Union County residents with disabilities and special needs can cast a line for free at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside on Sept. 19.
The Fall Fishing Derby runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to a county press release. The Union County Board of County Commissioners is presenting the event in partnership with the Newark Bait and Fly Casting Club, a nonprofit that meets monthly in Kenilworth and has previously held fishing events at Echo Lake Park.
Pre-registration is required. Residents can sign up by calling 908-527-4781 or visiting ucnj.org/opdsn-reg.
The county's Office for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs is hosting the derby. The office, known as OPDSN, also ran a free sensory-friendly summer camp in August at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside for teens and young adults ages 12 to 21 with documented disabilities, as Patch reported.
Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek said in July, when announcing that summer camp, that the county prioritizes inclusive outdoor programming for residents with disabilities.
The Newark Bait and Fly Casting Club is a 501(c)(3) founded in 1907 that provides fishing outings for veterans, children and people with disabilities. More information about the club is available at nbfcc.org.
For details about the fishing derby and other OPDSN programs, call 908-527-4781 or visit ucnj.org/dhs/opdsn/.
Coming up in Union County:
- Saturday, Sept. 19 — Fall Fishing Derby for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Echo Lake Park, Mountainside. Free; pre-registration required at ucnj.org/opdsn-reg or 908-527-4781.
- October — Union County hayride dates on sale now. Tickets and details here.
