Total payout for Poor Girls Open at $196K

All-ladies fishing tourney again benefits American Cancer Society programs

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) On Thursday, the 29th annual Capt. Steve Harman’s Poor Girl’s Open fishing tournament kicked off with 147 registered boats and 735 lady anglers, but teams can still sign up through Saturday.

However, groups who sign up now, as the tournament has already begun, cannot join entry-level calcuttas.

“[It’s] just like you can’t bet on a game after it has started,” Shawn Harman, co-owner of Bahia Marina, which is hosting the tournament.

There is also an approximate $196,000 total payout on the table.

Teams can fish one of three days, and there are two days left to compete for cash prizes by earning catchand-release billfish for points, or weighing tuna, mahi and wahoo at Bahia Marina on 21st Street, bayside.

It costs $450 to enter a boat, which includes four anglers. Two more team members can be added for $50 each, with a maximum of six women per boat.

Bahia Marina is hosting the daily weigh-ins each day from 4-9 p.m., which are running later into the evening than last year. There, attendees can enter raffles and find official merchandise.

Calcuttas include four billfish release categories – one of which pays out winner-take-all – along with categories for each of the meat fish species. Entry prices for calcuttas range from $100-$1,000.

Junior anglers who are 16 and younger can compete in their own division.

The 28th annual Open featured 797 lady anglers fishing on 161 boats, with a total of $243,265 paid out to winners.

One of the hallmarks of the Open is its support for the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer initiatives. Last year, the tournament fundraised $105,000 for the American Cancer Society.

From noon to 2 p.m. on Aug. 20, the Ocean City convention center on 40th Street will play host to the awards banquet and luncheon. Center Plate is catering the event, which will also feature auctions, announcements of raffle winners and an awards ceremony.

Attendees can also participate in the Battle of the Bras. For this event, contestants enter a decorated bra along with a $25 entry fee. Throughout the tournament people will enter donations toward each bra, which count as votes.

Both the entry fee and donations go to the American Cancer Society. The winner will be announced at the awards banquet and will receive a $100 gift card to Fish Tales.

There is also a challenge for Best Dressed. At weigh-ins, teams will be judged on their outfits, and winners will earn a prize basket along with a Cruisin’ Tiki boat ride for six people. Winners will also be announced at the awards banquet.

The cancer society uses tournament donations for breast cancer research, services for breast cancer patients and caregivers, and program development, said Mary Bellis, senior community manager with the foundation.

Bellis helps provide ACS volunteers that support the Open.

The American Cancer Society also runs the “Pink Ribbon Classic at the Beach Series,” which includes a variety of local activities to raise aware- ness about breast cancer and fundraise for the nonprofit.

Bellis said that while the Open is not part of the Pink Ribbon Classic, its donations benefit the Pink Ribbon Classic and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, a 3-5 mile walk to raise money for breast cancer research, among other programs.

The Pink Ribbon Classic at the Beach events are all slated for October during Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Activities include:

- Mah Jongg Tournament, Oct. 11. Registration at 9 a.m., play starts at 10 a.m. at Golden Sands Resort on 109th Street. Entry costs $40, and includes breakfast and lunch. There are cash prizes for the top three players. Invitations will go out at the end of August. For more information, contact Bellis at 410-726-1893, or mary.bellis@cancer.org.

- Pickleball Tournament, Oct. 13, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Manklin Meadows Racquet Sports Complex in Ocean Pines. Entry costs $40. For more information, contact Becky Gerguson at 410-446-1816, or rcoltferguson@gmail.com.

- Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Oct. 21, 8 a.m. sign in, walk begins at 9 a.m., South First Street and the Boardwalk. To register, visit www.makingstrideswalk.org/oceanci tymd.

- Deck Da Tatas, Oct. 25, 6-10 p.m., at Buxy’s Dry Dock 28, 28th Street. For more information, call 443-365-4006.

- Pamper For Charity Raffle, Oct. 1-31. Tickets available at A Perfect Day Face Spa in West Ocean City. Since 2005, the Open and its adjoined events have raised over $1.8 million for the American Cancer Society through the Harman family. The tournament has existed since 1994, when Capt. Steve Harman, who was Shawn’s brother, and his wife Pam held the inaugural Open. Their goal was to provide women with the chance to compete for prizes and money in a ladies only tournament while also raising money for local charities.

Harman died in February 2004 and organizers renamed it in his honor that year.

For more information about the Poor Girls Open, visit https://poorgirlsopen.com/, or call Bahia Marina at 410-289-7438.

To learn more about the American Cancer Society, visit www.cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345. Cancer Survivors Network available at www.cancer.org, a 24-hour-a-day cancer information center; and 1-800-2272345 for patients to access ACS services.