I got word earlier this week from a friend that a group of anglers was doing a good deed for a man in need in their local fishing community. The anglers from the Percy Priest Bass Anglers Facebook group have a regular in their group named Scott Miller. Miller fishes 7 days a week and posts regularly to the group with funny, uplifting, humble and grateful videos from his day of fishing.
Miller served as a marine for many years until he was injured while in service and was left permanently disabled. But Miller is not one to feel sorry for himself. In fact he has a deep appreciation for how great it is to be alive, to be able to fish and to have enough to make it another day.
Miller shared with the group how he had been saving for many years and was finally able to buy an old rundown boat to fish out of. His first day on the water, the transom tore out of the back of it. After getting it fixed, a few trips later his motor gave out. Turns out he was sold a pretty unreliable boat. He basically just drifts in the wind, puts the anchor down and fishes a little and then picks it up and drifts some more and fishes there. He basically just stays around the marina. The anglers saw that he had got a raw deal on a used boat and started offering to pitch in $20 to help out a good guy that got a raw deal.
TJ Stinson posted on Wednesday that there were 3,363 people in the PPBA Facebook group, and if everyone donated a dollar, they could get funds to get Miller a better used boat. In the first hour, that had a couple dozen guys pitching in $20 a piece. Mark Adams created a GoFundMe page for Scott Miller.
“We set an initial goal of $4,000, and we met that in 1 hour and 54 minutes,” Adams said. “We pushed it to $9,000 and we did that in like 5 hours. Then it went to $10,000. As of this morning, we’ve raised over $13,000 and we’re talking to several boat manufacturers to get Scott a new boat and motor with full warranty.”
But the efforts are increasing now. Miller would never ask a person for help, or even complain. But the guys learning that he was on disability and very limited income, they’ve come to realize Mark needs more than a boat. So anonymous members are stepping up big to provide necessities and services to the Miller project.
“I’m a veteran as well,” Adams said. “I’ve never met Scott, but I love his posts and knowing he would never ask anyone for anything, made us all want to do it for him even more. It’s not like this is just some guy that wants a new boat or a friend we’re trying to hookup. This is a man that served his country and lives on little income and is always gracious and humble. TJ Stinson said he felt compelled to do it. He’s never met Scott either. We just thought this was a guy that deserves a break. So we did it to help him out however we could.”
Miller posted to the group upon finding out what was going on:
“Come on I DON’T DESERVE THIS. GOD WILL BLESS ME IN TIME YA’LL. THANK YOU GUYS. PLEASE I’M A HUMBLE KINDA GUY.”
The group coordinating these efforts are now planning a benefit tournament the day the boat is being presented to Miller. “It will just be a 3 hour big fish deal, with a cookout after so everyone can get together and meet Scott and fellowship together for this great thing everyone did.”
Details coming on that event on Percy Priest. Congrats to the Percy Priest Bass Anglers and outlying fishing community that has contributed to help a gracious and humble veteran out.
You can find the GoFundMe here until Sunday.
