Catalina Island is known for its many and varied fishing tournaments but none in its history has been anything like the Church Mouse.
For the past 23 years the Church Mouse Marlin Tournament has grown into one of the most fun things to do on Catalina and one of the highest achieving philanthropies our community has ever known. The tournament’s objective is to bring good people together for great fun and fishing while helping Catalina Island youth groups at the same time.
Catalina Island is known for its many and varied fishing tournaments but none in its history has been anything like the Church Mouse.
For the past 23 years the Church Mouse Marlin Tournament has grown into one of the most fun things to do on Catalina and one of the highest achieving philanthropies our community has ever known. The tournament’s objective is to bring good people together for great fun and fishing while helping Catalina Island youth groups at the same time.
For the past 23 years this objective has been met—and then some. As the tournament entry form states, “If you plan to enter, plan on having a great time.” However, you don’t have to enter the tournament to have a great time at the Church Mouse. From volunteers to donors, the Church Mouse has become an annual time of celebration in Avalon.
However, it is so much more than just fun: it’s about community. Even more impressive than the $1 million donated to Island youth over the past 23 years (it made $73,000 this year alone) is the number of young people who have been positively affected by this tournament. Investing in our Island’s future by investing in our Island’s youth is what makes the Church Mouse different from other fishing tournaments the Island has ever known.
In 23 years, the tournament has seen many changes and developed many beloved traditions. In its first years there were less than 20 boats fishing, and the Tuesday night banquet was held at Shipwreck Joeys. Since then the number of boats participating has exceeded one hundred and the Tuesday night banquet has moved to the Casino Ballroom, the only venue in town big enough for the event.
When it was 14 years old the tournament went all tag-and-release, becoming the largest release tournament on the west coast. In 2009 the tournament was voted “Best Marlin Tournament” of the year by Pacific Coast Sportfishing magazine and in 2010 Reyn Spooner released a limited edition Church Mouse custom shirt. Participants have come to love hearing the train whistle over the radio, guessing who is going to win the infamous “Buttuter” awards, and out-bidding each other for who will have the privilege of throwing a pie in the Harbor Master’s face. These traditions exemplify how the Church Mouse specializes in turning silly fun into money-raising philanthropy.
Of course the words Church Mouse have become synonymous with the Butte family. Bob and Carol Butte, their daughters Maggie and Kim, and their entire extended family have worked tirelessly for the past twenty-three years to make this tournament what it is today.
For five generations the Butte family has been fishing on Catalina Island, so it is no wonder that they are responsible for one of the Island’s most historically successful fishing competitions. Their love for the Island and our ocean has inspired people to come together year after year to make Catalina a better place to live and to fish.
Countless volunteers, donors, and tournament contestants have given their money and time to be part of the Church Mouse. While all deserve credit for the $1 million donated to more than 40 Catalina youth organizations and projects, the biggest thanks goes to Bob and Carol Butte and their family. In creating and organizing the Church Mouse Marlin Tournament they have given the Island community a huge gift.
A banner held by some of the children of Avalon in the Casino building during the evening celebration said it all as it read: “Thank you Bob and Carol Butte and the Church Mouse Invitational for 23 years of generous support.”
