Entry fees to benefit foundation

Continued from Page 67 awareness and assists families affected by the disease and related epilepsies, according to the foundation’s website.

“Since it’s not a super common condition, the money toward research for it is very limited, so we started Marlins for Mason as a way to increase awareness, then also raise money to help (fund) more research for a cure,” Prather said.

One hundred percent of the entry fees for the tournament will benefit the Dravet Foundation, while all the money put into entry level calcuttas will payout directly to winning anglers.

“My family has been fishing down here for about 25 years. My husband is in the fishing industry, our whole family is just super involved in fishing, all of our friend network, and everyone who cares about us and loves us is also involved in fishing, so we wanted to do something where they could be involved and we’d be interested in doing,” Prather said. “With living in Ocean City, it made sense for us to do a marlin tournament.”

The cost to enter the tournament is $500, which makes anglers eligible for the first three placements in the top overall release trophies, or the top three placements in overall ladies marlin release trophies.

All-female teams can win trophies in both categories.

Marlins for Mason is sharing the registration table and fishing days with the ladies-only Ocean City Marlin Club Heels & Reels fishing tournament.

All-female teams must be entered into Heels & Reels in order to participate in Marlins for Mason, and marlins caught can be entered in both tournaments, Prather said.

Any teams that include men can enter just Marlins for Mason.

Teams can fish one of the two tournament days.

The tournament is catch-and-release for billfish, and anglers earn points for the species of their catch.

Boats using sonar will be awarded 100 points for white marlin, sailfish and spearfish, while boats without sonar will earn 150 points for each of those fish.

Sonar-using boats will earn 150 points for blue marlin and swordfish, while non-sonar boats will receive 225 points.

The tournament requires picture proof of any blue marlin caught, or else the fish will be counted with white marlin points.

The open marlin release calcutta costs $2,000 to enter, and pays out 50, 30 and 20 percent of the purse to first, second and third place winners, respectively.

The “open” categories can be won by all-female teams and teams that include men, Prather said.

The ladies teams marlin release calcutta has a $1,000 entry fee and pays out the same percentages as the former calcutta to the top three placements.

Another calcutta, which costs $1,500 to enter, makes all-female teams eligible for trophies in both top overall all marlin release and top overall ladies teams marlin release, as well as winning the ladies calcutta payout.

The “open team to go across the board” calcutta cost $2,500 and makes teams eligible to win top overall trophies categories along with the open marlin release calcutta payout.

Finally, the “ladies only team to go across the board” calcutta, which costs $3,500, makes teams eligible to win trophies in both categories and the payout for both calcuttas.

Prather originally hoped the tournament would generate between $25,000-$50,000, but the new goal is to raise over $150,000. She also hopes to enroll around 50 boats.

“We should be the largest donor to ever donate to the Dravet Syndrome Foundation, if we’re able to donate our goal,” Prather said.

To date, Marlins for Mason has raised about $33,000, Prather said.

She credited tournament planning success to sponsorships that have made the setup possible. Any additional sponsor funding will also go to the Dravet Syndrome Foundation, Prather said.

On Friday, Aug. 4 from 6-9 p.m., participants are invited to attend a cocktail party at Sunset Marina in West Ocean City, where the organization will host silent and live auctions with prizes like a dove hunt in Argentina, a duck and pheasant hunt at a hunting preserve in New Jersey, deer head mounts, spreader bars, glasses, coolers and fishing gear.

Marlins for Mason is a non-profit billfish tournament to benefit the Dravet Syndrome Foundation in the name of Mason Prather, a local 5year-old who lives with the life-long and severe form of epilepsy. Pictured are Mason, his mother, Amanda, his sister Abigail, and his father, John.

The awards brunch will also be held at Sunset Marina next Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. Only those registered in the tournament can attend the cocktail party and brunch.

The Ocean City Tuna Tournament recently raised $11,000 for the Dravet Syndrome Foundation through Marlins for Mason.

“So many people have supported us already and we’re really grateful for all the community and business support that we’ve already received,” Prather said. “I think with the help of the fishing community that it’s going to grow to be a great event and make a big impact in the Dravet Syndrome world.”

Prather plans on continuing the tournament annually.

For more information about Marlins for Mason, visit https://marlinsformason.com/, and to learn more about Dravet Syndrome, visit https://dravetfoundation.org/.