BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER MIKE SCHMIDT HOSTS WINNER’S CIRCLE CHARITIES INVITATIONAL AT OLD BAHAMA BAY

Mother’s Day weekend was one to be remembered by the participants of the 17th Annual Mike Schmidt’s Winner’s Circle Charities Invitational, held in West End, Grand Bahama Island.

The tuna, dolphin and wahoo style tournament is hosted by retired Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt as a means to raise funds for selected charitable organizations.

The three-day fishing tournament attracted some one hundred and fifty visitors to the Old Bahama Bay Resort, host property, with one hundred and twenty fishermen and twenty-three boats.

Host Mike Schmidt shared that over the course of the tournament’s seventeen-year existence, it has maintained an outstanding partnership with the team at Old Bahama Bay, who has hosted the tournament for the past nine years.

Recognizing that the tournament is one of the biggest in the West Indies and continues to grow, Jay Philippe, Assistant Manager for Sports Tourism at the Grand Bahama Ministry of Tourism, shared that, “The event gives anglers an opportunity to visit the Island of Grand Bahama, not just for leisure but for recreation, with an opportunity to discover the destination from another point of reference.”

Philippe said, “The economic impact of tournaments like this is not only significant to the host property, Old Bahama Bay, but also to the local restaurants and vendors that many of the participants ventured out to support.”

He added that “The organizers have expressed high interest in participating in many of the various cultural experiences, and in incorporating them into the tournament’s schedule during future visits.”

Each year, one hundred percent of the proceeds from the tournament are donated to charitable organizations.

This year, the tournament was held in support of three separate charities, including the Marine Industry Education Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and the Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation out of West Palm Beach.