Outdoor Scholars at the fish fry. Photo by Wesley Walter, Managing editor. By Wesley Walter, Managing editor
UM’s Outdoor Scholars and Bass Fishing Team held their second fish fry of the 2023-24 academic year on April 19. The event aimed to raise funds for UM angler Hunter Bright, who was recently involved in a golf cart accident that resulted in his hospitalization for a head injury.
Outdoor Scholars and fishing team members sold fish plates on Main Quad from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The plates, which cost $10, included fish, fries, slaw, hushpuppies and a drink. All proceeds went to supporting Bright’s medical bills.
Fish for the event were donated by local hatcheries and fried at the Outdoor Scholars Pavilion, located behind Bearden House.
Fishing team member and sophomore marketing major Michael Witherup said of Bright, “He’s actually my roommate. He got into a golf cart accident and hit his head. He was laid up in the hospital for about two weeks and had all kinds of stuff done to him, and he’s just finally got out, actually. So, he’s done rehab. He’s still rehabbing and stuff but we’re raising money to help with medical bills and stuff of that nature.”
Witherup expressed satisfaction with the sale’s turnout saying, “We’ve only been out here since about 10, but I mean we’ve raised a good little bit of money for him, and we’ve had faculty and students come by, so it’s been good.”
“It just helps people connect with us and what we’re doing, and, obviously, goes to a good cause,” Witherup said when asked why the event was important, continuing, “You know, it’s never good seeing one of your buddies go down with an injury or anything like that. It just really helps the community come together as one.”
The event is the Outdoor Scholars’ second charitable fish fry of the academic year. During the fall semester, the Outdoor Scholars held a fish fry raising money for fishing team member Easton Fothergill who was hospitalized by a brain abscess.
“That was real good. I think we ended up raising about $2,000 for that one, and that all went to his medical proceeds as well,” said Witherup about the fish fry benefiting Fothergill.
According to Witherup, holding another fish fry to raise funds for Bright made perfect sense for the Outdoor Scholars.
“It’s just easy with us. We got friers down at the Outdoor Scholars house. We have a whole cooking setup down there, so frying stuff is just of our nature. We’re pretty good at it,” Witherup said, continuing, “We got some good cooks on the Outdoor Scholars.”
In regard to his hopes for the event, Witherup said, “Goal is to just raise as much money as possible to go towards the leftover fees, that won’t be covered by insurance for the family. Just help out.”
Wesley Walter is managing editor for The Alabamian. He is a junior English major and mass communications minor. Wesley boasts a 750 credit score, boyish good looks and soulful eyes that contain a deep indescribable sadness. In his free time, he enjoys travelling, visiting gas stations and thinking about getting into surfing.
