BRACEVILLE, Ill. (May 6, 2019) — On Saturday, Braidwood Station’s annual ‘Fishing for a Cure’ tournament raised $60,000 for pediatric cancer research at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
For nuclear plant workers Brian Daniels and Mike Kap, this year’s charity of choice held extra special meaning. Daniels lost his 2-year-old daughter Ashlyn to epilepsy in 2002 and Kap’s 20-year-old son, Logan, still suffers from cystic fibrosis. Both children received treatment and care at Lurie Children’s Hospital.
“We are so excited to see the overwhelming support from Exelon Generation, our co-workers, vendors and local businesses in honor of our families,” said Daniels. “We want to help fight the cancers and diseases that impact children and this donation will make a difference.”
‘Fishing for a Cure,’ Braidwood Station’s signature charitable event, has raised $620,000 since 2001, when it was started as a way to welcome anglers back to Braidwood Station’s cooling lake. Exelon pays for all the expenses of staging the event and 100 percent of the money raised through entry fees, employee drawings and donations go directly to that year’s selected charity.
“What a fantastic fishing tournament with outstanding results for the research taking place each day at Lurie Children’s Hospital,” said Rachael Mayhew, coordinator of corporate partnerships at Lurie Children’s Foundation. “Thank you to Exelon Generation and all the employees at Braidwood Station who worked hard over the past year to raise $60,000.”
First place winners in the charity team bass tournament were Mitch Deland and Dan Marcolini, both of Plainfield. Matt Leimbach of Braidwood and Nick Stuedemann of Morris finished second while the father/son team of Neil and Justin Romines of Morris finished third.
Earlier in the day, an Exelon Kids’ Fishing Derby was held at the Godley Park District’s pond.
Local sponsors for the tournament included City of Braidwood, Reactor Services Inc., Allied Power, Angelo’s Bait Shop (Wilmington), Berkot’s Super Foods, Brieser Construction, Midwest Mechanical, Monical’s Pizza, Northern Illinois Steel Supply Co. and Rachke Piping and Mechanical.
Braidwood Generating Station is one of six high-performing Illinois nuclear facilities owned and operated by Exelon Generation, and it provides carbon-free, reliable electricity to more than two million residents and businesses. Braidwood is located 20 miles southwest of Joliet, Ill., and has been producing carbon-free electricity since 1988. Nearly half of Illinois’s electricity, and more than 90 percent of Illinois’ carbon-free power, is supplied by Exelon Generation’s nuclear power stations.
