March 4, 2015 (MILWAUKEE) — Bassmaster Elite Series pro Edwin Evers and performance automotive and marine battery manufacturer OPTIMA® Batteries are launching a new effort to raise awareness and funds for America’s combat-wounded Purple Heart veterans and their needs, as well as heal their physical and emotional wounds.
Together with the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIA), Evers and OPTIMA Batteries will kick off the “Healing Heroes in Action Tour” on March 14, 2015, before the official practice period for the Sabine River Bassmaster Elite Series event in Orange, Texas. The tour will continue with four more events coinciding with Evers’s travels on the tournament trail. At each event, Evers will partner with a combat-wounded Purple Heart veteran identified by WWIA to compete in a head-to-head fishing contest. The two-man challenger team will be selected by an online auction held on Evers’s Facebook page.
Tour stops include the following dates (exact bodies of water are to be announced, but will be within driving distance of Bassmaster Elite Series tournament sites):
• March 14 – Orange, TX
• April 4 – Guntersville, AL
• May 30 – Paris, TN
• July 25 – Waddington, NY
• Aug. 8 – Cecil County, MD
All money raised through this effort will go to WWIA, a national 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to serving our nation’s combat-wounded Purple Heart veterans by providing world-class outdoor sporting activities. The foundation will identify those who will fish with Evers and will provide transportation, lodging and assistance for them at the chosen body of water.
OPTIMA Batteries and Evers’s other sponsors including Bass Pro Shops, Lowrance, Megabass, Mustad, War Eagle, Wild River, Wiley X and Zoom Bait Company will be providing additional resources for the events and prize packages for both the veteran and the highest-bidding team, who will compete against Evers and his partner.
“Edwin Evers and OPTIMA Batteries share a deep admiration and appreciation for the sacrifice made by our troops who serve at home and abroad,” said Cam Douglass, marketing director for 2
OPTIMA Batteries. “We decided to team up with Wounded Warriors in Action to give deserving veterans the experience of a lifetime and at the same time, raise needed funds for an organization that is all about providing healing experiences in the outdoors for those who need it most.”
For those interested in the chance to compete head-to-head against Evers and his partner, supporting this worthwhile cause and receiving a gear package from Evers’s sponsors, visit Facebook.com/EdwinEversFishing and watch for posts indicating auction times and dates. “I hear from people all the time who say they would love to fish with or even against me,” said Evers. “Now is their chance to do just that, and to sweeten the deal, each team will get some incredible gifts from my very generous sponsors and the opportunity to help our nation’s combat-wounded veterans in a really special way.”
For more information on the Healing Heroes in Action Tour, to find out how to donate or bid on the chance to fish against Evers and his veteran partner at one of the events, please visit OPTIMABatteries.com.
About OPTIMA Batteries
OPTIMA® YELLOWTOP®, REDTOP® and BLUETOP® batteries are available through leading battery distributors globally. When looking for OPTIMA Batteries consumers should look for the unique, colored-top and SIX PACK™ design which OPTIMA is known throughout the world. In 2012, OPTIMA added to its product line with the innovative OPTIMA Chargers Digital 1200 Battery Charger for all automotive and marine batteries. To find out more information or purchase OPTIMA products consumers may visit www.optimabatteries.com. Consumers can also call 1-888-8OPTIMA (1-888-867-8462) for additional information.
Johnson Controls Power Solutions is the global leader in lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for Start-Stop, hybrid and electric vehicles. Our 50 manufacturing, recycling and distribution centers supply more than one-third of the world’s lead-acid batteries to major automakers and aftermarket retailers. Through our innovations we are building the advanced battery industry for hybrid and electric vehicles. We were the first company in the world to produce lithium-ion batteries for mass-production hybrid vehicles. Our commitment to sustainability is evidenced by our world-class technology, manufacturing and recycling capabilities.
About the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation
Established in 2007, the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIA) is a national 501(c)3 non-profit Purple Heart organization, serving a very unique and sacred segment of the veteran population – the combat-wounded: the men and women wounded in combat who have been awarded the Purple Heart Medal. We serve these Heroes by providing world-class outdoor sporting activities as a means to recognize and honor their sacrifice, encourage independence and connections with communities, and promote healing and wellness through camaraderie and a shared passion for the outdoors. WWIA supports these heroes by providing them with the opportunity to participate in world-class outdoor sporting activities, chiefly hunting and fishing. WWIA’s mission and our only goal is to get our Wounded Warriors back in Action. For more information and to support WWIA, please visit wwiaf.org.
