On Saturday, Aug. 1, anyone can be a winner at the 14th annual South King County Puget Sound Anglers Salmon Derby.

With more than 400 attending, the event is considered to be one of the largest salmon derbies in the region. South King County Puget Sound Anglers (PSA) welcomes young and old to arrive at dawn to the Puget Sound waters between Steilacoom and Seattle in catch areas 10, 11 and 13. First weigh-in is 8 a.m.; final weigh-in is 1 p.m. Weigh-ins are located at Point Defiance, Des Moines Marina and Narrows Marina.

Frank Eshpeter, South King County PSA board president, said there is a child division, adult division and new this year: an active-duty and military veteran division.

Prizes for children are $300 for first, $150 for second and $100 for third. First place prize for active-duty or military veteran is $500. First place prize for PSA members is $500. Overall first place grand prize is $3,500, sponsored by Larson Power Boats Northwest.

Eshpeter said that in theory, if you're a veteran and a PSA member, you stand to win $1,000.

"Last year, the children's division winner also had an adult ticket, and he ended up with a $700 prize," Eshpeter said.

Tickets to the derby are $35, and children 14 and under are free. Every child with a derby ticket gets a prize at the ceremony, which is held at Point Defiance.

"It's always been about kids and fish recovery," Eshpeter said.

Proceeds from this year's event will benefit salmon conservation efforts and salmon conservation education for youth. Specifically, proceeds will support CAST for Kids and will help send two to four children to the Washington State Youth Conservation Camp on Orcas Island and two to six children to the MaST camp at Highline College.

"One of our favorites is CAST for Kids," Eshpeter said. "It's an organization with different fishing events around the Pacific Northwest for (children with disabilities). One year, we had three wheelchair-bound kids out on a pontoon boat. It's one of those events where at the end of the day, you're crying."

More than $2,000 in prize drawings will include guided fishing trips, tackle packages, rods and reels and fishing-related goodies, Eshpeter said.

Identical scales are used for weigh-ins, he added. Fish must be brought in whole by boat, not by truck. PSA staff will clean the fish after weigh-in and give it back to the angler.

"It's a fun event," Eshpeter said, "time consuming but gratifying."

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.pugetsoundanglers.net.