By Elly Colwell
Intern
As they cast their lines this weekend in Wrightsville Beach, anglers will fish in honor of a woman who was a memorable and cheerful face at Motts Channel Seafood for years, and will raise money for a scholarship in her memory.
To celebrate the life of Amanda “Mandie” Bradley Phillips, Motts Channel Seafood owners Gene and Alison Long, along with her family, are launching the Mandie Phillips Memorial Inshore/Offshore Fishing Tournament, which will raise money for a scholarship honoring the popular seafood shop employee who died in a December 2014 automobile accident.
“Boating and fishing were always part of her life, but she was a hard worker so she probably didn’t have much extra time to spend out there,” said Alison Long, adding that the Wilmington native was a fixture at the retail counter of the seafood company and was beloved by the regular customers.
While she spent the holidays and the summers in Wilmington working at Motts Channel Seafood, Phillips spent the rest of the year pursuing a degree in political science and a minor in physics at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.
Education was a very important aspect of Phillips’ life, Long said. She repeatedly made the dean’s list and earned prestigious scholarships.
“She always said she wanted to be the first female president. She really wanted to make a difference,” Long said.
By creating a scholarship, her family and friends are hoping to pass along the gift of education to other students from Wilmington or the surrounding area who also attend Appalachian State University.
“It’s really important that we keep the scholarship local,” Long said.
All proceeds from the tournament this weekend will be given to the scholarship fund, and Motts Channel Seafood hopes to make it a yearly event to continue to remember Phillips and encourage other students. The tournament’s slogan is “Fish for Mandie, hook a scholarship.”
The tournament will consist of inshore competitions for flounder, speckled trout and Spanish mackerel and offshore competitions for wahoo, tuna and king mackerel. There will also be a prize celebrating Phillips’ birth on Aug. 9, 1993. Anyone who weighs a fish at 8.9 pounds, for her birth date, or 19.93 pounds, for her birth year, will be awarded with artwork designed by Phillips.
“We did everything we could to make it personal to Mandie,” Long said.
In an effort to include family and friends who may not be avid anglers, the two-day tournament will include a silent auction, a band and a Southern dinner.
“We’re doing this as a tribute to Mandie. Hopefully to catch a bunch of fish and have a great time in her honor,” said James Freeman, a childhood friend of Phillips who will be participating in the competition.
The tournament will begin on Thursday, Oct. 13, with a captain’s meeting. This is the cut-off date for registration, and one angler from each boat must be present at the event. On Friday and Saturday, the boats will head out and cast from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and weigh-ins will take place at Motts Channel Seafood from 4–7p.m.
The seafood company planned much of the event, working together with the family to honor their late and valued employee.
“So many times you shy away from people, but I felt this strong pull to do something and Mandie’s family completely embraced the idea,” Long said. “When I first spoke to her mother, I said that I would want someone to remember my child if they passed away.”
