Redbone Rods

In 1984, Gary and Susan Ellis’ newborn daughter, Nicole, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. They were told with considerable care, she should live to her early teens. After asking the question “what is cystic fibrosis?”, they set out to find a way to fight it. In 1988, with the help of help of their friends, beginning with the legendary hitter Ted Williams, they founded the Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series to help fund cystic fibrosis research. Guides, anglers, and celebrities from film and sports teamed up o thirty-three boats to fish for redfish and bonefish. From that tournament came the name “Redbone”. They raised $16,000 that first year and more importantly, introduced CF into the conscience of the Islamorada fishing community in the Florida Keys. From that small seed, the Redbone mushroomed into 20-plus tournaments bearing the name of Redbone spanning both coasts of the U.S, Belize, Bahamas, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Since 2016, Redbone Tournaments, including their cooperative efforts with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, have netted over $1 million a year “To Catch the Cure”. When the Redbone was first established, children with CF rarely lived to attend high school. Today the median age of survival for a person living with CF is 40 years. We should not celebrate this achievement, since a single life has yet to be saved from this devastating disease. But it is a sign of hope for a brighter tomorrow for the CF community