Thieves hit Rabbit Run Fish & Game Association, taking a generator, two tabletop LP Gas burners and dozens of big trout.

Rabbit Run president Bill Weaver said he and association members are disgusted. The club is located on Rabbit Run Road, which is in the Lewistown Valley, just outside Tamaqua."It's been a struggle to keep (the club) going for many years," Weaver said Thursday night. "Now we're really going to be in the hole."Each year in May, the club holds a free Children's Fishing Derby. Thanks to sponsorship from Cabela's in recent years, each child would get a fishing pole and a hat.To stock the derby, members annually raised about 2,000 trout in nurseries at the club. Each year, they held back about 150 trout that were about a foot long, continuing to care for them and feed them. That way, when it was time for the next year's Fishing Derby, those fish would have grown to 20 inches or more."It was always a big thrill for a kid to be able to catch one of the really big fish, and we had about 150 out there," Weaver said. "We had locks on the nurseries, but they were broken and there are only about 10 of the big fish left."Weaver said that in the next few days, members will take inventory and involve local police in the investigation. So far, they're sure about the loss of the generator, the gas burners and the fish, but more items may be missing, he said."It just makes you mad," Weaver said. "We only run this for the happiness it would bring us to see a little girl or little boy smiling, because they caught a fish."Anyone who would like to help the Rabbit Run Fish & Game can contact the organization by writing to 207 Race St., Tamaqua.