Presenting Sponsor for Inaugural Blazing Mako Tournament & Festival Named

Longtime NSU Supporter C. Davis Electric Onboard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORT LAUDERDALE – DAVIE, Fla. — They say the family that fishes together stays together, and for South Florida’s Davis family, that tradition also includes supporting the Blazing Mako Tournament & Festival—a June event that will combine fishing, conservation, research and marine science scholarships.

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts announced today that Miramar, Florida-based C. Davis Electric has joined the tournament as a Presenting Sponsor, which includes two entries for the offshore tournament division and a shirt sponsorship.  In total, a $25,000 commitment.

The goal of the non-profit tournament and festival, scheduled for June 16-19 2016, is to raise $100,000 for marine science scholarships as part of Realizing Potential – The Campaign for Nova Southeastern University.

NSU’s Halmos College of National Sciences and Oceanography, home to the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI), the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center research building, the Center of Excellence in Coral Reef Ecosystem Research and the Save Our Seas Shark Research Centre, will administer scholarship funds donated through the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF).

“C. Davis Electric and the Davis family have been friends of NSU for many years, and this new tournament and festival is yet another way they can combine their love of NSU with their love of fishing and the ocean,” said Richard Dodge, Ph.D., the dean of NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography. “We thank them for coming onboard as the signature sponsor – and for helping NSU students realize their potential by following their dreams.”

Davis Electric co-founder and owner Charles “Ed” Davis Jr. has long supported NSU, and the school’s annual sponsorship of the Fort Lauderdale Billfish Tournament, which this year was renamed the Blazing Mako Tournament & Festival and moved to Islamorada, known as “The Fishing Capital of the World.”

“We’re out fishing nearly every weekend in the Florida Keys,” said Mike Gagliano, a son-in-law and Davis Electric Executive VP.  “As a family we fished Keys tournaments for over 20 years as we have a house and boats down there.  Islamorada is a perfect spot for the tournament.  This is such a great cause and we’re looking forward to the competition.”

Tournament Director Cliff Jensen said corporate team registration for the offshore division is $5,000 per team (six anglers), with the registration fee for Inshore anglers competing is $2,500 (three anglers). The tournament will also feature cyber on-the-water release documentation for research using the IGOfish App. 

For more information about the event, and to register for the inshore/offshore division, visit us online HERE (http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/blazing-mako/fishing.html).

In addition to the not-for-profit fishing tournament, expansive plans also are underway for innovative art exhibits, live music, conservation organization displays and local vendors, all showcased in a 100-tent “Conchservation Village” to be located at the host property, The Islander, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort. Also planned are a series of watersport competitions, (including a paddleboard competition), a Kids Pier Fishing Tournament, fishing seminars and a Rum Village.

As part of Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts’ signature Bonfire Series fishing tournaments, a fish-themed sculpture is created by a local artist.  The artist incorporates a conservation message with a “trash-to-treasure” concept, incorporating recycled material into a sculpture to be set ablaze.

In the case of the Blazing Mako Tournament & Festival, the sculpture will be a mako shark in the image of the NSU mascot. Local artist Pasta Pantaleo will incorporate steel with reclaimed parts to fashion together the mako cage with exposed beams.  The cage will then be filled with non-toxic flammable materials to create the tournament’s signature bonfire.

 

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution with more than 26,000 students, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information about NSU and realizingpotential.nova.edu for more information on the largest fundraising campaign in NSU history.

About NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography: The college provides high-quality undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) and graduate (master’s and doctoral degrees and certificates) education programs in a broad range of disciplines, including marine sciences, mathematics, biophysics, and chemistry. Researchers carry out innovative basic and applied research programs in coral reef biology, ecology, and geology; fish biology, ecology, and conservation; shark and billfish ecology; fisheries science; deep-sea organismal biology and ecology; invertebrate and vertebrate genomics, genetics, molecular ecology, and evolution; microbiology; biodiversity; observation and modeling of large-scale ocean circulation, coastal dynamics, and ocean atmosphere coupling; benthic habitat mapping; biodiversity; histology; and calcification. The college’s newest building is the state-of-the-art Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, an 86,000-square-foot structure filled with laboratories; offices; seminar rooms; an auditorium; and indoor and outdoor running sea water facilities. Please visit cnso.nova.edu for more information.

About Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts: Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts is based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The company’s Signature Collection properties operate under the Guy Harvey Outpost brand name, with resorts currently in Florida’s popular destinations of St. Pete Beach and Islamorada. The newest Guy Harvey Outpost Resort will open on St. Augustine Beach in spring, 2016. Members of the company’s Expedition Portfolio are independently operated and managed boutique sized hotels and lodges in remote destinations that offer superior service and amenities. Member hotels enjoy access to Outpost marketing and its reservation system and on-line booking engine. Expedition Properties include three in the Bahamas: Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbour at West End and the Green Turtle Club and Blackfly Bonefish Lodge, both in the Abaco Islands, Hotel Playa Media Luna in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, Southern Cross Club on Little Cayman Island and Ft. George Hotel in Dominica.  Through the company’s GHOFish program, Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts promotes scientific angling expeditions, tournaments and charters. Expedition Outfitters an invitation-only collection of top-of-class dive shops and guided or charter boat fishing outfitters. Please visit www.guyharveyoutpost.com for more information.

 

 

March 15, 2016

 

Joe Donzelli | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-2159 (office) | 954-661-4571 (cell)
jdonzelli@nova.edu | www.nova.edu

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