Sponsor's Spotlight

Cabela's Gears Up
www.cabelas.com

Cabela's has long been recognized for its leadership role in getting people outside and participating in the many great outdoor recreational opportunities that exist, including fishing. They send that message loud and clear in their stores, catalogs, Web site, television show and magazine, as well as in the events they sponsor - such as the BoatU.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship (NCBFC). The company's involvement in grassroots programs is not by accident.

"Cabela's sponsorship of the National Collegiate Bass Championship is meant to engage the next generation and foster a love of the outdoors," said Dennis Highby, president and CEO of Cabela's. "Supporting these young anglers isn't just good business for everyone in the industry, it's also about building a firm foundation to ensure that future anglers have the same opportunities millions of Americans have enjoyed for so long to pursue their passions."

Cabela's is experienced in building a solid foundation. The company has been doing that ever since Dick Cabela came up with a plan in 1961 to sell fishing flies he purchased while at a furniture show in Chicago. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, Cabela's produces more than 76 different catalogs per year, including specialty books for archery, fly-fishing and boating, along with their massive 500+ page Spring and Fall Master catalogs. Each year more than 120 million catalogs are mailed to locations in all 50 states and 120 countries.

Cabela's also continues to expand its highly popular destination retail stores throughout the country, giving all types of visitors a truly unique shopping experience. In fact, all NCBFC competitors will be bussed on a practice day evening from the championship site on Lake Lewisville, Texas to a nearby Cabela's store for a sponsored shopping spree, accompanied by a dozen of the country's top professional bass anglers to assist with their tackle purchasing decisions.

"We're proud to help bring these two generations of anglers together," said Highby. "The exchange between students and mentors is symbolic of what has occurred since the earliest days of sportfishing, and is a reflection of the common passion that all anglers have for the outdoors. It's also the very same passion that's shared by every Cabela's employee.

"Together we are the stewards of our sport and the country's natural resources, and with participation comes responsibility. We're confident that Cabela's involvement with the collegiate fishing program is about giving the next generation a chance to enjoy, and the knowledge to take care of, the greatest of American traditions."