There’s still time to enter the Gil Memorial Classic … get your grand slam on!

The 10th annual Gil Memorial Classic, benefitting the Barrier Island Parks Society, is coming up in September and entries have been sent out. Raffle night will be on Thursday, Sept. 24 in Tampa and fishing will take place on October 1, 2 and 3. Raffle prizes are still being sought.
Entries for the tournament must be in by Wednesday, Sept. 16, and the cost is $500 per team as well as three optional $50 calcuttas for individual species (snook, redfish and trout) with a total for all calcuttas of $650.
Sponsorships are also available in three levels: Snook ($750), redfish ($300) and trout ($100). Checks should be made payable to Gil Memorial Classic, and can be mailed to Gil Memorial Classic, 3003 S. Emerson St., Tampa, Fl. 33629. Company logos can be emailed to gmcboca@aol.com.
The captain’s meeting, silent auction and raffle will be held in Tampa at Tate’s Pizza on Westshore Boulevard from 6 to 8 p.m. Fishing begins on Thursday, Oct. 1 with boards and playcards being handed out at Boca Grande Marina. Weigh-ins will be held on Friday and Saturday with cash prizes totaling approximately $10,000 following.
The grand slam tournament is held in honor of Juan Gil, who passed away in 2003 in a car accident.
“Although we are from Tampa, a number of us have grown up on the island,” said tournament coordinator Rob Hudson. “In fact my grandfather, Frank Llaneza, purchased his land on the island in the 1950s. Just like all of us, Juan loved fishing in Charlotte Harbor.”
Email gmcboca@aol.com for more information, or find the Gil Memorial page on Facebook.