Back
in June of 1974, there were four young men from Southern California who
worked together at the same company. They were always talking about their
summer vacation plans, and in 1974 they decided to take a trip together.
They planned a fishing trip to the High Sierra’s and chose Twin Lakes
(Mono Village Campground), just twelve miles outside of Bridgeport,
California, as their “base camp”. They stayed for a week and
spent a lot of time fishing, and a lot of time relaxing, and a lot of
time patronizing the various establishments in the Bridgeport community.
The
trip was a success, and when these young men went back to work and told
their friends of the good time they had, several of their friends
decided to accompany them on the trip the following year...still in June, still to Bridgeport, California,
and still for the camaraderie, the
fishing, and the fun!
It
was the same every year...the first week of June, in Bridgeport, for
fishing and fun! The group grew in numbers and they even ended up naming
themselves: The Fishin’ Mission! That
small group of friends has now grown to nearly one hundred members, who now
reside in five different states, and nearly fifty members attend each year!
Over
the years they helped raise funds to keep the local Bridgeport
Hospital open, and had various fund raising events for national
organizations such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Multiple
Sclerosis Association. During that time, the group raised nearly
$25,000 for various charitable organizations!
In June of 2008
they came to Bridgeport again, this time to
celebrate their 35th Annual Fishin’ Mission Extravaganza!
To
commemorate that occasion, and to recognize the community that had embraced them for the past 35
years, the Fishin’ Mission decided to establish their own foundation, one that would be focused on providing financial support to
help meet the
needs of the Bridgeport community.
Leveraging
the business acumen of our various members, with a focus on giving back
to the community that has given so much to us, we are proud to present
the Fishin’
Mission Foundation Inc!
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