An event that has resulted in the cleanup of the Nesquehoning Creek and perpetuating the memory of a young man who loved fishing - the eighth annual Connell McCall Fishing Derby - will be held May 7, in Nesquehoning.

One of the biggest social events in the community, the derby will once again be centered in the area near the CVS Pharmacy on Locust Street.It will be held rain or shine.Registration of participants ages 3-15 will begin at 8 a.m., and the derby will kick off at 9 and continue until noon.The youths will receive free hot dogs and drinks and a food stand featuring a number of ethnic foods will be open to the public.More than 75 prizes will be awarded to the youths.The derby is being sponsored by the Nesquehoning Conservation Club and the Friends of Connell McCall, a Lansford resident who passed away in 2006. He was a son of Emmett P. McCall, Carbon County Recorder of Deeds, of Lansford, and the late Mary Ellen McCall.Since it was begun in 2009, the derby has resulted in raising thousands of dollars for the conservation club, which utilizes the revenue for creek cleanup operations and to stock trout in the waterway.The club was founded in 2005 to promote field and stream conservation and good sportsmanship, help stimulate public awareness of fishing in the Nesquehoning Creek, make sure conservation codes are followed and promote community involvement in field and stream activities.Following the installation of the Nesquehoning Borough Sewage Treatment Plant, the club, which now numbers about 60 members, began what has been a successful voyage that has transformed the waters into a popular fishing spot for trout-starved fisherman.The creek's cleanup has caught the attention of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, which stocks about 1,000 trout in the creek in two stockings per year.The club puts 900 fish into the waters for the derby and will stock about 500 more in October, according to Donny McGorry, club president.He said, "The fact that the creek has become a prime fishing site is like a dream come true for a lot of guys. Many of us thought we'd never see the day when a fishing derby would happen here, now, it's a big event in the town, a social gathering."