White Marlin Open catches feeding the hungry

OCEAN CITY, Md. – As the largest billfish tournament in the world, the White Marlin Open attracts anglers and tourists from every corner.

While people are out braving the seas for a chance to win millions in prize money, the local community ends up benefiting.

“This donation from the anglers during the course of the one week is the largest fish donation the Maryland Food Bank gets every year,” said Butch Langenfelder, a representative for the Maryland Food Bank.

With the time, effort, and money that anglers sink into the tournament every year, Langenfelder said it’s remarkable to see how generous they are with their catches: “Their kindness, the generosity from these anglers that are donating these fish, you can’t put a price on it, and they know that it’s helping.”

Diakonia is one of the local organizations that uses the donated fish to feed those who might need a meal. Community Coordinator Susan Blaney says they’ve been benefiting for decades: “The White Marlin Open in the past has brought us hundreds and thousands of pounds of fish. What that does is, it fills our freezer so that we’re able to put it back out in the community and help those that are underprivileged.”

Thousands of pounds of fish will be enough to feed hundreds. But it’s not just the quantity, it’s the quality of this nutrition that matters just as much. “We really depend on this fresh protein,” Blaney said.

Langenfelder has been involved in the distribution of the White Marlin Open catches for 17 years now. The operation and collaboration between a number of different organizations has grown so efficient, that these fish find their way to local food pantries within 24 hours.

“We got 140 pounds donated on Monday night, and 800 pounds donated last night. I can tell you almost all of that is gone back out in the community already this morning.”

Langenfelder said he left the Maryland Food bank several years ago, but he still works the White Marlin Open as a representative for them because of the way he believes in their mission.

According to Langenfelder, between 1,500 and 3,000 pounds of fish are donated every year.