Three years ago, Middlesboro Police Sgt. Chris Barnes, started the MPD fishing tournament to support Shop With a Cop for Kids.

“Much community support was gathered for the fishing tournament, and it was determined that the fishing tournament could help the children in the community who are suffering not only during Christmas time, but anytime of the year,” said Barnes. He said an officer’s job is to serve the community and he feels like the fishing tournament could help children and their families with medical conditions.

“As I was looking for a weekend for the annual fishing tournament that was not already hosting another, I determined that most weekends were already hosting tournaments,” Barnes said. He was later contacted by two of his good friends, Jimmy Muncey and Eric Houston. Houston and Justin Beeler were hosting a tournament for a 10-month old named Violet, who suffers from Conradi Hunermann Syndrome (a rare for of Dwarfism).

“This syndrome affects her long bones and spine; although she is nearly a year old, she is the size of a 3-4 month old,” said Barnes, “She and her parents will be required to travel to Delaware in August to get the help of a skeletal dysplasia specialist who specializes in treatment of her scoliosis, kyphosis, and other skeletal issues that typically occur with her special type of dwarfism.” He said that if she has grown enough by then, she will be ready for braces to support her growth and skeleton.

For this year’s annual fishing tournament, MPD will be partnering with Muncey and Houston to help support Violet. “I think that God works in mysterious ways, and we should always listen to him,” said Barnes.

The tournament will be held at Brogan’s Hollow free ramp on May 28. Registration begins at 5 a.m. There is an entry fee of $65 per boat, and pre-registration is not required. The tournament will be from safelight to 3:30 p.m. If you would like to donate without fishing the tournament, contact Chris Barnes at the Middlesboro Police Department.