The Alternative Press

SUMMIT, NJ - The Summit PAL Fishing Derby, held at the Summit Golf Course at 189 River Rd this year on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, has been bringing families together for about 57 years. “It is generations and generations of families,” said Charlie Daly, Summit police officer and organizer of the Summit PAL Fishing Derby.

Daly himself remembers attending the event as a child, and took over organizing the event four years ago when the organizers retired. He said, “I came here as a kid. And people who I went to school with are bringing their kids.”

The Summit PAL (Police Athletic League) stocked the pond with about 1,010 trout, many 10 to 12 inch trout and also some 19 inch prize trout, as well. Attendees were free to fish in the pond and take home what they caught. The people who caught the 19 inch trout receive a prize including either a fishing rod, gift certificate or tee-shirt.

Local sponsors helped to support the event by providing food, supplies, and monetary donations. Ice Melodies donated ice for the free drinks -- soda, water and iced tea; Pechter’s Bread donated the buns for the free hot dogs at the event; Spring House Tree Service donated the firewood for the fire pit that residents sat around during the cool day. Clear Printing Designs made the tee-shirts the PAL volunteers wore.  Investor’s Savings Bank and Rolf’s Auto provided monetary donations. Other vendors, Village Trattoria and Zappias Deli, gave back to the staff by donating food for the dinner held Saturday night for the volunteers of the PAL event.

Louis Scaff, owner of Village Trattoria, has been providing food for the event for five years. During the past couple of years he has started to bring his family -- his wife, Karen, and his three boys, Christian, Louie, and Andrew. “My kids enjoy fishing. They love it and we like to come and have a good time.”