For the tenth year in a row, Cleveland County's Social Worker for the Blind, Lucy Plyler, took a group of VIPs (Visually Impaired Persons) to the Outer Banks for the Annual VIP Fishing Tournament. The group from Cleveland County had a rough day of fishing off Jennette's Pier last Tuesday due to the high winds of more than 30 mph and frigid temperatures. One member of the group, Rodney Turner of Shelby, participated in the National Tournament on Wednesday, October 18th. He was invited to participate in the National VIP Tournament for the 5th consecutive year winning 1st Place representing North Carolina. The weather conditions were much better than the previous day and he scored a total of 83 points. Tuesday's fishing was a bust for Rodney for the first time in years, but he still had fun. Points are earned based on the type of fish caught. Rodney caught mostly sheep head, drum, and sea mullet. To make it fair and competitive, the Lions Club provides the rods, reels, and bait for each participant. When a VIP catches a fish, a scorer comes to identify the type of fish and records the total number of points for each fish caught. At the end of the day, each VIP turns in their score card and awaits the announcement and award for the VIP who had the most points for the assigned pier or boat.
Dale Lieser of Kings Mountain, won the Howard and Emma Leigh Stallings Trophy for the largest fish caught in the whole tournament of 312 VIPs. He managed to reel in a 21" striped bass. Assisting him was a volunteer from the Manteo High School Leo Club, Savannah Midgette. She assisted him with baiting and casting his line. She told Plyler, "it was a very humbling experience and I really enjoyed it!"
The tournament opened up three piers and two head boats to over 500 VIPs and volunteers from across North Carolina, Connecticut, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Missouri and Canada. The annual event is sponsored by the First Flight, Nags Head, Manteo, Wanchese, Columbia, Currituck, Lower Currituck, and Plymouth Lions Clubs and the First Flight High School and Manteo High School Leo Clubs each October. Only fish caught on the participant's line and reeled in by the participant during the established time limit can be counted toward participant's total points in the tournament. Volunteers are only permitted to bait hooks and cast the line into the ocean.
The North Carolina Lions VIP Fishing Tournament is a non-profit organization celebrating its 35th Anniversary this year. The project brings in participants for three days of recreation, fellowship, and independent living workshops designed to help VIPs (visually impaired persons). It is the largest gathering of the visually impaired in North Carolina and is believed to be the largest event of its kind in North America. The VIP program touches the lives of a small percentage of those persons who are attempting to conform to a world of the sighted. Tournament officials recognize the need to build support and a financial base for the project. In-kind services secured locally and statewide help offset the annual costs.
Fund-raisers, such as the adopt-a-fisherman program, Golf Ball Drop, private and in-kind contributions and smaller projects cover expenses of the annual event that can exceed $200,000. Participants arrive on the Outer Banks on a Monday, are housed in local hotels, have six meals, go fishing on two head boats and three ocean fishing piers for a day of recreation, participate in seminars and independent living training, and visit with vendors who offer low vision and talking equipment. The closing awards banquet on Wednesday offered motivation and awards to those participants who managed to catch a few fish despite the poor weather conditions that day. The project has grown from a local tournament serving 12 blind children to the 300+ participants of today.
Many thanks to the Lions Clubs of Cleveland County and to Central United Methodist Church of Kings Mountain for their partnership in this project and their member/driver, Janice Anderson, who drove many hours and miles, making it possible for the Cleveland County group to participate again this year.
For more information about the Division of Services for the Blind, contact Lucy Plyler, Social Worker for the Blind at: 704-484-4872.

Pictued: L to R - Helen Craig, Doris Wilson (VIP), Vernon Crocker (VIP), Gayla Crocker, Donald Dougherty (VIP), Delores Lattimore (VIP), Janice Anderson - Driver, Dorothy Hopper, Rhonda Greene - SWB with Rutherford and Polk County, Lizzie Hopper (VIP), Dale Lieser (VIP) and his dog Indra, Lucy Plyler - SWB for Cleveland County, (front row, kneeling) Rodney Turner and dog Boyko.
Submitted by Lucy Plyler