August 31, 2004                                                                                   

17th Annual Lopiccola Marlin Tournament
To Benefit Moores UCSD Cancer Center

The 17^th annual “For Pete’s Sake” Pete Lopiccola Memorial Marlin Tournament will be held October 28 through 30 at the Hacienda Beach Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Proceeds of the tournament, in which 100 percent of all billfish are released, benefit the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center.

The “For Pete’s Sake” tournament was founded in honor of Pete Lopiccola, who lost his life to leukemia in 1988. The tournament also honors Charlie Faith Jr. and Wally Nielsen, who also died of cancer.

The event, which has become the largest and most successful charity marlin tournament on the West Coast, raises money to support cancer research. Over the past 14 years, the Pete Lopiccola Cancer Research Foundation has donated $1,125,500 to the Moores UCSD Cancer Center.

“We’ve exceeded the million-dollar mark in support to the Cancer Center, and now look forward to continuing the momentum that will bring us to the $2 million level of success,” said tournament organizer Chuck Faith.

The foundation also contributes a portion of the proceeds to help children in Cabo San Lucas who have medical needs.

The tournament entry fee is $400 per angler. A $50 discount will be given to entries received by October 1. Late entry fee at registration is $450. Fees include the Saturday night awards banquet and a "For Pete's Sake" gift bag. There will also be a live auction.

For further information about the event, call the Pete’s Sake Hotline at 619-590-0178, e-mail to petesaketournament@yahoo.com, or visit the event website at www.petesake.com.

The Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center is one of just 38 in the United States to hold a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center.  As such, it ranks among the top centers in the nation conducting basic and clinical cancer research, providing advanced patient care and serving the community through outreach and education programs.