A total of 32 teams hit the beautiful waters of Brainerd’s Gull Lake June 20th and 21st to try and hook some big fish. For most (if not all) involved however, the tournament was about more than how many fish you could find, they were there to help raise money for the Heroes at Home scholarship fund which supports military and law enforcement students and helps them reach their dream of defending our country.
The scholarships are awarded by the Daniel Drevnik Memorial Fund which was founded in 2012 by Ken and Julie Drevnik just three years after their son Dan was killed in Iraq. Dan was a member of the National Guard and was pursuing a career in Law Enforcement to achieve his goal of becoming a Minnesota State Trooper. “Dan’s dream was to be a police officer,” Ken says “It would be his hope that his mission of service did not end that fateful day.”
The tournament was hosted out of Cragun’s resort right on the shores of Gull Lake and several companies, including Powrtran donated weekend stays at the resort for the many veterans who came out to witness the event. “It really is the least we can do,” Powrtran Marketing Director Steven Hiemenz said “every one of these guys gave so much, we needed to let them know how much we continue to appreciate that.”
The tournament has a unique format as it is open to both walleye and bass anglers. Each team declares which species they will fish for ahead of the tournament and then the biggest 6 fish bag from each species takes home a check for $1500. In addition, the largest fish from each species takes home a check for $700. The prize for biggest walleye was donated by Powrtran. “Once we knew we wanted to get involved, we knew we wanted to award the biggest fish, we are all about catching big fish!” Hiemenz said.
The tournament weekend also includes a day of taking vets out on the water to fish, a banquet and silent auction.
For more information on how you can get involved, check out their website www.HeroAtHome.org, and like them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drevnickfund. “Without a doubt one of the best causes we have ever been fortunate enough to support,” Hiemenz says, “we cannot wait until next year!”
