Yamaha Marine and Skeeter Boats Co-Sponsor Charity Bass Tournament Benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

WABASHA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yamaha Marine and Skeeter Boats were presenting sponsors for the second consecutive year of the annual Dick Hiley St. Jude^® Bass Classic on May 1-3. The fishing tournament, which took place in Wabasha, Minnesota, celebrates a community of bass anglers from across the Upper Midwest who come together once a year in support of the of the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®. The 28th annual event brought together 100 competing boats and raised more than $1.3 million for the kids of St. Jude.

“Being part of the Dick Hiley St. Jude Bass Classic is meaningful to our entire team,” said Scott Higgins, General Manager, Yamaha Marine Engine Systems Sales and Outboard Marketing. “We’ve seen firsthand—here and at the Bassmaster Classic^® earlier this year—how the fishing community comes together around something bigger than the sport. This event reflects a shared commitment to making a real difference, and we’re proud to stand alongside these anglers in supporting the lifesaving work of St. Jude.”

The two-day tournament featured a weekend full of activities, including live weigh-ins on both Saturday and Sunday, a celebratory dinner banquet on Saturday evening and fundraising awards. The tournament concluded Sunday afternoon with an awards ceremony. Champions Adam Walters and Trevor Rasmussen took home the $25,000 grand prize after securing the top spot with a total weight of 45.33 pounds. 78 teams each raised more than $5,000 to qualify for a chance to win a ZX200 Skeeter Boat powered by a Yamaha 200-horsepower V MAX SHO^® outboard. After fishing the tournament for 27 years, Joe Hall and Aaron LaRocque won the new boat and outboard package. Together, Hall and LaRocque raised almost $20k this year to benefit the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving Children. ^®

In 1999, a group of anglers from Minnesota and Wisconsin, who shared a common love for both fishing and the kids of St. Jude, hosted the first Dick Hiley St. Jude Bass Classic. To date, the tournament has raised more than $10 million.

“For nearly three decades, the Dick Hiley St. Jude Bass Classic has played a meaningful role in advancing the St. Jude mission,” said Lyles Eddins, Senior Vice President of Relational Advancement for ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. “The passion of these anglers, combined with the partnership of Yamaha Marine and Skeeter Boats, helps ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food so they can focus on helping their child live.”

About Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit

Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Engine Systems, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,000 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.^® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80% in the United States, and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

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