By Steve Weisman

DNR-Conservation-Officer-Joe-Yarkosky-shares-ice-safety-tips with young anglers at last year’s tournament.

The fourth annual Camp Autumn Ice Fishing Tournament and Fundraiser is set for Saturday, February 11 with registration taking place at 9 a.m. and the fishing going from 10 a.m. to 1p.m. with a complimentary chili and spaghetti lunch to follow. The tournament will be held at Camp Autumn, a 30-acre private lake located about 13 miles southwest of Everly. Camp Autumn has an excellent population of crappies, bluegills and largemouth bass, and last year’s third annual event was a huge success with over 150 participants of all ages and levels of ice anglers. The goal is to enjoy the lake and support a great cause.

According to Adam Lybarger, director of Camp Autumn, there is no registration fee to fish the tournament. However, free will donations will be accepted with all of the money raised going towards scholarships for children to attend Camp Autumn, a therapeutic camp for children in northwest Iowa.

Lybarger adds, “We are thrilled to be able to open our lake to the public and provide a family friendly way for participants to connect with the outdoors and support a great cause. All the money raised from the tournament goes to our scholarship program providing the needed funds for kids to come to camp this summer and receive the respite that is so needed during these trying times!”

The tournament is a catch, measure and release event with prizes awarded in three categories: largemouth bass, crappies and bluegills. In addition to the main prize categories, there will also be opportunities to win special challenges sponsored by our Autumn’s Heroes sponsors.  Lybarger says, “Between prizes, give-a-ways, food, coffee & hot chocolate, we plan to give a way around $5,000 stuff to this year’s attendees.  All of which is made possible by of our generous sponsors!”

The Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club (www.iagreatlakesfishingclub.org) is partnering with Camp Autumn. The club will be providing ice shacks, heaters and fishing gear (on a first come-first serve/rotating basis), providing transportation from the parking lot to the main area of the lake, providing official tournament judges to measure and log fish caught. The club is also providing the first 60 youngsters with a free ice fishing rod and reel and also putting on a Kids Demonstration to teach the youngsters about ice safety and the basics of ice fishing.

Lybarger says about the IGLFC. “The club has been a huge supporter of Camp Autumn from the very beginning and we are so grateful for their continued support with our summer camp program, lake habitat management, and of course this tournament & fundraiser.  We are so grateful to have this club as not only part of our local community, but also our Camp Autumn family!”

IGLFC president Terry Thomsen looks forward to the Camp Autumn outing. “The IGLFC appreciates Camp Autumn sharing its facilities with the general public. Our hope is that lots of angling veterans and families alike take advantage of the chance to enjoy this excellent fishery. In turn, we hope that folks will show their generosity in donations to Camp Autumn.”

A host of local businesses and individuals have come together to help sponsor the event. In addition to the IGLFC, other sponsors in the fishing industry include Great Lakes Guide Service, No Limits Outdoors, Oak Hill Outdoors, Pure Fishing, Legends Guide Service, Stan’s Bait and Tackle and Bobber Down. Area businesses including Spencer Hy-Vee, Snook’s of Okoboji, Mud on Main Coffee House & Roastery, By The Bucket, City View Farms, Northwest Bank, Valero Renewable Fuels, AgState, Royal Lions Club, C&B Equipment, and Darwin & Brenda Johnson are also generous sponsors.

Lybarger appreciates all of the sponsors. “We are beyond grateful for the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club and all of our sponsors. I truly believe this is one of the best events of the winter here in Northwest Iowa and that is directly due to their generosity and support.”

New sponsorship opportunities

As the annual tournament has grown, Lybarger says area businesses and individuals have asked about the opportunity of different levels of sponsorship. As a result, three levels of sponsorship have been developed. Sponsorships have already been coming in, but Lybarger notes that these opportunities will be available for 2024, too.

• The first level is the Proud Supporter with a $100 commitment. The donor’s name will be listed in text on event posters to be placed in businesses and on community boards around northwest Iowa. The donor will also be acknowledged in all press releases, on the event’s Facebook listing and to all participants the day of the tournament.
• The second level is the Camp Champion and a $500 commitment. In addition to the benefits of the Proud Supporter, the Camp Champion will have its logo listed on all even posters, the logo will be displayed during the tournament on the ice and inside during registration and at the awards ceremony following the tournament. There will also be acknowledgement during all live radio/television interviews.
• The highest level is the Autumn’s Heroes and a $1000 commitment. In addition to the benefits of the Proud Supporter and the Camp Champion, the Autumn’s Hero have the opportunity to provide their own banner or pop-up during the day of the tournament. If none its available, the donor’s logo will still be printed and displayed by Camp autumn. Plus the Autumn’s Hero will be designated as the sole sponsor for n additional prize category/contest. A custom ice fishing rod designed by Dan Gay Custom Ice rods will be made with their business’s logo on the handle and color matched threading on the eyelet of the ice rod. This personalized custom ice rod will be awarded to the winner of that special category/contest.

Additional information, registration links and a list of prizes can be found under events on the Camp Autumn Facebook page  (www.facebook.com/campautumn).

Why the name Autumn?

Autumn’s Center and Camp Autumn are named in honor and memory of three-year-old Autumn Elgersma of Orange City, who died on October 31, 2013, two days after being hospitalized for injuries she received from her daycare provider. Since her passing, Autumn’s light has continued to shine through her story and the impact it has made on northwest Iowa. Autumn’s mother, Jennifer, along with her husband Phil, and children Faith and Jared, are dedicated to creating awareness on child abuse and serving as an ambassador to help protect our community’s children.

About Camp Autumn

The camp itself is located on a beautiful property near Sutherland, Iowa with 73 acres of land and water. This gives a lot of space to hike and explore and even a lake for campers to enjoy recreational activities during a warm day at camp.

Camp Autumn is a therapeutic day camp owned and operated by Seasons Center for Behavioral Health. Seasons Center for Behavioral Health is a comprehensive behavioral health center offering a broad range of psychiatric and behavioral health services to the people and communities in Northwest Iowa since 1959.

Seasons currently has office locations in 11 counties, including: Buena Vista, Carroll, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Sioux and Woodbury.

Lybarger adds, “When youngsters come to work with us at one of our 12 offices across northwest Iowa, they receive evidence-based therapy and treatment. Here at Camp Autumn, we serve youth ages 4-21 with behavioral and mental health needs.”