connor was an Eagle Scout, and some of the proceeds from the event will go to Suffolk’s Boy Scout Troop 1, his troop when he was growing up.

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Jett Johnson, O’Connor’s brother, who is organizing the event, said it raised “just a hair over $10,000 in the one day” last year, and he and the family are looking to set a new high each year.

They plan to establish their own charitable organization during the next year and to provide a more structured annual giving process in the future.

This will be the third year for the fishing tournament and the second year it is accompanied by a silent auction.

Johnson said the silent auction was a successful addition in 2014, and “we’re definitely pushing that a lot more.”

While there were around 20 items up for bid last year, there will be closer to 30 this year. They will include restaurant gift packages, local art, handmade jewelry and wine packages.

The auction will run from around 10:30 a.m. to noon.

The shoreline-only bass fishing tournament will take place on six separate ponds and will run from 8:30 to 11 a.m., preceded by registration.

“We’re pushing kids fishing more this year,” Johnson said.

Participants 12 and younger get in for free, and this year, they will receive giveaways. For participants ages 13 and older, the cost to participate is $30.

The top prize is $250, with second place receiving $150 and third place getting $75.

Lunch and the presentation of awards will take place between 11 a.m. and noon.

The Suffolk Lions Club, a community service organization of which O’Connor was a member, will provide lunch.

“Every year, they’re going to continue to work the food and lunch, and they just donate their time,” Johnson said, noting they do so in honor of O’Connor, declining any offer of compensation.

For more information on Saturday’s event, contact Jett Johnson at 651-7717 or email him at JettRJohnson@gmail.com with “Fishing Tournament” in the subject heading.