Event will be ‘lighthearted and fun’
A spring bass tournament will help support a new scholarship for students who want to major in law enforcement or criminal justice.
The Citizens Police Academy Alumni will host the tournament April 26 at Lake Jacksonville. The event, coordinated by fundraising chairwoman Cindy Beddingfield and organizer Glenn Robson, is designed to bring a minimum of 20 two-person teams for one of the season’s first tournaments.
Projected proceeds not only will help with CPAA’s annual budget but also will provide additional funding for a new scholarship program. CPAA is affiliated with Jacksonville Police Department, providing logistical and moral support along with specialized equipment purchases.
The new tournament “is more of a fun fundraising tournament,” Robson said. “We’re going to keep it lighthearted and fun.”
The tournament is open to any ability level; Robson describes it as a “buddy tournament” set up for charity and not cutthroat sportsmen. “Yes, you can win [something], but you’re not out there to become a millionaire,” he said.
Robson, son of former Morgan County Sheriff Jim (wife Pat) Robson and brother of late JPD Officer Bruce Robson, has organized the Bruce Robson Memorial Bass Tournament for more than two decades.
Those proceeds have been shared among CPAA and other groups; starting this year, proceeds will benefit an education fund for a Robson grandson.
With that change in mind, Glenn Robson pitched the idea of a CPAA-branded spring tournament, with all proceeds going to CPAA. He expects his usual supporters to support the new tournament.
There’s a $100 entry fee per team, cash prizes and options for award buy-ins for biggest and smallest fish. A drawing for $100 will be offered to anyone who signs up before April 19.
Cash prizes, from $500 to $100, will be given for first through fifth places. To sign up or for more information, call Glenn Robson at 217-883-2742 or visit his Facebook page, or call CPAA President Everett Beddingfield at 217-370-0751.
Cindy Beddingfield said the group is excited to partner with Robson and the extended Robson family. “They’ve always been big supporters of CPAA and the work we do,” she said.
Some of the spring tournament proceeds will be directed to a new CPAA scholarship fund, with awards of $1,000 and $500 given to local students majoring in law enforcement or criminal justice. Seed money of $1,500 came from CPAA’s annual budget.
“It’s our first [tournament],” Beddingfield said. “We hope for good weather and a lot of boats.”
The scholarship fundraising will be in a “quiet” phase in 2025, with the first awards announced at the 2026 Policeman’s Ball. Special consideration will be given to students who have participated in the Teen Academy and/or Cadet program. Application information will be announced later this year.
CPAA members help at a variety of community events, freeing up officers to spend time on calls for assistance. Money raised during the Policeman’s Ball fundraiser is used to buy equipment for JPD, including night-vision goggles, a drone, a K9, tactical vests and first aid kits.
