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CHAMPAIGN, IL --- In commemoration of their long time friend and supporter, Ronnie Ward, The Champaign-Urbana Bass Club will host the Ron Ward Memorial Scholarship Tournament, June 1, 2008 at Lake Shelbyville.

This year, all proceeds from this annual tournament will be applied to a Scholarship benefiting a college student doing Largemouth Bass research with the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) located on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign.

“Our organization was both saddened and greatly impacted by the untimely death of Ron on March 11, 2001,”’ CU Bass Club member and tournament director Milt Waltermire stated. “Honoring him while benefiting the INHS reflects his commitment to both the sport of bass fishing and his deep concern for ensuring the ongoing conservation of beneficial fish habitat in Illinois.”

For almost 150 years the Illinois Natural History Survey has investigated the diversity, life history and ecology of plants and animals in Illinois, providing valuable information for resource management. With a staff of over 200 residing on the U of I campus, the scope of INHS’s research, long-term study, field stations and educational outreach make it the largest state biological survey in the country.

The Tournament, to be held on Lake Shelbyville, will be comprised of two-person teams. The event expects to attract a 100-boat field. The entry fee is $150.00 per team, with a first-place prize of $5000. All proceeds from the tournament will be applied to a Scholarship Fund.