OCEAN CITY, Maryland – The 30th annual Poor Girls Open was the culmination of the weekend’s events as the community continues its fight against cancer.
Harley Sampson, captain of the Mob Squad boat, said there is nothing like this community.
“We cheer each other on and help each other out. You know, hey, you need something? Maybe we have it on the boat. Let me help you. It’s just a wonderful community to be a part of.”
This year’s tournament reached an even bigger milestone, now hitting the $2 million mark in its history. Shawn Harman of the Poor Girls Open said they were pleased with last weekend’s results. “We went from 148 boats to 166, so there’s a little more money in play, which everyone likes, and with this donation we’ll be able to hit the $2 million donation mark in 20 years, so we’re very pleased.”
This year, around $200,000 was donated to the American Cancer Society and Harley Sampson was able to score a win during the tournament. She said she felt like she had never felt before: “It’s just a fantastic feeling, kudos to all the anglers this weekend. It was a wonderful tournament and we are raising money for a great cause.”
Many of the women taking part in the tournament are survivors or relatives of survivors, and perseverance comes naturally to them. Harman said determination is the only word that can describe the participants.
“I’ve been running it for 20 years and it’s gotten better every year. The women fish like animals. They don’t want to hear anything, they don’t want to hear that it’s too rough. No man can handle the drive that women have.”
The tournament gets bigger and better every year and Sampson is happy to be here to support a great cause.
“This tournament gets bigger every year. It’s great that everyone comes together to raise money for breast cancer.”
