Lower Keys Community

KIDS’ FISHING TOURNAMENT RAISES $50K FOR NICKLAUS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

May 2, 2025

a group of people standing on a pier next to a body of water — The fifth annual Reelin’ for a Cause kids’ fishing tournament draws 250 families to White Street Pier on April 26. This year’s event raised more than $50,000 for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. CONTRIBUTED

The three most important things for any Key West kid are a fishing rod, some bait and a whole lot of sunscreen. On April 26, kids of all ages gathered at White Street Pier and cast their lines for the fifth annual “Reelin’ for the Cause” kids’ fishing tournament in honor of Harrison Axel Esquinaldo and Max Thomas Scanlon.

Six years ago, Cassandra Scanlon lost her baby boy, Max Thomas Scanlon, due to an umbilical cord accident.

Facing the reality that every mother fears the most, Cassandra was lost and heartbroken. Feeling as if she had no one to talk to, a mutual friend introduced her to Alicia Esquinaldo, who three years prior had lost her baby boy, Harrison Axel Esquinaldo, to a congenital heart defect. The two quickly bonded over the shared tragedy that shattered their families.

With a friendship formed, the pair sought a way to honor the legacy and memory of their children. Alicia and her husband, Harrison Esquinaldo, own a fishing rod company in Key West — and thus, “Reelin’ for the Cause” was born.

“We wanted to do something that we thought we’d be doing with our boys,” said Alicia Esquinaldo. “That’s why we started the fishing tournament. We know it’s something they would have loved.”

Alicia and Cassandra have raised over $175,000 for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital through Reelin’ for a Cause.

This year, 250 young anglers registered for the event. It ran from 5 to 7:30 p.m., and included a DJ, food trucks, snow cone vendors, BBQ stands and a silent auction. All proceeds went directly to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital — the same hospital that once admitted baby Harrison and now has a room dedicated in his honor.

“We’re not good at asking for money,” said Cassandra Scanlon. “But with this event, the community just steps up and our tournament registration usually sells out quickly.”

Though the wind beat down on the pier pretty hard, contestants were prepared for anything. Buckets of bait were scattered along the pier, alongside tackle boxes, rods and cool refreshments that parents sipped, in between casting lines for their kids.

One dad, while hooking bait on his son’s line, was asked if he was using live bait. Garbed in the traditional long-sleeved shirt, sporting sun-bleached hair, a beard, and an American flag bandanna, he said, “Oh heck yeah; we’re trying to win.”

For the younger, less patient fisherkids, an educational aquafarm was set up at the end of the pier where they could check out live sea creatures such as seaward, green-striped hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, porter spider crabs and the Florida orange sea star.

The young anglers competed in three age groups; there also was a prize for the largest shark.

Walking around the event, you could feel the excitement from the kids, the parents and everyone involved.

Reelin’ for a Cause was the perfect mix of community camaraderie and friendly competition. The fish — and the anglers — may have been a bit undersized, but the smiles in the crowd were record-breaking.

The fifth annual Reelin’ for a Cause kids’ fishing tournament draws 250 families to White Street Pier on April 26. This year’s event raised more than $50,000 for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. CONTRIBUTED