When Kimberly Maraldo (鈥03) read her former news writing professor Ted Stanton鈥檚 email requesting volunteers for the school of communication鈥檚 alumni group, she was immediately interested. The chapter had been inactive for more than five years and needed alumni with the passion and commitment to help revive it.
Weeks later, she joined a meeting with other communication alumni and alumni association officials. One of their first orders of business was to raise funds to sustain the organization and give back to the school.
鈥淲e had this huge meeting with all of these people at the Alumni Center,鈥 remembers Maraldo, who majored in public relations during her time at the 探花视频. 鈥淓veryone was talking about different fundraiser ideas, and I asked 鈥榳hat about a fishing tournament?鈥欌
Maraldo recalls receiving at least one puzzled look. (鈥淚 think she thought I was crazy,鈥
she laughs now.) But the idea for a fishing tournament had been quietly brewing in
her head for sometime, and she became fixated on seeing it through.
鈥淚 used to fish in a South Padre tournament every year. One year I thought to myself: 鈥業 want to put on a fishing tournament,鈥欌 remembers Maraldo. 鈥淚 knew I wanted to do this, even if I only did it once.鈥
As fishing tournament chair, Maraldo went on to oversee the first Cougar Saltwater Open in 2007, which raised $1,500 without incurring expenses. Now, more than a decade later, she is gearing up for the tournament鈥檚 13th run. Although Maraldo, who served as the president of the Valenti Alumni Association from 2009 to 2017, oversees the tournament, she works closely with co-chairs who help with everything from labor and logistics to moral support. With their help and a host of sponsorships, this year鈥檚 event has already quadrupled its inaugural year鈥檚 profit.
The tournament鈥檚 low overhead has made it a key driver for how the Valenti Alumni Association raises scholarship money for students. Each year, The Cougar Saltwater Open adds thousands of dollars to the organization鈥檚 scholarship fund, raising approximately $75,000 in scholarships to date. At least two $2,500 scholarships are awarded every school year.
"This 13-year tradition has been an amazing fundraiser for our alumni association and for our school. This has been Kim Maraldo鈥檚 brainchild, and we are so appreciative of her leadership and dedication for all these years," says Cathy Frank (鈥80), current president of the Valenti Alumni Association.
Still, the 2020 tournament has faced unique challenges unlike any of its previous
iterations. Originally scheduled for June, the event was postponed a mere months beforehand
due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, this tough call paid off.
鈥淭his past week, the last of the sponsorship money came in. We鈥檙e blessed and lucky. I never would've imagined I would pull this off in the middle of a pandemic,鈥 says Maraldo.
Luck accounts for some 鈥 though not all 鈥 of the success. As knowledge about how COVID-19 is transmitted has become more robust, officials have warned against gathering in poorly ventilated, indoor spaces. Instead, outdoor recreational opportunities are in high-demand, with families working to combat pandemic fatigue with quality time outdoors.
But another success factor is Maraldo and the community she has nurtured around the event. A powerhouse personality, Maraldo鈥檚 twin passions for the 探花视频 and fishing coalesce beautifully for this event. On June 7, she posted a request for raffle items from friends for the fishing tournament due to lack of stores being able to donate. Along with the $75.00 registration fee, the raffle is an important way the event raises scholarship funds. The donations poured in quickly.Maraldo鈥檚 passion is contagious. T-shirt sponsor Brian Pool (鈥02), also a communication alumnus, is a returning sponsor for this year鈥檚 tournament. He felt motivated by Maraldo鈥檚 efforts to keep the event going, despite the 鈥渃raziness鈥 that the ongoing pandemic has caused.鈥淢y friends know that I love UH, they know that I love fishing, and they know what these things mean to me. I鈥檓 grateful for my UH family and for everyone who offered their support,鈥 says Maraldo.
鈥淚 am hoping the sponsorship will allow the attendees to keep some semblance of normalcy and bring joy to those who may not have been able to get out and do much the past few months,鈥 says Pool. 鈥淥utside of the actual event itself, I hope to support the scholarships funded by the Cougar Saltwater Open to help students in need.鈥
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