While 40 Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour anglers were out competing on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, the real work was taking place off the water. Toro-sponsored anglers Brent Chapman and Jeff Sprague were joined by fellow pros Skeet Reese and James Watson for a “Spring Clean Up” event at the residence of local Jasper resident, Kamron Slaydon.
Slaydon was raised in Jasper, Texas, and graduated from Jasper High School in 2018. Immediately after graduation, Slaydon joined the U.S. Marine Corp and committed his life to serving our country. However, in January of 2019, while at home in Jasper while on leave, Slaydon was severely injured in an accidental shooting which damaged his C4 and C5 vertebrae, resulting in him being a quadriplegic.
Since the accident, Slaydon has spent the last two years doing everything possible in an effort to regain his independence. He has visited multiple physicians, therapists and specialists and spent hundreds of hours doing numerous different treatments and therapies. Slaydon and his family are raising money to help with the expense of an epidural stimulator to help him regain as much mobility as he can in his upper and lower extremities.
When the MLF anglers learned of Slaydon’s story, they immediately wanted to do something to help. Sprague and Chapman called in a few favors and the idea for a “Spring Clean Up” event was born. Sprague and Chapman recruited their fellow competitors, Reese and Watson, and arranged for Toro distributor, Professional Turf Products and a local Toro dealer, Scooter’s Lawnmower in Beaumont, Texas to allow them to use the equipment. The group of anglers spent a few hours on their day off Tuesday doing yard work for the Slaydon family, mowing, trimming and blowing the entire residence.
“We wanted to do something to give back, and this is one of those things that maybe doesn’t seem like much, but it’s one of those chores that just needs to get done and we were more than happy to come out here and meet Kamron and do some yard work for him and his family,” Chapman said.