IDEAS born out of love are always the best kind and one couple has proved that in droves.
Stephen Cresswell thought he had nearly lost wife Stacey when she was rushed to Townsville Hospital, in 2019, in severe pain.
It turned out Stacey had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with a football size tumour in her chest.
The diagnosis sent shockwaves through the whole family.
Stephen naturally wanted to spend as much time as he could by his wife’s side.
Fortunately, he and his two young children were given free accommodation in Townsville, by the Leukemia Foundation Freemason’s Village.
It has been a long, hard road for the couple but, far from setting them back, they have turned their heartache into an event that has so far raised $30,000 for infrastructure upgrades and necessities for the Leukaemia House, in Townsville.
The Stonka Fishing Challenge is now in its third year, having started as a small event to give back to those who had helped Stephen and Stacey through their ordeal.
Held at Cape Gloucester Resort, the event has grown enormously and is now officially endorsed by the Leukaemia Foundation.
It is the charity’s biggest contributor in Queensland, three years running.
“My wife was sick for eight months – when she got to hospital, she was a week away from a cardiac arrest,” Stephen said.
“I arrived at the hospital five minutes before she went in for heart surgery.
“Afterwards, almost straightaway, the Leukaemia Foundation Freemasons Village called me and offered me, our three-year-old daughter and six-month-old son, a three-bedroom house close-by, where we stayed for six months.”
The Stonka Fishing Challenge is all about giving back.
“We just wanted to give back,” Stephen, who owns Bah Bait and Tackle in Moranbah, said.
“We bought a boat, in the hope it would be successful, and in the first year [2023] we had 600 registered competitors and 3,500 people attended.
“We started with just my boat and now we have boats coming from all over Australia.”
The follow-up event, in 2024, had 924 registered competitors and attracted more than 5,000 people throughout the whole weekend.
Both events each raised $15,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation Freemason’s Village. The goal this year is $20,000.
The 2025 event will be held from August 7 to 10, 2025, at Cape Gloucester Resort, and nominations for the challenge are already open and flooding in.
There will be $150,000 in prizes this year, thanks to generous sponsors.
Visit Home | The Stonka Fishing Challenge for more information including registration, categories, species information and special guests.
