Packer Country Receives State Grant for Muskie Tournament

Green Bay, Wis.
August 31, 2006

Green Bay, WI –The Wisconsin Department of Tourism has awarded Packer Country Visitor & Convention Bureau a $2,500 Ready Set Go grant for the upcoming Best of the Best Muskie Fishing Tournament. The tournament is set to take place on the lower Fox River, October 14-15, 2006.

“We’re very happy to receive this grant in the first year of the Ready Set Go program,” said Joel Everts, Sports Sales Manager for Packer Country Visitor & Convention Bureau. “This is a new event for the area and we’re hoping it will make a big splash. The grant will certainly help.”

The Ready Set Go grant program is a cooperative effort of the Department of Tourism, the Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation (WSDC) and the Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (WACVB) to help in securing competitive events and increase visitor spending on sports tourism.

“Packer Country certainly is well known for its walleye and bass fishing,” Everts said. “Now muskie fishing is catching on. The DNR says big muskies are being caught and released on the Fox. This is a tremendous opportunity that could lead to additional muskie tournaments in the future."

The Best of the Best Muskie Fishing Tournament is open on the Lower Bay and the Fox River up to the De Pere Dam. The Sportsman’s Warehouse in De Pere will serve as the tournament’s registration and command center. The cost is $400 per boat, with a limit of 150 teams of fishermen. The tournament’s top prize is $10,000, awarded to the first place team. A total of ten places will receive cash pay-outs including two team drawings for $500 each.

For information regarding sponsorship of this event, contact Ken Karbon at 303-688-4954. For more information on the Best of the Best Muskie Tournament and other events in Packer Country, visit www.packercountry.com.

###

Packer Country Visitor & Convention Bureau is the regional destination marketing organization committed to improving the visitor experience and increasing the economic impact of tourism to its communities. For more information call 888-867-3342 or visit us online at www.packercountry.com.