Peace King Cup Fishing Tournament Crowns Its Winners

Saturday, May 18 marked the start of the annual Peace King Cup (PKC) fishing tournament held in commemoration of True Parents’ 59th Holy Wedding Anniversary. Around 80 participants, from as far as Maryland and Florida, attended.

Generation Peace Academy (GPA) youth, who also participated in the tournament, were trained in internal education, boating skills, and river clean-up projects in a week-long Ocean Challenge program. A total of 120 fishing spots were filled over the course of the seven-day competition.

The following are the winners of this year’s PKC tournament:

First Place – Deanna Aull                   (39″ – 19 lbs)
Second Place – Rev. Ki Yeal Lee        (38.5″ – 27 lbs)
Third Place – Michael Alvarez           (37″ – 16 lbs)
Fourth Place – Tanya Edwards          (36.5″ – 16 lbs)
Fifth Place – Naokmi Ushiroda          (36.5″ 14lbs)

During the first few days of the tournament, fishers were greeted with beautiful blue skies and calm water; however, it was at a price: no striped bass were caught. On some days not even the notorious bluefish were brought aboard. As challenging as it was for participants, it brought the opportunity for reflection, as it did for True Father. He believed the ocean was a place to come close to God.

The striped bass remained elusive until the fourth day of the tournament on May 21 when Rev. Ki Yeal Lee broke the streak with a 38.5” striped bass, rekindling the hope and determination of the other fishers: 38” is the minimum size required to be eligible for the grand prize. The following day a 35” striped bass was caught by a GPA member, but Rev. Lee was still in the lead. On May 23, Deannu Aull caught a 39” fish. The final day of the competition was fiercely windy, and the fishers were drenched from the waves made by the rocking boats. This did not deter them and they thoroughly enjoyed the day.

The awards ceremony was held on May 25th at the Clifton Family Church. Branch Gaarder, the Director of PKC and National Coordinator of Ocean Tribe, explained the significance of the tournament and the mission of Ocean Tribe. Ms. Aull shared that she had been participating in the Peace King Cup for the past seven years and had never placed before. This year she was going home with the grand prize!

We encourage other communities to host Peace King Cup tournaments to honor and commemorate True Parents’ Holy Wedding Anniversary. Another fishing tournament is being planned for October, so stay tuned for the Peace Queen Cup!