HAMBURG, N.Y., – April 27, 2026 – Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York Inc. (STWA) (www.southtownswalleye.com) held its annual Harry A. Smith installation dinner and Fundraiser. The organization which boasts over 500 members annually supports kids fishing, philanthropic and conservation programs for the Great Lakes region and was instrumental in pushing for the removal of gill netting on Lake Erie, helping to make it the great fishery it is today.
This year’s event took place on April 25th, 2026 at Kloc's Grove located in West Seneca, NY. The organization recognized various members of the community and the club for outstanding service and dedication to furthering the organization and our Great Lakes fishery. This year also had a special focus on supporting the E.M. Cotter Fire Boat located in Buffalo, NY, with portion of this year's proceeds going to help fund this outstanding organization for their continued work on Lake Erie and in the community.
Mike Kaczmarek President of Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York, Inc. presented his Presidents Awards for 2025 to the following members:
- Elaine Weigand – STWA Special People Fishing Event
- Tom Yetzer, Zac and Chelsea Yetzer (Reel Time Charters) - Erie County Fair Kid's Lure Making Event
Additional awards for 2025 honoring the following individuals were given to:
- Congressman Nick Langworthy – Elected Official of the Year Award
- Dennis and Diane Stachowski– Larry Scheffler Memorial Award
- James Skoczylas – James Ridge Memorial Award
Previous year's Harry A. Smith Award winners presented this year’s award to:
- Amy Plecas – Harry A. Smith Memorial Award
We would like to thank each of these individuals for their continued support and dedication to improving our fishery and our organization, and look forward to more great work from our membership and the community.
Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving fishing opportunities in the region for all individuals. With a clear focus on kids, community, conservation, and philanthropy our various programs support these pillars for a strong future generation of outdoorsmen and women and our fishery. For a complete listing of descriptions of each of these awards and to learn more about our organization, please visit www.southtownswalleye.com or stop by our facility located at 5895 Southwestern Boulevard, Hamburg, NY 14075, Tel.: 716.649.8202. Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 6:30pm and are open to the public.