What began with $2,000 19 years ago is now a five-figure charitable event serving dozens of Middle Keys kids.
On June 17, 45 junior anglers dropped their lines over the gunwales of the Marathon Lady in search of the biggest catch of the day for the 19th annual Key Colony Beach Ron Sutton Memorial Kids Fishing Derby. Retiring to the Inn at Key Colony after hitting the dock, competitors were treated to lunch — and a table full of toys and trophies that towered over more than a few of the award-winning fishers.
The derby is the brainchild of soon-to-retire Police Chief Kris DiGiovanni, who has overseen the growth of the event into a summer mainstay that this year netted more than $30,000 in donations for prizes and donations throughout the year to Middle Keys children in need, with the full support of Key Colony Beach’s residents and elected officials.
“I made sure when I came on as chief that I kept the derby – that was my baby,” DiGiovanni told the Weekly. “Every year it got easier to get sponsors, because they all wanted to be a part of it. Bay View Inn would always donate the T-shirts since the beginning, Key Colony Inn has always been welcoming for our reception, the city of Marathon has always been supportive. The Marathon Lady marks their calendar a year out.”
Photos by Alex Rickert and Sandra Lee Photography
