Started in 1971 by a group of volunteers from the Memphis Bass Club, the St. Jude Bass Classic has seen thousands of sportsmen turn their love of fishing into helping children battle cancer.
It began with a member of the Memphis Bass Club, whose daughter was being treated at St. Jude. He and his friends wanted to help raise money for the hospital, so they created the tournament to rally the Memphis fishing community around the 9-year old hospital envisioned by Danny Thomas as a place of hope for children and families in their desperate hour. Forty nine years later the St. Jude Bass Classic is still going strong. The strong support from the mid-south fishing community has helped raise more than $5 million for the hospital.