PERRYSBURG, OH (WTOL) - Fishing. It's a hobby, a lifestyle some might even say. But for one local family, it means a whole lot more.
It's a way to remember the life of a son, brother and husband who's life was tragically cut short.
Now, the friends and family of James "Mac" McAllister hold a fishing tournament every year to honor his memory.
"He was just an outgoing and wonderful person," said Marianne Pirolli, Mac's mother.
Mac died in a car accident while heading home from a fishing trip in January 2015.
His friends say he was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish.
"We were at James' funeral... of which a lot of it's very blurry...but I have a memory of a man coming up to me and he told me that he met my son on the river when he was fishing, and he was friends with him ever since," said Marianne.
Dozens showed up for the tournament this year, some even traveling hundreds of miles to be there.
Teams spent the day fishing early Saturday morning on the Maumee River, a spot James would fish during the annual Walleye run, competing to see who would weigh in with the biggest catch.
Cash prizes were given to the top four teams with the most fish.
And after some quick tabulations, winners were announced one by one.
This tournament isn't just about remembering James, it's also about giving back to the community.
Proceeds from the tournament go towards scholarships for Clay High School students, but this year, some of the money raised is going to help two local families.
"Part of the proceeds of this tournament are going to go to the families of Danny Teet and also to the family of Whitney Meinke who also tragically died
in car accidents this spring," said Marianne.
Helping others while still honoring James.
"Let's do this, let's keep a good thing going from something that was a horrible tragedy."
