Washington Tuna Classic - Become a Sponsor

2010 Sponsorship Opportunities:

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History of the Washington Tuna Classic:

Since tuna and Washington sportsmen found one another out in the ocean, people have talked about holding a tuna fishing derby. After years of talk, four anglers came together and formed the Washington Tuna Classic (WTC) in Feb 09. Following the same format and working with the Oregon Tuna Classic, the WTC decided to give the donated fish to the food bank, but also give cash donations to two additional worthy groups, the Wounded Warrior Project and Disabled American Veterans. We held our first event on September 12, 2009 and given the poor economy, we anticipated around 20 teams would participate. We were pleased to have 34 teams sign up. The upwelling of community support was well beyond our wildest dreams and a strong reflection of the strength of our message.

September 12, 2009 started off in fog with 12 foot ocean swells and some wind chop in Westport, WA. The “snotty” weather did not dissuade the participants who were determined to help those in need. The Coast Guard worked with us to ensure safe passage so our intrepid teams set forth to gather as much fish as they could. When it was all said and done, we ended with 178 donated tuna totaling nearly four thousand pounds. An additional 480 lbs of dry goods were also collected and donated to the local food bank.

Once back on shore, the team members and event staff gathered under the huge American flag flying at half staff in memory of September 11, 2001. We were presented with an exceptional meal of tri-tip steak, oyster shooters, fresh corn on the cob, clams and salad all of which was donated by Emerald Cove Catering. As the evening continued, the team members sat under the tent with anticipation to find out who won the top cash prizes as well as the numerous different prizes that we gave away thanks to our sponsor donations.

When all was said and done, we were able to raise $7,200 in cash and donate nearly 4,000 lbs of sushi grade protein and 480 lbs of dry goods for our charities last year. We were able to distribute over $11,000 in cash and donated prizes to the participants. Our total support from sponsors exceeded 41k in our first year. Not bad given we started with nothing in spring. We could not have done this without the support of our sponsors.

We welcome you to be a part of our community.

Why support our Washington Tuna Classic?

The main focus of the board of directors is to give back to the community and especially to those who have protected our freedoms. We are a 100% volunteer organization. The decision to split the proceeds from the WTC was an easy one to come up with. First, the Tuna donated is given to Northwest Harvest Food Bank in the form of canned Tuna for local distribution. The crews will have the option of donating their entry fees to either the food bank or towards local veterans programs. We are working with Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Wounded Warriors Project and the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Lewis to identify and empower local programs and individuals who would best use the resources we generate each year. Our goal is to fill in where other programs fall short. Having been through some of these mechanisms our board members know that sometimes there is a gap between what bureaucracy provides and needs dictate.

We believe that leadership is best done by example, thus none of the positions in the WTC are paid. As a registered 501(c)(3) not for profit organization, we will be able to give more to each of our partner charities so they may help as many families as possible. Whatever is not an unavoidable cost goes directly to those in need. We take great pride in saying this is not just the work of the Board members but dozens more within the local community have provided support in every conceivable way. We wish to keep this a grassroots effort by the community for the community. The Board has built relations in the local business community and enjoys widespread support. So far, the community has provided thousands of dollars in ice, bait, fish canning and facilities free of charge. We welcome you to be a part of this experience.

Sponsorship Objective:

In our second year, we would like to raise a minimum of $16,000 and donate over 6,000 lbs of Tuna to the food banks. Each year, we will donate more money and food to our partners, and with your help, we can achieve our goals.

As we have been developing our WTC, we have been identifying the costs associated with this challenge. Despite the great gains we have via donations, from food to facilities, the costs are substantial. We anticipate a direct costs budget of approximately thirteen thousand dollars.

We will ensure that your company is properly identified as one of our sponsors both verbally on the day of the event, as well as on all our literature and media events*. On the day of the event, we will provide you a location to post any banners you want displayed, and help you get them posted. We want to make it clear that we wish to put on the best event possible for all stakeholders.

It is through your support that we can make a difference in peoples' lives, today and for time to come.

Sponsorship Contacts:
Ken Pinnell, Sponsorship Director kpinnell@comcast.net 425-531-1132

2010 Estimated Participation:
We conservatively anticipate at least 50 teams with around 250 participants not including 150-200 family and friends. Fish are weighed in at the Charter Boat weigh in area which is on the main street near the Museum. The process draws large crowds and interest.

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Additional Sponsorship Coverage:

Website: www.washingtontunaclassic.com
Features in Northwest Sportsman Magazine
Promotion in conjunction with the WTC on The Outdoor Line, 710 ESPN Seattle and Northwest Wild Country Radio.
Regional promotions to include 10k Radio campaign, local articles.
Local fishing websites, Ifish.net, BloodyDecks.com, Gamefishin.com and others
Local newspaper ads.

*total coverage is dependent on the type of sponsorship your company selects. See following information for specifics.

Sponsorship Opportunities:

We appreciate all those who support us, and to enable anyone who would like to be a sponsor, we have crafted these different levels of sponsorship. Should your company like to customize these agreements, please let us know and we will see that you are taken care of as we are always open to good ideas.

BLUE FIN TUNA - $ 6,000

Single Entity status – you’re the primary sponsor
“Presented By” graphic on poster
Company name referenced on all printed materials
Company name listed as “Presented By” on all broadcast announcements
Company signage at event (4 signs, 3’ x 6’)
Display table at “Captains Meeting”
Right of first refusal for 2011 WTC
Internet links from our website

YELLOW FIN TUNA - $ 4,000

Internet links from our website
Company signage at event (2 signs, 3’ x 6’)
Top row of poster sponsor space (larger company graphic)
Company name referenced on all printed materials

TRUCK SPONSOR- $ 4,000

Trucks displayed prominately at weigh in area.
Yellow Fin sponsorship benefits

BOAT SPONSOR- $ 4,000

Boats displayed prominately at weigh in area.
Yellow Fin sponsorship benefits

ELECTRONICS SPONSOR- $ 4,000

Table at weigh in and banquet area.
Yellow Fin sponsorship benefits

FOOD SPONSOR- $ 3,000

Food caterer for event
Company signage at event (2 signs, 2’ x 4’)

BLACK FIN TUNA - $ 2,000

Internet links from our website
Company signage at event (2 signs, 2’ x 4’)
Second row of poster sponsor space (medium company graphic)
Company name referenced on all printed materials

REEL SPONSOR - $ 2,000

Internet links from our website
Company signage at event (2 signs, 2’ x 4’)
Second row of poster sponsor space (medium company graphic)
Company name referenced on all printed materials

ALBACORE TUNA - $ 1200

Internet links from our website
Company name referenced on all printed materials
Third row of poster sponsor space (small company graphic)

LINE SPONSOR - $ 1200

Internet links from our website
Company name referenced on all printed materials
Third row of poster sponsor space (small company graphic)

SKIPJACK - $ 500 Cash or in-kind services

Internet links from our website
Included on Sponsor Poster at event (name only)

Tunny - $ 200 Cash or in-kind services

Internet links from our website
Included on Sponsor Poster at event (name only)

Team Sponsor - $ 300

Sponsor a team for the event.

Other Sponsorship Opportunities:
We are fair, flexible and if you have a sincere interest in helping the community, we want to talk to you. Feel free present your ideas!

Sponsorship Contacts:
Ken Pinnell, Sponsorship Director kpinnell@comcast.net 425-531-1132