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C.A.S.T. for Kids 2007
Congratulations to Potomac Bassmasters of Virginia club
members for their unrelenting support of the 2007 C.A.S.T. for Kids event. The
event was an overwhelming success and the club provided six (6) fishing boats
and two (2) volunteer coordinators. This was the second C.A.S.T. for Kids held
in the Potomac region and the location this year was Leesylvania State Park. The
event venue, attendee turnout, sponsorships and fish caught were simply
outstanding. The children along with their parents, boaters and volunteers had
a wonderful time and none of the participants will ever forget that special day
in September.
Once again a huge thank you goes to Butch Sickler, C.A.S.T.
for Kids event coordinator. Butch’s drive and determination moved us all. He
made a difference in the lives of these children in ways that we will never
know. This was Butch’s last year as event coordinator as he is retiring from
government service and moving out of the region. We extend our heartfelt thanks
to Butch for his great work and for caring so much. Potomac Bassmasters of
Virginia looks forward to supporting this worthy cause for years to come.
A letter from Butch Sickler to Potomac Bassmasters of
Virginia.
Hi Arnold,
Now that the 2007 C.A.S.T. for Kids event is "in the Live
Well," I want to take this opportunity to thank you and all of the Potomac Bass
Masters of Virginia Club Members who participated in our September 8 event. To
be honest with you Arnold, without the generous contributions of you and your
members, there is absolutely no way that we would have had sufficient boats to
put every child on the water. As it turns out, we had 37 child participants
for the bass boats and we had exactly 37 bass boats....one can't cut it any
closer than that.
While the boating and fishing experience for special needs
kids is the focus of C.A.S.T. for Kids events, you and your members did so much
more on Saturday than help the children take perhaps their very first boat ride
and catch most likely their very first fish. What you and Potomac Bass Masters
of Virginia brought to the lives of these brave children and families was
something that can't be measured. You brought smiles, you brought joy, you
brought knowledge, and in the space of 2-3 short hours, you brought a new world
to both the child and parent that will be theirs in the future to explore.
One parent wrote to me after the event and told me that
they were very reluctant initially to have their child go on a boat and fish
because they did not know how patient their child would be or how he would react
to being out on the water. They stated that they had never attempted doing
anything such as this because of their fear for him and his safety. The parent
then went on to say that while they were out fishing on the boat on Saturday,
they were so unbelievably impressed with how calm, reassuring, and helpful their
Boat Captain was with their child, that they now have the confidence to not only
take him fishing again, but to explore other new and challenging things with him
that they otherwise would not have attempted.
This, as you know Arnold, is what the C.A.S.T. for Kids
events are all about -- having fun, building bridges, and making a difference is
the lives of children with special needs. I cannot thank you and your guys
enough for everything that you and they did to help make our 2007 event so
exciting, safe, rewarding and memorable. I do hope that you share my thanks
with all of the members of your club so that they know how much their
contributions were appreciated.
Also, if you 2-3 minutes available for me at a future club
meeting, please let me know as I would love to drop by to thank all of you in
person.
Thanks again and take care,
Butch
(703) 286-4557
As we collect photos from the event they will be posted in
the photos section of this site.
If you would like more information about C.A.S.T for Kids
please contact Butch Sickler or visit their website listed below. PBV looks
forward to partnering with CAST for Kids in 2007 and making next year’s event an
even bigger success.
Website:
http://www.castforkids.org/
Email: ronald.sickler@dhs.gov
or
castforkidsva@aol.com
Phone: W - (703) 286-4557 or H - (571) 264-5002
Address: C.A.S.T. for Kids, c/o Butch Sickler, P.O. Box 686, Newington, VA
22122-0686
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