- March 18, 2026
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Sarasota’s Ian Shannon sees fishing as an escape from reality.
It is a calming activity that has connected him with a small community of fishermen who enjoy having a good time on the water. Without fishing, he said he and his friend, Chad Day, who died at the age of 24 from glioblastoma brain cancer in 2015, would have gotten in a lot more trouble.
“He (Chad) liked the challenge,” Shannon said. “We called him the ‘fish whisperer.’ If there was a puddle of water, he would fish in it and find something to catch. It didn't matter what it was.”
The eighth annual Chad Day Memorial Fishing Tournament will take place March 28-29 in area waters with a headquarters at the Tarpon Bay Grill & Tiki Bar in Sarasota.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Tidewell Foundation, where Chad received care in his last months at no charge. To date, the fundraiser has raised $108,000 for the cause.
Delesa Morris is the president of Tidewell Foundation. She said the funds raised from the tournament go toward providing “compassionate care” for patients and families regardless of their ability to pay. Day was one of those people to receive the care because he was in between jobs when he had his seizure and didn’t have insurance.
“Because of generosity from events like this, families can focus on spending meaningful time together rather than worrying about the cost of care,” Morris said.
The Chad Day Memorial Fishing Tournament is organized by Lakewood Ranch's Joann Day Dormeyer, Chad’s mom, and Joann’s husband, Alan Dormeyer, who she married in 2021.
“One of my favorite things is seeing some of my son's friends,” Day Dormeyer said. “I enjoy seeing everybody having fun and I always imagine, if my son was here, he'd love it. He'd be like ‘Way to go Mom.’”
This year will mark the end of the Chad Day Memorial Fishing Tournament.
“The memories that come back to me are of him suffering from cancer,” Day Dormeyer said. “That's what makes it so hard.”
Dormeyer said when they reached the $100,000 mark last year, it would have been a good time to end the fundraiser. Because they have so many supporters, they “didn’t want to stop cold turkey” without letting people know it was the last one. He said their goal this year is to reach the $150,000 mark.
“It's the same 100 people who all know the tournament and they're here to celebrate,” Dormeyer said. “You'll just feel it when you walk in. I always say, ‘You can't fake fun.’ It's not about fish, it's about fun.”
Sarasota’s Josh Harris, owner and operator of Reel Knowledge Fishing, has fished in every one of the tournaments after meeting Joann Day Dormeyer when she was passing out flyers for the first one. He also donates a free charter that gets auctioned off to raise money for Tidewell.
Harris also takes Day Dormeyer and Dormeyer out fishing every year on Chad’s birthday.
“It's sad to see it go, but putting on a fishing tournament of this caliber and organization is very difficult to do year after year and I completely understand why Joann and Alan are calling it quits,” Harris said. “They have done an outstanding job and I'm stoked that I made friends for life through the loss of Chad.”
“She (Joann) has carried out his legacy for another 10 years on top of just when he passed,” Shannon said. “She's kept his name alive and a lot of our old friends get together and tell stories when we're out on the boat. It's been a good thing, but all good things must come to an end at some point.”
Morris said she is deeply grateful to Joann, Alan and everyone who has been part of the fundraiser over the years.
“We hope they feel immense pride in what they’ve created and the comfort they’ve helped bring to others,” Morris said. “Chad’s memory has inspired something truly meaningful and that legacy will always be part of the Tidewell story.”
