Members of the Columbia Basin Bass Club are fishing for a cause this weekend.
The club plans to donate all proceeds from its annual spring derby tournament Saturday and Sunday to the family of Riley Arriola, 7, of Hermiston, to help defray costs associated with her ongoing cancer treatments.
Riley, the daughter of Ed and Lara Arriola, was diagnosed in February with Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, and has been undergoing treatment at a Portland hospital, said the club’s Brad Morrow.
Her grandparents are Rod and Carolyn McKenzie, owners of High Desert Marine in Hermiston and longtime supporters of the fishing community.
Riley’s family has insurance, but the costs of her treatment and the back-and-forth trips to Portland are expensive, Morrow said.
“We’re trying to help them make a dent in their costs where we can,” Morrow said. “The family has always been big supporters of us, and we’re happy to do whatever we can for them.”
The derby will be at Columbia Point Marina in Richland.
The derby typically is one of the club’s more popular tournaments of the year, said Bill Brown, a club member.
The club intends to donate entry fees and prize money to Riley’s family. And other members who can’t participate this weekend intend to make a donation, Brown said.
The club hopes to raise at least $1,500, Morrow said.