Fishing in the Tupper Lake region (Provided photo — ROOST)

TUPPER LAKE — The 11th Annual Gary LaQuay Fishing Challenge will take place on Saturday, June 15 from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit High Peaks Hospice.

Tickets for the fishing challenge can be purchased for $30 online at tupperlake.com/events or in-person at Mountain Market and Redemption in Tupper Lake. Registration includes tournament entry along with entry into the various raffles taking place as part of the event.

Challenge participants will cast their lines in Tupper Lake, Simon Pond and Raquette Pond, a series of interconnected lakes accessed by the state boat launch on state Route 30 in Tupper Lake or at Tupper Lake Municipal Park.

Prizes will be awarded for the three largest bass and three largest northern pike, based on weight. Prize money and the tournament donation amount are dependent on total registration fees collected; with roughly 60 percent shared by the top three anglers and 40% allocated to High Peaks Hospice.

The tournament attracts between 100 and 150 participants each year — many from the local area but also from places throughout the Northeast. It has raised approximately $20,000 for High Peaks Hospice since the tournament’s inception.

Many local businesses donate merchandise and services that comprise the various raffle prize packages. Event Organizer Cory LaQuay explained that community support is integral to the event’s success.

“So many local businesses donate merchandise for the raffle, volunteers manage the weigh-in stations, and others help organize the award ceremony; and they do this rain or shine,” he said. “We expect that the business community, once again, is going to show its collective generosity. It’s very humbling when I think about everyone who helps keep this event going.”

Two weigh stations are available: one at the shoreline below the Tupper Lake Sportsmen’s Club headquarters on Lake Simond Road and another at the Tupper Lake Municipal Park on Raquette Pond. Participants will not need to leave their boats to complete the weigh-in. A prize ceremony follows the tournament at the Tupper Lake Sportsmen’s Club.

LaQuay shared memories of his father and explains that he would love the tournament that has been created in his honor.

“My dad loved to be on the water, he loved to fish and he loved to compete,” he said. “There was always a wager or two happening within the group of guys he fished with regularly, so he’d just love this event. I suspect he’d probably have a side bet or two going on.”

Contact Cory LaQuay at 518-569-3988 for additional information about the event.