One. Simple. THANKS. That was our message to the Troops!
To the captains, volunteers, donors, our fellow MAD Chapter members and supporters, the MAD Charleston Chapter would like thank you for making our inaugural event a huge success, consisting of 34 boats providing 82 Troops with a great day of fishing.
If you did not attend, here’s what you missed:
Friday’s Captains Meeting started with a brief history of MAD and a few rules were announced. In the crowd were two SCDNR officers who presented a “Governor’s Proclamation” declaring Saturday, November 14, 2015 as South Carolina Military Appreciation Day in the State of South Carolina. We were very humbled to receive such an honor; thank you Gov. Nikki Haley. After the meeting, we dined on some fresh subs and wraps, washed them down with sweet tea, and watched a beautiful fall sunset.
Saturday morning started off cool and our captains faced high northeast winds, making fishing extremely difficult. Despite the added challenge, at 7:04 am, we had our first report of the day, a 22" trout. Other captains were able to find the fish; Troops caught and released speckled trout, weakfish, redfish, sheepshead, black drum, bluefish, black sea bass, and more. On shore, our volunteers passed the time with cornhole, posting incoming photos from captains, and preparing for the arrival of hungry captains and troops. Mid-afternoon, one of the best cooking teams in town, the Pioneer Smokers, rolled in. Slowly, captains and troops began arriving back at Rivers Edge Marina. At 5:15, huge portions of pulled pork, smoked beef brisket, green beans, smoked mac’n’cheese, dirty rice, and homemade tater salad were served. By 6:30, over 120 souls with tired arms and smiling faces had been served a superb meal. Once again, we were treated to a fantastic sunset as the day ended.
Our out-of–town help included Chapter President Hector Reyes Lewes (De.), who traveled the furthest, 600 miles, to be there to support us. We were very honored to have Mr. John Polosky, one of t