C.A.S.T. (Catch a Special Thrill) for Kids Foundation is used to reeling in a good time for kids with special needs by providing recreational fishing experience, but this year almost left them fishing for a new spot.
The foundation provides disabled and disadvantaged children with the outdoor recreational experience of fishing. Each year, the C.A.S.T. for Kids events gather children in various parts of the country, pair them with volunteers and take them out fishing. The event has been hosted in Lake Washington for over 20 years.
But this year, there was a glitch to the plan.
Jessica Kelley, operations manager at C.A.S.T., heard a rumor earlier this year about fishing closures in major lakes, including Lake Washington. Since the state and tribal fishery were unable to agree on this year’s the salmon fishing season, fishing closure in all of Puget Sound marine areas, including Lake Washington, was imposed starting May 1.
But Kelley was determined not to cancel the event, and figure out a way to hold it.
“I wasn’t going to wait to see if they were going to sign the contract in time,” she said.
After considering changing the date, and location, she decided that changing the format of the event would be the best way to ensure kids would still have a great time.
Thankfully, the foundation faced a similar problem earlier in the year with their Fishing Kids event. That event is designed for kids ages 5-14 and aims to promote fishing as a leisure activity. Because of the restrictions, Kelley was able to request a special rule from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to bring in fish and stock nets so the kids are able to fish from shore.
After obtaining the OK from WDFW for net fishing, the C.A.S.T. for Kids event was officially on. The next step for Kelley was to figure out how to make it worthwhile. Since the usual main attraction of the event was kids being able to fish from boats, she secured boat rides for kids who were interested.
Kelley added additional activities, including a crafting station, a casting game to teach kids how to use a rod, a crafting station, face painting and a fish cleaning station. Not to mention, photo ops with the Sea Gals and a diver from the Renton Fire Water Safety Team to interact with the kids.
With all of the kinks smoothed out with WDFW, the city and other key partners, the event was set to go. Registration was finally open and the wheels started turning. Until a week after registration was open, that was, when on Aug. 11 Kelley got notice that WDFW lifted the fishing restriction, opening Lake Washington for C.A.S.T. again.
“I just spent a ton of money I don’t need — perfect!” Kelley said. “So I took a few days to calm down and think about it,” she said. “And I came to the conclusion that it’s too late to change any of that and it’s too late to put anything back to where it was. The kids are going to choose their own adventure. They’ll get to go out fishing in the lake if they want. Or go fishing in the shore if they want. Or do both!”
Now, with a new event format, Kelley said she’s going full-swing for the event and is excited to see the smile in the kids’ faces. Thanks to the new format and additional activities, the foundation is able to accommodate 50 kids this year, 10 more than previous years.
“This event is a part of me,” Kelley said on why she works tirelessly for this event. “I have been doing this for about 25 years. I volunteered for events for years, and few year ago, I started working at the office. This is something that is so simple and gives people happiness… People get hooked on this. People get that happy, fuzzy, loving feeling; they feel it that day and they want to do it again. It’s cool to be a part of that.”
The event is scheduled 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park, 1201 Lake Washington Blvd. N. For more information, visit http://castforkids.org/event/lakewashington/
