MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 5, 2004) - FLW Outdoors will host its first-ever Sponsor Mascot Tournament Aug. 11-14 during the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship Boat and Outdoor Show. The tournament is scheduled for each day of the world-class outdoor show, which will take place at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Ala., in conjunction with the bass-fishing championship. The Sponsor Mascot Tournament is a children's-oriented fish-off among FLW Outdoors sponsor mascots to see which mascot can catch the most fish at the Fujifilm trout pond.
Nine FLW Outdoors sponsor mascots will participate: Tony the Tiger from Kellogg's; Energizer Bunny; Frito Lay's Chester Cheetah; Tyson's Curly the Pig, Cowvin the Cow and Buddy the Chicken; Solar Bat; Eagle Claw's Ernie the Eagle; and EverStart Battery. The tournament will consist of four bracket-style rounds starting Wednesday and concluding with the championship Saturday.
On Wednesday the mascots will be divided into two groups, each of which will fish a 15-minute round with the first starting at 3 p.m. The first group includes Tony the Tiger, Curly, Energizer Bunny and Ernie the Eagle fishing against one another. The second group begins at 3:30 p.m. and includes Chester Cheetah, Cowvin, Buddy, Solar Bat and EverStart Battery. The three mascots from each group who catch the most fish in the 15-minute time limit advance to the second round. The mascots start at zero at the beginning of each round.
The six qualifying mascots will fish the second round Thursday at 3 p.m. The top four finishers from that round advance to the third round, scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday. The top two from the third round advance to Saturday's 3 p.m. championship. Children are encouraged to fish alongside the mascots during the first, second and third rounds and will be able to cheer on the two finalists during the 15-minute Sponsor Mascot Championship Aug. 14.
"The Fujifilm trout pond helps introduce the next generation of anglers to the sport and teaches them about conservation by releasing their catches back into the pond," said Bill Petrowiak, vice president of marketing and communications for FLW Outdoors. "The Sponsor Mascot Tournament is another interactive way to help get kids excited about fishing. It offers them an approachable atmosphere through the mascot characters to allow them to become acquainted with the sport and participate in it."