CAST offers fishing and fun

By TAMIKA MATTHEWS/For the Potomac News and Manassas Journal Mesenger
Published: September 7, 2008

Plenty of people go fishing in Woodbridge’s Leesylvania State Park every day. But Sunday, the park welcomed a very special group of children for the CAST for Kids fishing event.

CAST, which stands for “Catch a Special Thrill,” hosts children with special needs, including conditions such as autism or Down Syndrome and allows them the chance to experience fun and exciting new outdoor opportunities.

More than 40 volunteers came out for the event. Twenty-seven boat captains volunteered their time — and boats — to take the children and families fishing on the Potomac River.

David Judd was a boat captain on the sunny Sunday. Judd, in his third year with the CAST event, has no special needs children involved with the program. He does it simply because he loves it.
“I truly enjoy this and what this is all about,” he said. “I love the excitement and I love helping them create memories to last a lifetime.“

“I truly appreciate these volunteers,” said Lt. Col. Todd DeLong of Fort Belvoir, whose 18-year-old daughter Megan has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. “I appreciate their efforts. These captains dedicate their own time, their own gas and their own boats to offer these kids something. I’m glad to see that type of support.“

DeLong recognizes what events like these bring to families of children with special needs.

“Special needs children don’t always get to do things like this all the time,” he said. “This is our first experience with [Megan] on a boat, and she loved it. I appreciate things like that.”

As children disembarked the boats at the end of the fishing trip, volunteers stood at the ready with cameras to take photos of youngsters proudly displaying their fresh catches.

The photos were presented to the families in a plaque during an award ceremony later in the day.

Volunteer Robert Deal was participating in his third CAST for Kids event. He said the program has become much more streamlined since he first became involved. “We’ve worked out a lot of the kinks in getting the kids on the river to fish, not waiting in line.”
One thing has been constant for Deal. “The looks on the kids’ faces don’t change from year to year,” he said. “You can’t beat that.”

The fishing may have ended, but the fun didn’t. Plenty of activities waited for families as they came back to the park.

Lowes set up a supervised booth for children to build their own fire trucks and crafts. Customs and Border Protection, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, brought a pair of puppies being primed to become detector dogs. The Raptor Conservancy of Virginia displayed resident birds used for educational purposes.

Smokey the Bear also made a visit, reminding families of the importance of forest fire awareness.

Scott Campbell is the former president and executive director of Parents of Autistic Children of Northern Virginia and a board member of the Autism Society of America. He brought his two children, Meagan, 11, and Ian, 10, to the CAST for kids event for the third time. Ian is autistic while Meagan has a mild learning disability.

“It was a great morning,” he said. “He [Ian] got a great catch and Meagan caught a few perch.”

Campbell called the event the “best special needs event, and I’ve been to a lot.” Like DeLong, he shared the opinion of how important it was to let his children experience things outside the house.

“CAST gives you a chance to get out of the house and do stuff you wouldn’t normally do. Many families with special needs never get out of the house,” he said. “But you can’t just sit in the house. Just get out there and do it.”

Campebell added he keeps his children involved in sports, such as adaptive aquatics, soccer and Challenger baseball to stay active.

Leesylvania State Park Chief Ranger Sarah Phillips enjoyed the experience as well. She has volunteered for several wheelchair camps in the past, mainly in Colorado, and she was excited to find the CAST for Kids program after moving to the area.

“This has always been something that’s just called to me. I’m glad to be a part of it,” she said. “Seeing the smiles is the best. For them to be around people who aren’t staring at them, making them feel bad, is a great thing. This turned out even better than I expected. The weather was great, we had extra boats for more families to go out and everyone was happy to help.”

Tamika Matthews is the sports editor of the Belvoir Eagle.