Springfield, Missouri was put on display as people from across the nation came to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bass Pro Shops at the World’s Fishing Fair. Guests traveled to the Ozarks from 47 states and Canada to attend what is being noted as the greatest fishing show and sale on earth.

On Saturday night, April 2, Johnny Morris presented a donation of $1.5 million to benefit conservation during the Hank Williams Jr. concert, representing 100 percent of all ticket sales to the World’s Fishing Fair and Concerts for Conservation – doubling the initial pledge of 50 percent of all ticket sales.

“I have never felt more proud of our Bass Pro team, our vendors, and our conservation partners,” Morris said. “Thanks to this collective effort, and with the support of our generous customers and the City of Springfield, we are able to make this donation that will help further crucial conservation efforts for years to come. The fact that we were able to host this event and make this donation to help celebrate our 50th anniversary right here in Springfield makes us very proud and very happy!”

This donation, which represents 100 percent of the ticket sales from three nights of “Concerts for Conservation” and 100 percent of the admissions to the World’s Fishing Fair, is the latest development in Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops’ longstanding tradition of conservation leadership.

“As highlighted in our longstanding partnership, both Toyota and Bass Pro Shops have a shared interest in supporting important environmental and conservation efforts through events like the World’s Fishing Fair,” said Pete Carey, Toyota Financial Services Group vice president and president of Private Label. “To bring awareness of and benefit conservation through an event of this magnitude is truly significant and impactful in this ongoing effort to protect the great outdoors.”

The fair was packed full of outdoor enthusiasts from throughout North America in a celebration of all things fishing, hunting, and conservation. Attendees enjoyed a full schedule of seminars and appearances from America’s top fishing professionals, NASCAR legends (Richard Childress, Austin Dillon, Martin Truex Jr., and Dale Earnhardt Jr.), Pro Bull Riding leaders (Ross Coleman, Sean Gleason, Randy Bernard, Chad Blankenship, and Luke Snyder), Dude Perfect, Larry the Cable Guy, and some of the leading conservation organizations, including Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the International Gamefish Association, and many more.

The first World’s Fishing Fair in 1988 helped put Bass Pro Shops on the map, making it only fitting that the next iteration of the event came just in time for the company’s 50th anniversary. The 2022 World’s Fishing Fair was not only a celebration unlike anything outdoor enthusiasts had ever witnessed, but also an incredible moment for the sport of fishing and a precedent for conservation efforts moving forward.

For more media assets including images and b-roll from the full five-day celebration, click here.