Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo History |
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A Brief History of the Rodeo |
While the Rodeo was successful in popularity, it's financial history shows that the Legion Post spent some $16,000 suffering a loss each year due to the cost of staging the annual sporting event exceeding the revenue received. The American Legion Post felt that these funds were well spent as a contribution to further the ancient art of Sport Fishing and for the welfare of the beautiful Mississippi Gulf coastal area. In 1958, the Gulfport American Legion Post incorporated the Fishing Rodeo as a Non-Profit Civic Improvement Corporation and dedicated it's future development to the Civic Leaders of the Communities of the Coast. This was done by resolution at a regular meeting of the Post, in order to be relieved of further financial strain from it's treasury as the Rodeo's financial underwriting agency, and to widen the scope of promotional activities with greater Civic interest. The active Members of the Post were divided in their thoughts for the Rodeo's future. Some were in favor of discontinuing it's program, some desired to continue it's program as a Legion affair, some advocated turning over it's promotion to some other organization...but the heavy majority vote was for adopting of the present schedule which has proved to be extraordinarily successful. Since the reorganization of the Rodeo in 1958, the Sport Fishing Festival has been staged annually by Civic Leaders from the Communities of the Coastal area, and has grown in acclimation by Outdoor Writers of the Press, Television, Radio, Magazines and other periodicals...as one of the largest and foremost Sport Fishing annual attractions in the World. |
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In 1953, before the sixth Rodeo, the then Governor of the Great State of Mississippi, Hugh L. White, proclaimed the Rodeo as the "State's Official Fishing Event. With this, the Rodeo became the State's Official Fishing Tournament, and the Rodeo's Fishing Records become the beginning of the State's official Fishing Records. Each Governor thereafter has made the proclamation...The first week of July will be Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo Days." |
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The excess fish produced
from the Fish Bins are donated to Church groups, the Battered
Women Association, the Gulf Coast |
The Rodeo has backing from the
News media, WLOX-TV, WXXV-TV, Radio, Sun Herald Newspaper, National
Wide Sports Magazine, Mississippi Outdoors, National Geographic,
and the Department of Wildlife Fisheries & Parks to name
a few. For National recognition, the South Eastern Tourist Administration has awarded us as one of the Top 10 Events of the southeast section of our Country for 10 consecutive years. This is a great honor, because Disney World is another recipient of this award. In the June 2004 edition of National Geographic, the Rodeo was honored by being chosen as one of the two greatest annual events in Mississippi. |
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We will continue with our
efforts to make the Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo an outstanding State, National, and World recognized annual Sport Fishing event. |
Copyright © The Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo All Rights Reserved |
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AMERICAN LEGION POST 119 GULFPORT MISSISSIPPI AS A SERVICE TO THE AMERICAN LEGION COMMUNITY AND ALL VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS |
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