Visit South Padre’s board approved funding for Fishing’s Future, allocating $20,000 for a marketing buy and $5,000 in-kind support to promote the program to visitors.

Lori Moore, operations and events manager for Visit South Padre, said the funding will help publicize services offered by Shane Wilson’s Fishing’s Future, including fishing instruction for children and an “I CAN” vessel that takes people with mobility challenges out on the water. "He provides a great service to our community along with our tourists," Moore said.

The package approved by the board pairs the $20,000 media buy with $5,000 of in-kind support Visit South Padre will provide, such as boosted social posts and other promotional assistance. Moore said the organization will have oversight of how funds and in-kind support are used and will require proper representation of Visit South Padre’s logo and destination messaging in any materials. "We have oversight of all his buys ... and ensure that our logo and our destination is represented properly," she said.

Board discussion clarified the dollar amounts and scope. A board member moved to approve the $20,000 marketing buy plus $5,000 in-kind support; Mr. Henry seconded. The board voted to approve the motion; the chair called for the ayes and the motion carried.

Board members also discussed adding information to Visit South Padre’s new website about mobility equipment used on the island, specifically referencing "Mobychairs," to highlight the destination’s accessibility. Mr. Henry said that was "very unique to our destination" and urged including it on the site so visitors could learn more about accessible options.

The board did not attach additional conditions to the funding beyond the stated oversight and branding requirements. There was no discussion of a contract or a timeline in the meeting record; those details were not specified.

Votes at a glance: motion to approve $20,000 marketing buy and $5,000 in-kind for Fishing’s Future — approved.

Requests for more detailed deliverables, reporting timelines or contract language were not recorded in the meeting minutes.