Lionfish Bash spearfishing tourney back for 8th year

The 8th annual Lionfish Bash is being held June 15 and 16 this year. This is the event put on by The Woody Foundation each year, presented by The Burlington Family.

This spearfishing tournament is a triple threat event: they help eliminate the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish, raise money for a great cause, and  they have a great time doing it. The funds raised from the Lionfish Bash are donated to Jackson Rehabilitation Hospital and directly benefit the spinal cord injury community. 

To kick off the tournament, they will host a Kickoff Event from 5:30 – 7:30 pm on Friday, June 15 at Monty’s Coconut Grove. Lionfish hunting will commence Saturday morning until weigh-in from 3:00 – 5:00 pm, followed by dinner at 7:00 pm, both at Coral Reef Yacht Club. 

“What a moving experience to be a part of such sacred work," says Josh Laurence, Vice President of Accessible Home Heatlh Care of Aventura. "Our team was proud to participate in the 7th Annual Lionfish Bash. We felt so fortunate to work side by side with Woody and his team in getting rid of the lionfish while raising funds and awareness for the spinal cord community and Jackson Rehabilitation Hospital. We’re excited to continue our partnership with The Woody Foundation for many years to come!”

"We are two weeks away from The Woody Foundation’s 8th Lionfish Bash. With the help of our supporters TWF has donated over $145,000 much needed equipment for the Jackson Rehabilitation Hospital. All traumatic brain injured and spinal cord injury patients go through this rehab before facing their new life; every single one of those patients use something that TWF has donated. As a result of 'The Bash' and the efforts of the sponsors we have touched 1,000s of people and improved their quality of life in the process," says Lucy Foerster, event organizer.

The Woody Foundation was founded in 2011 to raise funds and increase awareness for those with paralysis. In January of that year, the Foundation’s namesake, James “Woody” Beckham was injured in a rugby match, an injury that left him a quadriplegic. Since then, they've raised over $1.5 million dollars to help those with paralysis. Annual events include the Woody Golf Classic, Lionfish Bash, Lobster Feast and Woodystock. Visit www.woodyfoundation.org or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/woodyfoundation and follow for more information.

Purchase dinner tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/8th-annual-lionfish-bash-tickets-44201823845

Here’s the timeline of events for the weekend:

Friday June 15
Captain’s Meeting: (5:30-7:30pm)
Monty’s in the Coconut Grove
5:30 pm – Event Starts/ Bar Opens
6:30 – Welcome and Thank You Run Down
6:45 – Lionfish Safety Tutorial
7:00 - Door prize raffle

Saturday June 16
Diving: Sunrise-5 pm, All over Biscayne Bay
Weigh in: 3:00-5 pm at Coral Reef Yacht Club
Cocktail Hour: starts at 7 pm, Coral Reef Yacht Club
Awards Dinner: starts at 7:45 pm, Coral Reef Yacht Club
Awards Dinner afterparty: 11pm, Location: Monty’s in Coconut Grove