Whitey's Fish Camp on Fleming Island Hosts Fall for Pace Nov. 5: $40 Tickets, a New Menu and Auctions for Pace Center for Girls Clay

FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. - Whitey's Fish Camp will host Fall for Pace on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., bringing a buffet of new menu items, live music, auctions and a raffle to the waterfront restaurant at 2032 County Road 220. Tickets cost $40, according to Clay Today, which reported the event details Oct. 22 (the $40 price is not listed on the Pace event page). Proceeds will benefit Pace Center for Girls Clay, supporting family support activities, career readiness programming and opportunities for girls enrolled at the center, according to the organization's official event page.

The fundraiser is one of Pace Center for Girls Clay's biggest fundraising events, according to Clay Today. The newspaper reported that the evening will include both silent and live auctions, giving attendees opportunities to bid on donated items. The event also comes during a year of ownership changes and planned restaurant updates at Whitey's Fish Camp, which opened in 1963.

What Is Happening at Whitey's Fish Camp on Nov. 5

Fall for Pace is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., according to the official Pace Center for Girls event listing. The event will take place at Whitey's Fish Camp, a waterfront restaurant on Swimming Pen Creek, down from Doctors Lake. The restaurant's address is 2032 County Road 220, Fleming Island, FL 32003, according to Explore the St. Johns.

The event combines food, entertainment and fundraising activities during the scheduled evening program. Pace Center for Girls describes the gathering as an opportunity to enjoy food and entertainment while participating in live and silent auctions. Clay Today's Oct. 22 report also identifies a raffle and live music as part of the event.

The fundraiser connects the restaurant with Pace Center for Girls Clay, a center that serves girls in Clay County. Clay Today identifies Fall for Pace as one of the center's largest fundraisers. Pace's official event information specifies that proceeds support several areas of its local programming.

Tickets Cost $40, With Food, Music and Auctions Planned

Tickets for Fall for Pace cost $40, according to Clay Today's Oct. 22 report. The newspaper directs readers to the event page at pacecenter.org/clayfallforpace for ticket information. The official Pace page confirms the date, location and fundraising activities, although the $40 price comes from Clay Today's reporting rather than the organization's published event description.

The evening's food offering will feature a buffet of new menu items from Whitey's Fish Camp, according to Clay Today. Live music, a raffle and two types of auctions are also listed among the activities. Pace's event page separately describes food and entertainment along with bidding opportunities.

The published event details identify the following information:

The ticket information and listed activities were reported by Clay Today, while Pace Center for Girls confirms the event schedule and its fundraising purpose. The restaurant's location is listed by Explore the St. Johns. Together, those sources establish the event's scheduled time, location, principal activities and beneficiary.

How the Fundraiser Supports Pace Center for Girls Clay

Pace Center for Girls Clay provides educational programming with free, year-round enrollment, according to Clay Today. The center offers academic classes aligned with the local public school district. Pace's event page lists the specific areas that proceeds from Fall for Pace will support.

According to the official Pace event page, proceeds from the Nov. 5 fundraiser support family support activities, career readiness programming and girl incentive opportunities. These are the three uses the organization names for the money raised through the event. The page does not give a fundraising goal.

Clay Today's description of the fundraiser places it among the center's largest fundraising activities. The newspaper also describes the center's free enrollment and academic classes. Pace's event page, rather than Clay Today, is the source for how proceeds are intended to be used.

The fundraiser's activities are organized around attendance, food and donated auction items. Pace identifies live and silent auction bidding as part of the event, while Clay Today also reports a raffle. The official event listing states that proceeds will help support Pace Clay's programming for girls and families.

New Menu Items Include Pasta, Crab Cakes, Tuna and Chicken

Food is one of the featured elements of Fall for Pace, according to Clay Today's preview. The newspaper reports that Whitey's Fish Camp will serve a buffet featuring new menu items. A photo caption in the article names four dishes.

Those dishes include Low Country Pasta, crab cakes with red beans and rice, ahi tuna and Andouille-crusted chicken. The selections are specifically named in Clay Today's reporting about the upcoming fundraiser. The article presents them as examples of the new menu items.

The menu changes follow Whitey's Fish Camp's sale earlier in 2026. Jacksonville Today reported March 17 that Harry's of America LLC, the owner of Harry's Seafood Bar and Grill, purchased the restaurant from the Ham family. The transaction closed the week before that report and was valued at almost $4 million.

Jacksonville Today identified Jesse Jabot, Louis Saig and Justin Griffin as the leaders of Harry's of America LLC. According to its March report, the new ownership group planned to retain approximately 85% of Whitey's existing menu. Possible additions included jambalaya and craft cocktails, along with a shift toward fewer fried offerings.

The March report also outlined plans for a new sign, restored neon and kitchen upgrades. Those plans were described at the time of the ownership change, rather than as a completed list of improvements. Clay Today's October coverage separately identified new menu offerings associated with the restaurant.

Whitey's Fish Camp Has Served Fleming Island for 63 Years

Whitey's Fish Camp traces its history to 1963, when Whitey and Ann Ham opened a tackle shop that also sold food, beer and sodas. Jacksonville Today's March 17 report detailed the business's development from that original operation into a waterfront restaurant, marina and campground. The business reached its 63rd year in 2026.

The original operation expanded in 1969 with a larger kitchen, dining room, bar and deck, according to Jacksonville Today. A 16-site mobile home area followed in 1970, and the campground became an RV park in 1980. Whitey Ham died in 1997, while the restaurant continued operating under the family's ownership.

The property experienced a major disruption in March 2002 when a fire destroyed the kitchen. According to Jacksonville Today's historical account, Whitey's reopened in 2003. The restaurant remained associated with the Ham family until the ownership transaction completed in March 2026.

Jacksonville Today reported that the property includes a 9,476-square-foot restaurant and 7,760 square feet of outdoor seating. It also includes a 21-slip dock, boat ramp, bait shop and 40 RV spaces. The business employed approximately 125 people at the time of the March report.

The property sits on Swimming Pen Creek, down from Doctors Lake, according to Jacksonville Today. Its restaurant, marina and campground operations are part of the business purchased by Harry's of America LLC. The Nov. 5 Fall for Pace fundraiser will take place at the same Fleming Island property.

Auction Donations Accepted for the Nov. 5 Fundraiser

In addition to ticket sales, organizers are accepting donated items for the fundraiser's auctions, according to Clay Today. The newspaper identified several categories of donations being sought for Fall for Pace. These donations are intended for the event's live and silent auction activities.

Clay Today listed the following examples of accepted auction donations:

• Restaurant gift cards
• Theater tickets
• Wine
• Movie gift cards
• Jewelry
• Overnight stays
• Date night packages
• Spa packages

People interested in contributing auction items can contact organizers at (904) 458-0840, according to Clay Today. The newspaper provided that number specifically for auction donations. The official Pace event page also confirms that bidding on donated auction items will be part of the fundraiser.

Fall for Pace is scheduled for 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Whitey's Fish Camp, 2032 County Road 220 in Fleming Island, according to Pace Center for Girls. Clay Today lists tickets at $40 and directs readers to pacecenter.org/clayfallforpace for the event. The official event page states that proceeds will support Pace Center for Girls Clay's family support activities, career readiness programming and girl incentive opportunities.