Reels & Spears Gulf Classic Fishing Tournament and Festival – Casting a Line for Conservation and Commemoration for the Warrior Memorial Reefs Foundation’s Mission, Hosted by Point South Marina at Bay Point
Panama City Beach, FL – September 9, 2025 – The Warrior Memorial Reefs Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to honoring fallen Veterans, First Responders, and their K9 companions while fostering marine ecosystems, is “reeling up” for their inaugural Reels & Spears Gulf Classic Fishing Tournament. This exciting event is scheduled for September 13, 2025, at the beautiful Point South Marina at Bay Point in Panama City Beach, Florida.
This one day tournament, a major fundraiser for the Warrior Memorial Reefs Foundation, includes angling/ spearfishing for snapper, grouper, amberjack, alongside lionfish, aiming to attract a broader range of anglers and divers, while also drawing attention to the various fish species, especially the invasive lionfish. All proceeds, minus cash winnings, directly support the Foundation’s mission to create artificial reefs for fallen warriors, with their cremated remains respectfully interred to create living memorials and marine biodiversity. The Warrior Memorial Reefs Foundation provides these deployments and
Celebrations of Life at zero cost to the families of fallen warriors; and none of the foundation’s members receive compensation, ensuring every dollar raised maximizes impact.
The public is invited to attend the coinciding festival on September 13, 2025 from 2:30PM- 8PM. Gretchen Theodorou, Vice President of Warrior Memorial Reefs Foundation said, “So far, our tournament participation looks great! The more participants, the more cash prizes! However, I also really want to encourage people to come out to Point South Marina at Bay Point for our tournament festival. We would really like to capture the spirit in this community, and celebrate the people and businesses who have supported our mission. This event will have sponsor and vendor booths, food and beverages, entertainment, and fun activities and educational games for the kids. You will also be able to be part of the fun, not only by watching the fishing teams come in for their weigh-ins, but also we have fabulous raffles going on throughout the duration of the event. You won’t want to miss it!”
This is an interactive event as well! Kids will be able to pick up an adventure passport, at the Warrior Memorial Reefs Foundation booth. From there, kids and their parents can experience free SCUBA experiences with SCUBA Station, play corn hole at the BOTE booth, go metal detector treasure hunting at the North Florida Diving Services booth, and so on. There will even be a dunk tank! Event goers are encouraged to bring their bathing suits if they plan on getting wet. Admission is free.
The Warrior Memorial Reefs Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of its sponsors, including Auto Nation Ford Panama City, Scuba Station Panama City, ZooKeeper, BOTE Grayton Beach, FWC Reef Rangers, Flying MCE, Bayview Wellness & Aesthetics, Tommy’s Express Car Wash, and Gulf Coast Sportfishing Club. Sponsorship packages are still available, and considered a tax-donation, with sponsorship benefits such as logo placement on promotional materials and our website, booth space at the festival, and recognition during the awards ceremony. Diamond sponsors will have their names/ business’ name etched onto a memorial reef deployed in 2026, as ‘made possible by”.
Limited vendor space is also still available. Businesses and organizations interested in participating can secure booth space or sponsorship by contacting Gretchen Theodorou at info@warriormemorialreefs.org.
“This tournament is more than a competition, it’s a celebration of our heroes and a commitment to protecting our Gulf Coast waters,” said Joe Theodorou, Founder and President of the Warrior Memorial Reefs Foundation. “By expanding this event to include, not just lionfish, but snapper, amberjack and grouper, we’re inviting more anglers to join us in raising funds to build 25 reefs in 2026, to honor those on our waiting list of Veterans, First Responders, and their K9s. The price of steel has gone up, so each reef now exceeds the $8,000 dollar mark. Hopefully, we will generate enough funds, though this tournament, to make ALL of those deployments a reality.”
The Warrior Memorial Reefs Foundation is dedicated to commemorating fallen Veterans, First Responders, and their K9 partners by creating artificial reefs that serve as living memorials. These reefs offer families a unique way to honor their loved ones, while also encouraging marine growth. All services are provided at no cost to families, made possible through donations, grants, and events like the Reels & Spears Gulf Classic. For more information, visit www.WarriorMemorialReefs.org.