Three Years of Soque Slam: Fly Fishing & Fundraising
Soque Slam fishing rodeo benefits Recreation Therapy Program, offers former patients unique fishing opportunity
Gavin Cloy is an avid angler.
He’s a full-time fishing guide on Lake Lanier. But even with his plethora of fishing knowledge, fly fishing remained something he didn’t have much experience with, yet. That is, until this year’s Soque Slam.
Gavin took part in the third annual Soque Slam fishing rodeo benefitting Shepherd Center’s Recreation Therapy Program. In the three years since its inception, Soque Slam has gained devoted supporters, drawing people to the North Georgia mountains to spend a day outdoors for a good cause.
Traditionally, the tournament consists of several teams, with each group made up of one or two fishing guides, six anglers, and one former Shepherd Center patient. But this year, to protect fish populations during a drought, the tournament was split into two days: the patient participants competed on Oct. 25, 2025, while the non-patient participants competed on Jan. 31, 2026.
When Gavin visited the river in October, it marked the first time he’d gone fly fishing in over 30 years.
“It's so cool that Shepherd Center gives opportunities to people with disabilities, you know, to go out and enjoy the outdoors or, in my case, play basketball,” says Gavin, a longtime member of the Shepherd Stealers wheelchair basketball team.
Including both Shepherd Center patients and community members was a priority for Shaler Alias, a longtime Shepherd supporter and the creator of the Soque Slam. The idea came from his own love of fly fishing.
“I was standing in the river one day on a Saturday, and had to leave to drive home to Atlanta, take a shower, and put on a tuxedo and go to a fundraising gala,” he remembers. “And I thought to myself, ‘We could just have a fishing tournament here, and we could raise some money, and I wouldn't have to leave.’”
He called his friend, John Haynes, about creating a fundraising fishing tournament for Shepherd Center, made complete by including former patients and hosting an energetic afterparty.
Alias and Haynes partner with local businesses and organizations, many of them with Shepherd Center ties, to make each year a success. Trackchairs for patient participants are generously provided by Jacob Beisecker, a former Shepherd patient who started a nonprofit, Waymaker Offroad Wheelchairs, to loan trackchairs to people with mobility challenges at no cost. Drinks are provided by Republic National Distributing Company, owned by the Carlos family, longtime Shepherd Center supporters. Food is sourced and prepared by volunteers from Andee’s Army, which supports Shepherd Center’s Adolescent Program.
Andee Poulos, whose family began Andee’s Army after she completed brain injury rehabilitation at Shepherd Center over a decade ago, was a first-time Soque Slam participant this year. Her dad has been volunteering with the event since its first year, but this was the first time she made the trip to North Georgia alongside him.
For Andee, fly fishing offered something priceless in this day and age — peace and quiet.
“I really enjoyed it,” says Andee. “Being out there and having to be quiet so you can do your fishing, that was really nice. You're kind of solo — you don't have a whole lot of distractions around you — which is nice too.”
Something for Everyone
Shepherd Center’s social and fundraising calendar is lined with events throughout the year, with headliners Derby Day in the spring and The Legendary Party in the fall. But event organizers hope the Soque Slam will continue to offer something different from other fundraising events. While it is primarily a fishing tournament, the event offers something for non-anglers, too — a laid-back day enjoying cool weather and autumn foliage in the mountains, on and off the river.
October’s event included the most off-river entertainment yet, with helicopter rides over the Amicalola Gorge and an evening afterparty, meticulously planned by Alias’ wife, Patty Alias, and Bradley Sosebee.
“We had the fishing portion in the morning, and then around 1 or 2 p.m., we went back to our cabin and changed for the nighttime event, which was the concert and the dinner that my dad and his team prepared,” Andee remembers. “And then Shaler [Alias] surprised everyone at the end with a fireworks show.”
The concert featured The Grateful Dads, the Castellows, and Futurebirds, who delighted attendees with a mix of old favorites and original music. The evening also included a short presentation recognizing the tournament winners from the weekend. Duane Morrow took home the prize for the most fish, while Gavin won the prize for the largest brown trout.
“All of [Shepherd Center’s events] are amazing, but certainly with this one, I’ll be back — until they ask me to stop coming,” Gavin says with a laugh. “The river was gorgeous, the people were awesome, it was just an amazing day.”
Non-patient participants from this year’s tournament reconvened in January for their portion of the competition. The three teams, led by Daniel MacMorrow, Towers Wilen, and Alias, braved seven inches of snow for their day on the river. The Wilen team took home both prizes — $5,000 for the most fish, and $7,500 for the largest trout. The team graciously donated their winnings to Shepherd Center. The Budnick Family, who’ve supported the Soque Slam since its first year, matched the donation, raising it to $25,000 total. All in all, this year’s festivities raised over $531,000, a new record for the tournament.
The 2026 tournament is scheduled for Oct. 24, during the peak for colorful foliage (and, Alias notes, the bye week for Georgia Football!). For inquiries about participating or leading a team, contact Alias at shaler@aliasfamilyoffice.com.
Written by Erin Kenney
With five decades of experience, Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation, Shepherd Center is also recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.