For Immediate Release:

Taylor Lier, PDFNJ Media Coordinator, 201-916-1032, taylor@drugfreenj.org

New Jersey Online Fishing Tournament Encourages Children to Spend Quality Time with their Families

Millburn - The summer months are filled with warmer temperatures and plenty of opportunities for families to get outdoors and spend more valuable time together. As an effort to motivate families to spend time with their children to keep them off drugs, The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is holding the first “Don’t Get Hooked on Drugs” Online New Jersey Family Fishing Tournament. The contest will be from August 21 to August 30.

Angelo Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ said, “In the summertime, children are out of school leaving them with more free-time and more vulnerable to engage in drug use. This Don’t Get Hooked on Drugs Fishing Tournament encourages families to get involved in some summertime fun. Spending more time with family is the best way to keep children from drugs and continue living drug-free.”

According to Valente, kids who communicate regularly with their parents about their daily activities are 67 percent less likely to be involved in substance abuse than children who have little or no communication.

“In a world where children constantly stay plugged into technology, a day of fishing will be a nice break and drive families to talk with one another more about their daily activities,” Valente said.

To participate in the contest, entrants must be 18 years of age or younger and be accompanied by a parent or guardian while fishing. While enjoying a fishing trip with family, take a picture of your family with a caught fish along with PDFNJ’s “Don’t’ Get Hooked” logo, and the hashtag #dontgethooked. Pictures can be posted by liking PDFNJ’s Facebook page at Drug-Free NJ or by following PDFNJ on Twitter and Instagram. The “Don’t Get Hooked” logo is available in a printable format to download or ensure the electronic version is in the photo.

All entries must be submitted no later than August 31, 2015. A winner will be selected at random on September 1, 2015 and will be eligible to win over $600 in cash prizes.

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Best known for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication.  To date, more than $50 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered over 46 Advertising and Public Relations Awards from National, Regional & Statewide Media Organizations.