The First Fish Story

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We pleased to note the success of The $1 Million Fish Fight (Update, January) in Lake Chickamauga, Tenn. Seeing a community project that we developed the blueprint for and pioneered is indeed gratifying.

However, there will probably never be another event like the first Million-Dollar Fish Derby held in Seattle in Puget Sound in 1981. The idea originated with Northwest radio personality and station owner Pat O'Day. The first company to step up as sponsor for such an event was Schuck's Auto Supply, where entry forms for the derby were sold. Reliance Insurance Co. took a chance as the insurer Children's Orthopedic Hospital was the charitable recipient of the net proceeds, and McConnell Co., a public relations firm, organized, promoted, and publicized the event with virtually no paid advertising.

On September 6, 1981, 12,410 official entrants, and, by Coast Guard estimates, at least that many more fishermen assembled in a flotilla of more than 8,000 boats to fish for John Beresford Tipton, as the Million Dollar Fish was dubbed.

The salmon wasn't caught within the time limit, much to the relief of the insurance agent. Forrest Sandrud got a $10,000 reward from Schuck's when he caught the fish less than two weeks later Children's Orthopedic Hospital received $42,223 from the project, and a unique community event was born. Wire services, newspapers, and radio stations from all over the country told the story. Schuck's won a multitude of deserved industry awards, and requests for blueprints of the event rolled in from charities and businesses around the country.

Now Schuck's has registered "The Million Dollar Fish" as a name and mark, and the imitators are doing well. But there'll never be another like the original. Credit where credit is due!