I got to participate in something special in June. It was a C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation event, put on for nine special needs youth anglers at Potholes State Park in Eastern Washington. The foundation, born in 1991, had its first event at Banks Lake in Washington. Today, the organization is on pace to host 100 or more fishing events all over the nation.
C.A.S.T. for Kids was founded by Jim Owens, a retired Bureau of Reclamation worker who wanted to get kids with special needs and disadvantages out for a fun, mentored day of fishing.
Melissa McCalmant, who was present at the Potholes event, is the Western Operations Manager for C.A.S.T. for Kids. She said volunteers are a key part of their operation. That includes a volunteer coordinator who does the bulk of the work putting each event together. The coordinator gets with the venue owner and, in some cases, with their state fish and wildlife agency to arrange for fish stocking. In lakes or ponds that already have well-established fish populations, this is not necessary. The coordinator also seeks cash donations to purchase rods, reels, and tackle boxes at a discounted rate from Lews and Flambeau for each participant.
McCalmant also told me they go to great lengths to get special needs kids out fishing. She recalled one instance where a parent said their child could not participate because he was in a wheelchair. McCalmant procured a volunteer with a pontoon boat that was ADA accessible so that the young man could indeed enjoy a day out on the water. In fact, for many of the kids participating, it’s their first time fishing.
Melissa went on to tell me that while many events take place with anglers fishing from shore, they also offer events where anglers will fish with volunteer boaters on bass boats or on pontoon boats.
Summing things up, McCalmant said, “This is a free event for the participant and their family, and it’s a day that allows them to forget about their special needs and that they are too, just like one of us, and can fish and participate.’
As for the Potholes event, Levi Rodelo, a local fishing and hunting guide with Ross Outdoor Adventures, has a special needs daughter. He took on the role of Event Coordinator. Nixon’s Marine in Pasco, Washington, donated $500 so he could purchase the rods, reels, and tackle boxes for each kid.
Levi coordinated with Potholes State Park and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), who both readily agreed to partner in the event. Levi obtained a net pen that he put next to the boat launch in the park. WDFW stocked the net pen with 250 rainbow trout, the majority being catchable size, but some were much larger.
On the morning of the event, 15 volunteers met Rodelo and McCalmant. They assigned roles to all of us, and then the kids showed up with their families at 8 AM. The special needs of the children varied. One teenager had high-functioning autism, and one child had Down syndrome. Two other kids were non-verbal and couldn’t speak.
Each child (and volunteer) was given a t-shirt to wear from C.A.S.T. for Kids, as well as their fishing rods, reels, and tackle box. Each kid was paired up with a volunteer fishing buddy/coach. Hooks were baited under bobbers, and it was time to go fishing!
The fishing wasn’t fast and furious, but everybody got to reel in one or more trout in two hours of shore fishing. With the temperature heating up, the fishing wrapped up around 10 AM.
After that, everyone involved went to a food truck brought there by Blacky’s Smokin Sweet from Othello. The owners heard about the event and wanted to participate. They refused all payment, accepted no tips, and served everyone their choice of hamburger or hot dog with fries.
The event wrapped up with every kid getting a picture with their fishing buddy, and every coach and participant received a plaque to commemorate the event. The kids absolutely loved the whole thing. Not just fishing, but being made to feel like they were the center of attention, doing something very fun.
If you want to find out more about the C.A.S.T. for Kids non-profit Foundation, go to www.castforkids.org. Once there, you can look for events near you and sign up your special needs kid. If you want to volunteer or donate, you can do that through the website as well. C.A.S.T. for Kids…They are doing some great things for some very special kids out there.
