Rob Mastin was inspired to bring some joy to children’s lives.
“He had an extermination business and he was at a house and saw a little girl who didn’t have anything,” Scott Delpha said.
Delpha said Mastin had the idea for a fishing tournament designed to get toy donations. The friends, along with Chris Feltes, started the Black Friday Toy Drive Tournament in 2019. The toys collected were given to Indianapolis for Him. The faith-based nonprofit, run by Angel Moed, distributed the toys to children in the Indianapolis Public Schools district.
Delpha, a Noblesville resident, said it’s not an official club, but they have a Facebook page under Geist Fishing Community. Mastin lives in Fortville and Feltes lives in McCordsville.
“We were blown away with the response we got with it last year,” Delpha said. “We did really well again this year.”
Delpha said 60 people in 35 boats participated in the fishing tournament on Geist Reservoir at the Nov. 27 event.
“We had people from Geist community just stop and drop off toys or cash donations,” Delpha said.
Delpha said they collected just more than 400 toys and donated $1,100 in cash to buy additional toys. Delpha said they collected 479 toys in 2019, but this year was still strong despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The entry fee was $60 plus a donation of a minimum of two toys.
“Most, obviously, donated more than two toys,” Delpha said. “We had some places that donated some items we raffled off. They bought raffle tickets and they bought 50/50 tickets. That’s where the majority of our cash came from, along with cash donations.”
The friends definitely plan to hold the event again in 2021.
“We love it,” Delpha said.
Jack Phillips and his son, Ryan, earned $650 for winning the fishing tournament.
