Mike Jurgella’s catch measured 30.5 inches. (Courtesy Worzalla)

Worzalla ‘reels in’ big donation for local nonprofit

March 14, 2022

By Patrick Lynn

A local book publisher has announced the winners of its annual fishing contest—and its donation to a local nonprofit organization.

Stevens Point-based Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer, announced on Monday the winners of its 2022 “Reel It In For Reading” ice fishing contest. As part of the contest, Worzalla announced its donation of $1,500 to the Portage County Literacy Council, which provides one-on-one tutoring and small group instruction programs for English learners.

Adult winners of the second annual Reel It In For Reading ice fishing competition are:

First place, Mike Jurgella of Stevens Point won $200 and an additional $100 for being the Worzalla associate with the largest catch. Jurgella’s catch measured 30.5 inches.
Second place, Evan Platz of Wisconsin Rapids won $150.
Third place, Brady Jackan of Wisconsin Rapids won $100.

As the first-place winner of the contest, Jurgella also won the honor of selecting the Washington Elementary School Library to receive a $500 donation from Worzalla. Jurgella says that he chose this library because the school works with children who need a little extra help.

In the youth category, Collin Lockman of Bancroft won a $100 cash prize. Lockman’s catch measured 22 inches. Brookelyn Petruzalek of Stevens Point won the second-place prize of $50.

Brianne Petruzalek, vice president of human resources at Worzalla, said the company values literacy.

“We are excited to see our community come together to support the Portage County Literacy Council and the resources they put in our community,” she said.

Kristy SeBlonka, co-director at Portage County Literacy Council, said the donation will help support literacy and education programs offered by the organization.

“Worzalla has been a consistent partner in supporting our mission, and we want to thank every Central Wisconsin resident that participated in this year’s ice fishing contest,” SeBlonka said.

Worzalla’s “Reel It In For Reading” donations are just one of many initiatives the company has launched to support literacy efforts throughout the community. Additional outreach includes donating books to libraries and schools, sponsoring literacy and learning events, participating in community-wide fundraisers and charity events, and printing a variety of popular children’s books including the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.