Bass Pro Shops World's Fishing Fair Results in $1.5 Million Donation to Conservation
Springfield, Missouri, home of the "Grandaddy of all Outdoor Stores," was put on full display as people from across the nation came to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Bass Pro Shops at the World's Fishing Fair. Guests traveled to the Ozarks from 47 states and Canada to attend what is being noted as the greatest fishing show and sale on earth. On Saturday night, April 2, Johnny Morris presented a donation of $1.5 million to benefit conservation during the Hank Williams Jr. concert, representing 100% of all ticket sales to the World's Fishing Fair and Concerts for Conservation – doubling the initial pledge of 50% of all ticket sales.
"I have never felt more proud of our Bass Pro team, our vendors, and our conservation partners," Johnny Morris said. "Thanks to this collective effort, and with the support of our generous customers and the City of Springfield, we are able to make this donation that will help further crucial conservation efforts for years to come. The fact that we were able to host this event and make this donation to help celebrate our 50th anniversary right here in Springfield makes us very proud and very happy!"
This donation — which represents 100 percent of the ticket sales from three nights of "Concerts for Conservation" and 100 percent of the admissions to the World's Fishing Fair—is the latest development in Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops' longstanding tradition of conservation leadership.
"As highlighted in our longstanding partnership, both Toyota and Bass Pro Shops have a shared interest in supporting important environmental and conservation efforts through events like the World's Fishing Fair," said Pete Carey, Toyota Financial Services Group Vice President and President of Private Label. "To bring awareness of and benefit conservation through an event of this magnitude is truly significant and impactful in this ongoing effort to protect the great outdoors."
The Fair was packed full of outdoor enthusiasts from throughout North America in a celebration of all things fishing, hunting and conservation. Attendees enjoyed a full schedule of seminars and appearances from America's top fishing professionals, NASCAR legends (Richard Childress, Austin Dillon, Martin Truex Jr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr.), Pro Bull Riding leaders (Ross Coleman, Sean Gleason, Randy Bernard, Chad Blankenship and Luke Snyder), Dude Perfect, Larry the Cable Guy and some of the leading conservation organizations, including Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the International Gamefish Association and many more.
Top highlights of the Worlds Fishing Fair not only included lots of young people and lots of happy people, but also:
Concerts for Conservation
Fans enjoyed three back-to-back nights of memorable "Concerts for Conservation," featuring a lineup of country stars that included Luke Combs, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Chris Janson, John Anderson and Hank Williams Jr. During each concert, Morris presented the performers with their own TRACKER Boat signed by the entire Bass Tracker family as a token of appreciation for their individual support of the conservation efforts.
An Unparalleled Collection of Fishing Knowledge and Expertise
The World's Fishing Fair was able to honor fishing's past legends while celebrating the present and future generations of fishing enthusiasts to come. Legends of the sport such as Bill Dance, Roland Martin, Jimmy Houston, Johnny Morris and Rick Clunn were joined by some of today's top bass fishing pros, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Skeet Reese and others.
The World's Fishing Fair guest experience included a lineup of fishing seminars from top pros and legends of the sport, compared by many to attending a $500 fishing school, and offered visitors the opportunity to gain firsthand fishing knowledge from some of the best to ever do it.
Unprecedented Selection and Prices
The World's Fishing Fair featured an incredible assortment of the newest fishing tackle and boats available at incredibly low Fair pricing. The event showcased over 200 exhibits from more than 150 manufacturers across fishing, boating and outdoor categories, and more than 500,000 square feet of tackle and equipment at incredibly low prices. The Fair also featured huge bargain tent sales of factory closeouts and overstock and truckload sales of over $10 million of tackle priced to sell.
The first World's Fishing Fair in 1988 helped put Bass Pro Shops on the map, making it only fitting that the next iteration of the event came just in time for the company's 50th anniversary. The 2022 World's Fishing Fair was not only a celebration unlike anything outdoor enthusiasts had ever witnessed, but also an incredible moment for the sport of fishing, and a precedent for conservation efforts moving forward.