The Baxter Health Foundation will begin its second annual Bass Classic weekend with a banquet on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Baxter Health Wellness Education Center, located at 2545 Highway 5 North in Mountain Home.
Tickets for the banquet are $50 per person and include a fish fry prepared by John 3:16 Ministries. The menu features catfish, chicken tenders, fries, coleslaw, hushpuppies, tea, and water. Beer and wine will also be available, and live music will be provided by the band Country Case.
The banquet marks the start of two days of fundraising efforts for the Baxter Health Foundation. The weekend’s centerpiece, the Bass Classic fishing tournament, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Lake Norfork Marina in Henderson. Teams in the tournament will launch at 7 a.m., with the weigh-in scheduled for 3 p.m.
Entry to the tournament costs $200 per boat for two-angler teams. Cash prizes are offered for the top five finishers, including $4,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place, $1,000 for third place, $500 for fourth place, and $250 for fifth place.
An online auction is also planned as part of the weekend’s fundraising activities, with details to be released by the foundation at a later date. Proceeds from banquet tickets, boat registration fees, and the auction will go toward the foundation’s annual fund, which supports its three community assistance programs: the Peitz Cancer Support House, the Mruk Family Center on Aging, and the Schliemann Center for Women’s Health.
Last year’s inaugural Bass Classic, held in November, attracted 72 boats from Arkansas and Missouri and raised over $130,000. Corey Cook of Lake Ozark, Missouri, and Roger Cook of Lebanon, Missouri, won the tournament with a five-fish limit weighing 13.52 pounds. The big bass award went to Tony Moser and Randy Zeigler with a 5.70-pound catch.
Tickets for the banquet and boat registration for the tournament can be purchased by visiting baxterhealth.org/foundation/bass-classic.