NEWS

Lake Hopatcong in tight race with Lake George in final days of grant vote

Michael Izzo
@MIzzoDR

With the finish line in sight, the Lake Hopatcong Foundation was in a tight race trying to win a coveted BoatUS Foundation Grassroots Grant.

Monday afternoon, both the Lake Hopatcong Foundation and the Lake George Association had collected more than 23,000 votes to help fund their projects. The two lakes were separated by about 500 votes Monday afternoon with Lake George in front.

“It’s amazing how close this race has been, from the beginning through this home stretch,” Lake Hopatcong Foundation President Jessica Murphy said. “And more than anything, we at the Lake Hopatcong Foundation been astounded by the enthusiastic support we’ve received from the broader Lake Hopatcong community.”

Voting ends Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. and each person can cast a vote once per day.

The Lake Hopatcong Foundation would use the grant money to create 10,000 copies of a Lake Hopatcong Guide Map on durable, synthetic paper that will show depth contours, landmarks, municipal borders, lakefront businesses and public launch sites on the lake.

The project would cost $7,400, and would include additional information and updates to the Lake Hopatcong Foundation's free app, LH Guide.

“It’s truly inspiring, and shows what a strong bond people have with this very special lake and how much they care about protecting it,” Murphy said. “We’re hoping we can keep this intensity up for the last two days of voting and win this thing. It’s very tight, but with all the support we’ve received so far, we have every reason to be confident that we can do it.”

To vote for Lake Hopatcong, visit boatus.org/grants/vote.asp.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@dailyrecord.com