By Bruce Stanton
If there’s such a thing as a Bass Fishing Hall of Fame “Super Fan,” then that person is no doubt Larry Sullivan.
Sullivan lives in Kent, Washington, on the south side of Seattle. That he attended the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame banquet in Springfield, Missouri, on Sept. 24 isn’t unusual. That he DROVE 2,000 miles and nearly 30 hours to attend the festivities could be considered a bit out of the ordinary! (For the record, Larry said his total round trip was 5,600 miles!)
Sullivan didn’t just drive to Springfield for the banquet. He made sure to show up for the “President’s Tailgate!”
On the eve of the Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony, there is a tradition called the “President’s Tailgate.” Our immediate Past President John Mazurkiewicz likes a good drink and came up with the idea several years ago to share a good drink with the Hall’s board members.
What started out as an intimate event has taken on a life of its own. You can see regulars like Kevin Van Dam and Dave Mercer along with members of the outdoor media, family members of inductees, numerous Hall of Famers . . . and now, Sullivan.
Donning the jersey of his beloved Seattle Seahawks, Sullivan was provided a chair, a cocktail and a front-row seat to Hall of Fame hospitality.
His seat at the banquet wasn’t too shabby, either. In a pre-event auction, he won a seat at a table in between Hall of Famers Bill Dance and Hank Parker.
“I was blown away!” Sullivan said. “I could never imagine being in the presence of my fishing heroes! The tailgate party was so casual, and everyone was so friendly. I felt like I was among my friends!
“The banquet was amazing as I never thought I would be seated with Bill Dance on my right and Hank Parker on my left! They answered every question, told stories and asked me about my fishing. Truly a Bucket List evening!”
Sullivan said he has served for 40 years in emergency services as a Firefighter / Emergency Medical Technician. It’s been a massive time commitment, so fishing the tournament circuits was not an option for him.
“But I was able to follow bass fishing from its beginning in magazines to Saturday BASSMASTER shows to where we are now,” he said. “This allowed me to follow along and make me a better angler. All that bass fishing (has grown into) now is the result of what these folks did then, and I wanted to support – in my own way – the preservation of the history of this great sport.”
Sullivan is definitely doing that. Every dollar he contributes on a Hall of Fame auction item goes directly to support the physical Hall of Fame at the Wonders of Wildlife Museum. It goes to support scholarships for up and coming college anglers. And it goes to support funding for bass fishing habitat annually.
We appreciate our avid supporters like Larry Sullivan. This support brings our vision to life: To Celebrate, Promote and Preserve the Sport of Bass Fishing!