INAUGURAL BRIAN ROBISON “REEL ‘EM IN FOUNDATION” TOURNAMENT IN EAST TEXAS RAISED $27,800 FOR K9S4COPS
NFL Athletes and East Texas Locals Rally to Donate Trained Canine Officers to Law Enforcement
DALLAS, TEXAS (April 14, 2016)- This past weekend, April 8-10, NFL celebrity athletes, including Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, and members of the University of Texas Longhorns 2005 national championship team, cast their rods alongside local fishermen on the waters of Lake Fork, Texas for the inaugural Brian Robison “Reel ‘Em In Foundation” bass fishing tournament benefiting Texas nonprofit K9s4COPS. By the end of the weekend, the Reel ‘Em In Foundation raised nearly $27,800 for K9s4COPS, covering the cost of at least two K9s for a law enforcement agencies in need.
Minnesota Vikings Defensive End and former UT Longhorn, Brian Robison welcomed Vikings teammate Adrian Peterson, Vikings teammate and former Dallas Cowboys Cornerback Terence Newman, and former Dallas Cowboys Defensive End Jason Hatcher to East Texas. The tournament also served as a reunion for Brian and his former UT Longhorns teammates, including NFL Veteran Jordan Shipley, former Houston Texans Offensive Guard Kasey Studdard, NFL Veteran Quan Cosby, and former UT Longhorn Offensive Tackle Tully Janszen. K9s4COPS Founder Kristi Schiller was also in attendance, along with Dallas canine police officers K9 Chapo and K9 Hawk, representing K9s4COPS.
Highlights of the tournament included a thrilling demonstration by K9s Chapo and Hawk, meet-and-greets with the attending celebrity athletes and live commentary during weigh-ins by professional angler Bernard “Fat Cat” Newton. Overall, 44 teams participated in the tournament. Top winners were:
1st Place ($3,000)- Tommy and Tony Climer
2nd Place- Steve Hodge and Shawn O’Malley
3rd Place- Paris Nelson and Al Jordan
The tournament featured a live auction, including opportunities to fish with celebrity athletes paired with a guide in the VIP tournament the following day, packages including lodging and guided fishing trips in Minnesota and Texas and a trip to Los Cabos, Mexico.
REIF also hosted a silent auction using QTEGO bidding technology, which allowed participants to bid from anywhere in the nation using smart phones. Top silent auction items included a golf hat signed by PGA Professional Jordan Spieth, jerseys signed by Brian Robison, Adrian Peterson, and Teddy Bridgewater, and a Dallas Cowboys official helmet autographed by Troy Aikman.
DropBox Link to Event Photos:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/72681udck3bantt/AAC7-ziIgsY0-kkD_XB0zsGFa?dl=0
About The Brian Robison “Reel ‘Em In” Foundation
Veteran Minnesota Vikings defensive end Brian Robison and wife Jayme founded the Reel ‘Em In Foundation in 2015 with a mission to give back to local communities in Minnesota and Robison’s home state of Texas. The Reel ‘Em In Foundation (REIF) combines Robison’s passion for fishing with the couple’s devotion to aligning with existing charitable organizations to benefit those in need. Each year, REIF is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for a chosen charitable organization through two marquee fishing tournaments, held in Minnesota and Texas. In 2016, REIF has united with K9s4COPS, a national organization that provides canines to law enforcement agencies, school districts and college campuses across the United States. For more information on REIF, please visit http://brianrobison96.com/.
About K9s4COPS
K9s4COPS is a national nonprofit organization that grants fully trained K9s to law enforcement agencies and schools. K9s4cops is responsible for taking more than 100 million dollars’ worth of contraband off the streets. Today, K9s4COPS has placed more than 130 K9s in 80 different agencies and school districts in 31 states across the United States. Most recently, K9s4COPS granted its first international K9 to the French National (RAID) Police in Paris, France. K9 Libertè was granted to supplement their K9 that was killed in the line of duty during the November terrorist attacks on the city. For more information on K9s4COPS, please visit https://k9s4copsprd.wpengine.com/.
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