PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) – Since July’s devastating flood that impacted many parts of the region, we have shared countless stories of neighbors helping neighbors in times of need.
Over two months, several Southeast Kentuckians worked to raise funds for those impacted by the flood. On Saturday, their ideas came to fruition in the form of a bass fishing tournament.
Hours before sun rise, dozens of fishermen hit the waters of Lake Cumberland, not only aiming to get the biggest catch, but to make an even bigger impact.
“When you go through all that planning and all those things, it just comes together,” said Darrell Floyd, a volunteer with the organization, Casting for Christ. “Everybody in the community doing their part, and when you watch something like this take place today, it’s just a blessing.”
Saturday’s bass fishing tournament started as an idea of the event’s founder, Bobby Gumm.
“It come across me as I was getting ready to pour a driveway and I just wanted to make a difference,” said Gumm. “Right away I picked up the phone and called Darrell and said, ‘Darrell, I need some help.’”
Floyd volunteers alongside Casting for Christ, an organization dedicated to fundraising for people in need through bass fishing tournaments. After Gumm connected with Floyd, the two started planning the Fishing for Eastern Kentucky event.
“So, we all came together, and I went to work raising money, calling people and businesses and everybody I asked gave me money, so I think we’re a little bit over 40,000 dollars that we’ve raised for these families,” said Gumm.
During the event, Gumm and the others had something else up their sleeves for one particular attendee.
“When you open the door and you see everything you got destroyed, you just can’t imagine,” said Jesse Turner from Buckhorn.
Turner lost everything in the flood, and after connecting with event organizers, they invited the preacher to the tournament to lead everyone in a prayer, but to also surprise him with a $2,000 donation.
“That just brings out the goodness in you, and to know and understand that God is still at work, and he’s got good people out there to help one another and we really appreciate that,” said Turner.
Gumm said there were nearly 80 participants in the tournament, raising more than $40,000.
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