Swollfest has come a long way in its ten year history. Stemming from an idea discussed at a backyard barbeque in high school, Swollfest was established in 1997 by Nick Rauber when three fathers, their sons, and two friends spent a weekend together on Grand Isle. The original crew of eight being Keith Luminais Sr. and Jr., Ryan and Terry Malone, Nick and Ronnie Rauber, Damien Drouant, and Jerry Conrad.
This first rodeo crowned the "swollest" (largest) fish caught by one of its eight participants with a tiny five dollar trophy. After having a good time that weekend, the crew decided to try the event again the following year. With a few more people interested, the second annual brought a total of 18 participants. The second year marked the beginning of Swollfest T-shirts, as well as additional categories for fish. The rodeo maintained this growth, and by 2000, it had 52 participants.
The fifth annual Swollfest was a pivotal event, marking the beginning of Swollfest's philanthropic efforts to benefit the American Diabetes Association (ADA). This charity was chosen because of Nick's close relationship with his stepfather, Sid Seruntine, a Type I diabetic diagnosed in 1993. Over the years, Swollfest established itself as a prominent rodeo, boasting over 100+ sponsors, 600+ participants, television news broadcasts, radio air time, newspaper write ups, and thousands of dollars worth of prizes. In these seven years, Swollfest donated over $85,000 to ADA,
benefiting its educational and research efforts. Placing Swollfest in the Top 25 fundraisers nationwide for the Tour de Cure!
To date, the combined fundraising efforts between
Nick Rauber, and Sid Seruntine has be over $210,000.
Thank you for your contributions to help fight diabetes and hopefully one day find a cure!
Swollfest Fishing Rodeo, Years Gone By
