Overwhelming Viewer Response Inspires a New Episode for the 2017 Season
Northbrook, IL (February 22, 2017) — South Bend’s Lunkerville, the award-winning TV series that “catches real people with real fish stories”, is proud to once again feature Heroes On The Water (HOW), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping military veterans relax, rehabilitate, and reintegrate through kayak fishing.
This season’s all new episode has series host ‘Mike D’ traveling to Lake Denmark, New Jersey, to fish with war veteran Justin Vail from the New Jersey Chapter of Heroes On The Water. The show will air Thursday, February 23 at 9 AM, and Friday, February 24 at 1 AM, 9 AM and 3 PM on World Fishing Network.
The South Bend brand is excited to continue its partnership with Heroes On The Water as it directly aligns with the brand’s core message: that fishing is an experience unlike any other, in that it combines an exciting sport and a tranquil natural setting, to provide a backdrop for lifelong memories with friends and family. As Vail’s firsthand account with Heroes On The Water illustrates, it’s precisely this kind of experience that has proven to be so useful as part of a treatment regime that helps veterans and their families reconnect and transition to healthier lives.
“Heroes On The Water is an incredible resource for our nation’s veterans,” explains Scott Griffith, Vice President of Marketing for South Bend. “They literally change the lives of those who have served our country, as this year’s episode dramatically illustrates. And the way they do it is through the simple experience of kayak fishing. It almost sounds far-fetched, but the truth is that this kind of fishing combines a positive and empowering physical experience with the emotional and spiritual benefits of being in a peaceful natural setting. The results speak for themselves: HOW has documented a 56% decrease in overall stress levels in participating veterans, as well as significant reductions in other combat-related symptoms like avoidance behavior and hyper-vigilance.”
“It made perfect sense for South Bend’s Lunkerville to revisit Heroes On The Water again in 2017,” said series host and creator, Mike D. “Viewers loved the show we did last season — the response was overwhelming and personally, it’s always an emotional and inspiring experience fishing with these guys. HOW deserves all the recognition we can give them.”
Through the remainder of 2017, check local listings for additional airings of this episode on CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and beginning in April, Destination America, as well as for information on the ever-expanding list of broadcast partners and regional affiliate stations, including Comcast Sports networks, Time Warner Sports channels and PBS stations.
About South Bend Sporting Goods
South Bend, a Big Game International brand, has devoted more than a hundred years to creating products that let families and fishing enthusiasts experience the joy of fishing, at prices they can afford. Since 1906, South Bend has been a leader in the industry and is best known for offering quality products at an exceptional value to make fishing easy and fun for today’s active families and anglers of all ages and skill levels. All South Bend products are designed to reflect the singular heritage summed by the brand’s slogan: Quality Tackle Since 1906. Today, South Bend continues to offer a comprehensive line of fishing equipment and accessories that anglers and their families can trust and enjoy for many years. In 2012, South Bend entered into a multiyear partnership with “Lunkerville”, the award-winning television series that embodies the simple fun of fishing; a show where the featured guest is the expert — not the host. Since then, the South Bend brand and “South Bend’s Lunkerville” have shared a mission to get
more people involved in fishing by demonstrating how easy, fun and affordable fishing really is. South
Bend™ is a Big Game International brand. For more information, please visit www.south-bend.com.
About Heroes On The Water
Heroes On The Water is a 501(c)3 non-profit, founded in 2007 to fulfill a need to provide veterans and active-duty military and their families a way to reconnect and refuel. OUR MISSION IS to help warriors relax, rehabilitate and reintegrate through kayak fishing and the outdoors. 2017 is a milestone year for HOW as we celebrate a decade of heroes healing. Learn more about us and how you can support our nation’s heroes by visiting www.heroesontthewater.org.
About South Bend’s Lunkerville
When Indie film director Michael de Avila hooked his passion for story telling onto his love of fishing, he spawned an award-winning reality television show, “Lunkerville”. While other fishing shows rely on fast-paced competition and expert hosts, ‘Mike D’ casts his line at everyday, recreational anglers, traveling to their secret spots, sharing their special techniques and making them the expert stars of the day. Shot with a filmmaker’s eye and touch, every episode is treated as a short documentary film. In 2009, the series received a CINE Golden Eagle for documentary filmmaking; one of the most coveted awards in television. In 2012, “Lunkerville” signed a multiyear agreement with its first title sponsor, the heritage fishing brand South Bend®, a leader in affordable fishing tackle that shares Mike D’s commitment to promoting fishing as fun, accessible and important. The series, now in its 13th year of broadcast, first aired on The Sportsman Channel, where it won three consecutive years of viewer-voted awards for Favorite Fishing Show, and Favorite Fishing Show Host. Today, “South Bend’s Lunkerville” reaches over 150+ million households, broadcast on WFN in Canada and the United States; on the NBC Sports Network throughout the United States; on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, and on select PBS stations. “South Bend’s Lunkerville” is a production of Rockville Pictures Inc. For more information, please visit www.lunkerville.com.
About Big Game International
Big Game International is a leading manufacturer and designer of products that encompass all sporting goods categories. Expertise in sourcing, product development, packaging, cosmetics and marketing allow Big Game International to deliver high quality, competitively priced products and programs to our partners and customers. For more information, please visit www.biggameintl.com.
