News Release Archive

CAST for Kids Reels in Whopper of Fun

Media Contact: John Redding , (208) 378-5212

For Release: July 02, 2003

Children with a wide range of disabilities will have the opportunity to reel in a whopper of a good time as they join some enthusiastic volunteers during the sixth annual C.A.S.T. for Kids event scheduled for Prineville Reservoir on Sunday, July 13.

C.A.S.T., which stands for Catch a Special Thrill, offers children with disabilities and terminal illnesses an opportunity to enjoy a day of fishing at Prineville Reservoir State Park, near Prineville, Oregon.

For some kids, this is their first experience fishing, said Barbara Lesser of the Bureau of Reclamations Bend Field Office. For the volunteers, its a great opportunity to be part of a special experience that these children will remember for a lifetime.

The children invited range in age from 7-16 years old and have a variety of physical or developmental disabilities and, in some cases, a terminal illness. Each participant will receive fishing gear, a tee shirt, and a hat, Lesser said.

The state bass anglers societies work under the large umbrella of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS). Volunteers from the Central Oregon BASS Club will provide fishing boats and expertise to assist novice anglers. The morning fishing events will be followed by a barbecue lunch hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Prineville.

The Crook County Sheriffs Department will be assisting with parking and traffic control and the Prineville Fire Department will be providing emergency services for the event.

Local donors in our community are key to this event. Bait and tackle for this years C.A.S.T. event is being donated by Moonlight Marine in Bend, and Pepsi products for the event will be donated by the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Bend for the fourth consecutive year. Water bottles will be provided for the participants, as they have been in the previous three years, by Les Schwab Tire Centers of Central Oregon and the Coca Cola Bottling Company of Oregon in Bend. Royal Blend Coffee will also contribute coffee and condiments for the event, as they have for the past two years.

Partners include: C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation; Bureau of Reclamation; Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department, Central Oregon Bass Club, Kiwanis Club of Prineville, Crook County Sheriffs Department, Prineville Fire Department, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Volunteers for the event are members of the Veterans Club of Prineville.

Prineville Reservoir is impounded by Arthur R. Bowman Dam, located on the Crooked River about 20 miles from Prineville, Oregon.

For more background information about the event, contact Shari Kohlbecker at Bureau of Reclamation, Suite 100, 1150 North Curtis Road, Boise ID 83706-1234 or (208) 378-5050 or visit the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation official website at www.castforkids.org.

For information about the July 13th event, contact, Barbara Lesser, Bend Field Office (541) 389-6541 x 223. In the event of rain the C.A.S.T. event will be canceled.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.