The following was originally presented as a speech during the 2024 South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series Awards Reception held on the evening of September 27, 2024 at Founder’s Hall at Charles Towne Landing.

Our final special recognition award is the Carroll A. Campbell Award, created to honor individuals and families who have been an integral part of billfish conservation in our state and who embody Mr. Campbell’s principles and passions. This award is one of our most prestigious honors, recognition of a lifetime of commitment and service to everyone in this very room, as well as every other angler who enjoys blue water fishing off our state’s coast. And there aren’t enough colorful words to truly describe the character of this year’s recipient and the sprawling magnitude of his continued contributions to sport fishing in South Carolina.

Over the years, he has contributed to the Series as a boat owner, a competitor, a parent, a board member and a friend. He has shown that even through stiff competition and challenging circumstances, kindness and sportsmanship are the most important and honorable traits a person can bring to the Series. 

Often dressed in colorful, patterned pants that have become something of a signature, this man is a constant source of warmth and kindness. He loves this sport, not just for the fishing itself, but for the camaraderie and quality time that is always paired with it. He regularly travels to each tournament with a cockpit full of family members and friends, including his wife, daughter, and son.

He’s the first to ask for a photograph of his team gathered around the boat’s transom, not to boast on social media, but to simply freeze little moments with his loved ones. He truly and outwardly cherishes his Carolina summers on the docks, a sentiment he shares with staff and other participants with routine enthusiasm. 

And while he brings great positive energy to our sport as a participant, he’s also shown steadfast support for the next generation of anglers by sponsoring countless youth awards at various tournaments. While presenting these awards to young winners, he takes the time to shake their hands, to look them right in the eye, and to offer them his heartfelt congratulations as he describes their achievements to gathering crowds. 

We were lucky to have him bring this same personable and sincere attitude to his work as a member and chair of the Gov Cup’s Advisory Board. It’s easy to accept the status quo in boardroom settings, but tonight’s honoree instead sought out and invited other perspectives to the table. In the 6.5 years that he was a board member, he chose to fully understand an issue before making a decision, a characteristic that no doubt also serves him well when practicing law.

His contributions to our sport and the conservation of South Carolina’s natural resources simply can’t be tallied. Yes, some aspects can be measured in donations or time. But his most lasting impressions, those stemming from his quality of character and contagious enthusiasm for blue water fishing here in the Palmetto State, stretch well beyond any metric we can muster. So, it is our great privilege and honor to announce that this year’s Carroll A Campbell Award goes to Mr. Fred Bergen, owner of the Legal Holiday.