Savoys, et al, put in time as dedicated volunteers to make fundraiser a success

Published 7:45 am Sunday, April 25, 2021

LOREAUVILLE — Tee Roy Savoy of Coteau Holmes felt like a proud papa after last Saturday’s Jackie Savoy Memorial Big Bass Classic.

The fundraising tournament with a format unique to this region was held for the umpteenth time but at its latest date ever. Its veteran director was pleased with the turnout and the enthusiasm despite adverse weather conditions and a flooded Lake Fausse Pointe.

Thirty-nine boats converged on Marsh Field Boat Landing. The majority launched and motored away before a wet day dawned on the Jackie Savoy Memorial BBC.

Austin Theriot of St. Martinville and Leryn Quintana of Catahoula won $750 with three first-place bass and another $975 for the “stringer money” pot with a total of 20.32 pounds.

Theriot said, “Oh, it was a dream come true. I didn’t think we’d come out with over 20 pounds. I thought it’d be tough.”

According to preliminary estimates, the popular event raised $7,500. Primary beneficiaries are Lydia Cancer Association and Acadiana Hope for a Cure.

“Considering everything that’s going on, I mean, with Covid and other stuff, if you look at the sponsors we do have on there” the fundraiser was an unqualified success, Savoy said.

“If you look at the sponsors we have on there, I left the oil companies alone because they’re kind of struggling,” he said, noting construction companies, law firms, small stores and businesses really, really stepped up to the plate for the cause.

“Overall, a lot of positive feedback,” he said.

How positive?

The first sponsor for next year’s event has climbed on board already. Josh Hebert of New Iberia, who fished the Jackie Savoy Memorial BBC with Zach Dubois of Nunez, just east of Kaplan, contacted Savoy on Monday. Hebert owns Salty Traditions, a Southern outdoors clothing line. Dubois owns Cajun Lures LLC, which was a gold sponsor for this past weekend’s event.

Five other artificial lure manufacturers hooked up as gold sponsors for the recent event. Delta Lures, Mister Twister, Bill Lewis Lures, H&H and American Baitworks sent product that either was in the live auction or slipped into ditty bags for the entrants, who also got a T-shirt from Lipari Specialties.

About those artificial lure companies, Savoy said, “Yeah, those come through every year. This year the ditty bags were pretty full.”

It was a team effort start to finish by the volunteers, he said.

“My crew did good. What? Real well. They said they were going to take control and they did it. They told me they hope it’ll be better weather next year when I’m fishing,” he said with a chuckle.

Savoy reserved special praise for Tee Roy Blanchard of Coteau Holmes, Trisha Blanchard of Coteau Holmes and Angela Mayeaux of Loreauville, who all pretty much ran the show while he fished with Neil Carret of Carencro. They registered teams in the predawn darkness and still were there long after the last bass was weighed.

And his two sons, Sy Savoy and Ry Savoy, had the weigh-in under control. Ry was extra busy as he took care of managing the bass after they were weighed, at first putting them in a large aerated tank in his boat and then releasing them in the lake.

Sy, a lawyer, also posted updates on bass weights at the 30- and 45-minute marks and at the top of each hour for eight hours. That helped bass anglers make decisions on when to weigh bass that might take one or more of the top spots on the board each hour.

Bruno Lenoir of New Iberia, Lydia Cancer Association president, and other dedicated volunteers also helped tremendously under the tents and pavilion, where Neil Arnaud of Carencro cooked a huge pot of pork sausage jambalaya that was served free to all. Arnaud, co-owner with Scott Perrodin of Ville Platte of Camp Dog Cajun Seasoning LLC, got a big assist from his father, Keno Arnaud of Carencro.

There was one major glitch, Savoy said, that must be and will be corrected. It was related to the “stringer money” part of the Jackie Savoy Memorial BBC, he said, declining to go into details publicly.