Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
James R. McAllister had a passion for life.
“James was just a person that if you met him, you loved him,” said his mother, Marianne Pirolli. “At his funeral, sadly, I had people come up to me and say, ‘I met your son on the river, and we became friends instantly.’ So people just couldn't forget him once they met him.
“He just had a charm, a character, a smile that people couldn't resist. He was friendly towards everybody, very helpful to people. He'd help a stranger out if he saw him struggling. That was just his nature. We just had to continue his memory through the tournament.”
McAllister, a 2002 Clay High School graduate who passed away in an automobile accident in early 2015, will be celebrated at the 10th Annual James R. McCallister “MAC” Memorial Fishing Tournament on April 12 at Side Cut Metropark in the Riverview Area.
The event, which started as a way to raise money for McAllister’s two daughters, Dakota and Avery, has evolved into an event that provides college scholarships for seniors at Clay. Pirolli said those are awarded each May, and they’ve typically given two away each year. Applicants have to write an essay and meet certain qualifications, and the family picks the most deserving recipients.
“We tend to want to go for people that have a lot of school spirit and enthusiasm for life,” Pirolli said. “That's the kind of life that my son led and that's kind of where the scholarship winners go.”
On April 12, McAllister’s family will host the event, which Pirolli said has grown substantially since its inception. Last year’s event had a record 50 teams participate. This year presents a new challenge as the Schroeder Farm Campground, which has previously hosted the event, is no longer available, and Pirolli said the people at Side Cut have welcomed them with open arms.
“It's a fundraiser, but it's also just a way to remember our son James, to get together with all of his friends and family,” she said. “It's a bit of an emotional time, but we all get through it and have a good time because my son just had the most fun-loving spirit. He was just full of enthusiasm and that's carried out to the people who come to the tournament.
“It's kind of like a big reunion every year of family and friends and new friends that we have met along the way. We've gotten a lot of nice participants through the years, and they come back every year. It just means a lot. It just warms our hearts to have all these people turn out.
Pirolli said the event usually attracts a crowd between 200-300 people. There’s no admission charge for entrance to the tournament site. The cost for a team to participate is $50, and the prize money includes: $1,500 for first place, $800 for second, $400 for third and $100 for fourth. There is also a $100 prize for largest fish caught.
On top of that, there will be food for all spectators, and Pirolli said they’ve never run out.
“We try to make everybody leave happy,” she said. “We provide a lot of door prizes for the fishermen just for participating in the tournament, and we have a silent auction that’s open to everybody that comes out to visit us. We have a lot of nice items for the silent auction, and we also sell merchandise such as t-shirts and everything in relation to the tournament.”
After graduating from Clay, McAllister went on to graduate from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in business studies. He was the Yard Manager for Select Stone Company in Monclova, and he married his wife, Kimberly, at a ceremony in Walbridge in 2011. They resided in Bradner.
With the transition to Side Cut, Pirolli said there is a beautiful playground area there and a lot of room for people and families with kids.
“It’s just a beautiful area,” she said. “You can bring your dogs out to the park, and it should just be a good time for everybody who attends.”
Side Cut Metropark is located at 1025 W. River Rd. in Maumee, and you can follow the signs to the Riverview Area upon entering the park.
Spectators can start arriving between 1-2 p.m. with participating fishermen checking in by 3 p.m. For rules and regulations, or just more information in general, visit the official website at MACmemorialtournament.com, check it out on Facebook at MAC Memorial Tournament or call Pirolli at 419-460-2684.
“James just had a complete enthusiasm towards life,” Pirolli said. “I'm sure there are other people like that, but he was unmatched with the people that we hang around with, and it's just something we want to continue. We hang up a lot of pictures, posters of James, of the family, of past tournaments. We have a big tent set up with all kinds of things that help people get a good idea of what kind of a person James was.”
