Ocean City Fishing Club Sets Summer Open Houses To Benefit Food Cupboard

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The Ocean City Fishing Club will again open its historic fishing pier to the public this summer while collecting food and monetary donations for the Ocean City Food Cupboard. The club will host Open House events from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 30, and Thursday, Aug. 13, at the pier at 14th Street and the Boardwalk. If needed, rain dates are July 31 and Aug. 14.

Visitors will be able to tour the 635-foot-long pier, one of Ocean City's best-known landmarks, and are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or make a monetary donation for the Food Cupboard. The structure extends 635 feet from the Boardwalk and over the beach and Atlantic Ocean. It was lengthened by about 113 feet after an expansion completed in 2021.

Last year's first Open House event drew about 1,750 visitors, who donated 290 pounds of food and $2,433 to the Food Cupboard, according to the club. Those totals set new fundraising records for the annual event.

"We're grateful for the incredible generosity shown by our community each year," said Augie Conte III, president of the Ocean City Fishing Club. "The Open Houses give visitors a chance to experience our historic pier while helping neighbors in need. We hope the community will once again support the Food Cupboard with food and monetary donations."

Club members will be on hand during the two evenings to greet visitors, answer questions and share the history of the organization and its landmark pier, according to the club. The open houses are held in conjunction with Ocean City's Family Night on the Boardwalk and are part of the club's ongoing community service efforts.

In addition to supporting the Food Cupboard, the fishing club sponsors youth fishing programs, awards annual scholarships and advocates for recreational fishing, according to the club. The club's food drive started during its centennial celebration in 2013 and has continued as one of its signature outreach efforts.

Founded in 1913, the Ocean City Fishing Club is the oldest continually operating fishing club in the United States, according to the organization. The club said it was established to promote recreational rod and reel angling, preserve its historic pier, support youth education and scholarships, and serve the Ocean City community through charitable programs and public events.