OCEAN CITY, MD - The White Marlin Open is a major sporting event but also an opportunity to donate and learn about charities such as the Maryland Food Bank and Warriors Ethos.
The Maryland Food Bank has taken part in the White Marlin Open each year, benefiting from competitors' donations. This year, the food bank has been able to create about 500 lbs of fillets each day from competitors donating their catch.
"It's an exciting event every year. This has been our 10th year and this event here in Ocean City is the biggest event where we get fish. We range from 2,500 to 4,000 pounds a year," said Maryland Food Bank Food Sourcing Manager Butch Langenfelder. "We never get donations like that throughout the year of fresh fish."
The White Marlin Open also helps nation-wide charities as well. Warriors Ethos is an organization that helps transition wounded soldiers from military life into a successful career. Warriors Ethos founder and director Jared Shepard said their booth was a great spot to spread the word.
"It's an awesome event to have such a heavy flow of people coming through and so many people who care who ask questions and they want to know what are we actually doing, what actually goes to the veterans, how are we helping veterans be successful," said Shepard.
Dave Smith is the Strategy and Policy Manager for Warriors Ethos. He explained how interested people at the White Marlin Open have been. One woman told WBOC that she would donate 20 percent of her winnings to Warriors Ethos.
"Everybody comes right by our booth and everybody's very interested. Tell me about Warriors Ethos, what are y'all about and we are happy to tell them about our support for veterans and our service members and their spouses, and the reaction has been positive," said Smith.
In 2015, the winner of the Open donated her part of the winnings to a charity in honor of her father that helps disadvantaged Hispanic children in Catholic Schools in Virginia.
Friday is the last day to win the big prize.
