Fisheree Report

I get to go to a lot of fun events put on by our membership across this state. Along with Officer’s Training and a couple of meetings, the time flies and we usually have a great time. But today I am here to talk about another event that took place a few weeks ago out on a sheet of ice, with the snow falling and the temps a lot colder outside. I was able to spend some time at the Randy and Janine Memorial Fisheree that took place at Nuckleheadz Bar and Grill sitting on Little Cedar Lake.

A litttle background on this event. I had heard of a crash in West Bend on HWY 33 and 144 that I wanted to get some information about. It was a crash that involved a Miata where the person that was driving pulled out in front of Randy and Janine’s motorcycle taking Randy and Janine’s life. I did do some work with the Sheriff at the time making sure that ACT 466 was being used.

One of Randy’s other loves, besides riding his motorcycle with Janine, was ice fishing and getting kids involved in the sport. I was told that he loved to share his knowledge of fishing with kids, showing how to catch fish and how to use the equipment. That was the start of the Fisheree.

Sometime after the crash, Ralph Schneider and Tim Sutter along with some others were talking fishing and maybe having a beer. They decided they wanted to keep the Fisheree that Randy loved going and to use the raised money to help support motorcycle awareness. Well, this is the 11^th time Ralph and his crew worked together along with Nuckleheadz Bar and Grill to get young and old onto the ice to try their hand at fishing on the lake.

To keep their strength up for all the fish caught, the people on the ice were fed burgers and brats that Kevin Meanor brought in and donated from Johnsonville. Thank you to Ralph and Luke for working the ice and for keeping the food hot and available. Nuckleheadz had their kitchen cooking other great sandwiches along with offering a wide assortment of beverages.

I was also surprised by the donation of a supply of gift cards from the area. Fleet Farm along with many other donations from area businesses like pizza restaurants, oil change locations, and towing services were among a few of the donations received. As the event was going on, other local businesses came in with boxes of gifts to be added to the pile of items raffled off. Throughout the day meat raffles and a couple of 50/50 raffles along with football playoffs kept people interested in the action inside the bar while waiting for the fishing to end at 4. Thank you to all that bought raffle tickets.

Thank you to Michelle, Sally, Boyd, Cherie and I am sure I am forgetting others, for selling raffle tickets along with keeping track of the meat raffles. Thanks to Dog for his help announcing along with Richie for jumping in selling tickets along with using his booming voice to announce winners. Behind the scenes getting door prizes, selling tickets as well as other duties were Ralph Schneider, Michelle Schommer, and Luke Bostwick, and they did a great job!!

My thanks to the unselfish efforts of this group of people that have worked tirelessly in raising this amount of money, selling tickets, getting door prizes, working an event, donating all the food and labor and personal time to provide this large of a donation to ABATE of Wisconsin. I am sure Randy and Janine are looking down and smiling, maybe having a beer, and in their way joining everyone on the ice and at Nuckleheadz.

I am honored to help out at this event, words cannot express my gratitude. Thank you again from myself and ABATE of Wisconsin for the money raised and donated, that will hopefully make the roads a little safer for us this next summer.

John