News Release Archive

C.A.S.T. for Kids Event Scheduled in Prineville

Media Contact: John Redding, (208) 378-5212, jredding@pn.usbr.gov
Barbara Lesser, blesser@pn.usbr.gov

For Release: July 12, 2006

Children with a wide range of disabilities will have the opportunity to reel in a whopper of a good time as they join enthusiastic volunteers during the ninth annual C.A.S.T. for Kids fishing event at Prineville Reservoir State Park near Prineville, Oregon, on Sunday, July 23. C.A.S.T. stands for Catch a Special Thrill.

"For some kids, this is their first experience fishing," said local coordinator Barbara Lesser of the Bureau of Reclamation's Bend Field Office. "For the volunteers, it's a great opportunity to be part of a special experience that these children will remember for a lifetime."

"The participants range in age from 7-16 years old and have a variety of physical and/ or developmental disabilities and, in some cases, a terminal illness. Each participant will receive fishing gear, a t-shirt, and a hat," Lesser said. There are still 5 available openings for qualified applicants.

Volunteers from the Central Oregon BASS Club will provide fishing boats and expertise to assist novice anglers. The state bass anglers societies work under the umbrella of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. The morning fishing events will be followed by a barbecue lunch donated for the first time by Brothers' Family Diner in Prineville and hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Prineville. The Crook County Sheriff's Office will be assisting with parking, traffic control and marine patrol.

Since there is no local budget, donors in the community are critical to the ongoing success of this annual event. DiLusso Bakery Café in Bend will once again donate coffee for the early morning volunteers and Ray's Food Place in Prineville will donate donuts and ice for the 4th year. Pepsi products for the event will be donated for the 7th consecutive year by the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Bend. Water bottles will be provided for the participants for the 3rd year by Earth2O in Madras. Tackle will be donated by Mister Twister. New donors and volunteers are needed and always welcome.

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, and Crook County Sheriff's Office. Sid Carter and members of the Crook County Unit 29 American Legion/Ladies Auxiliary of Prineville will be volunteering once again, as they have for the past 5 years.

To register, volunteer, and for information about the July 23rd event, contact local coordinator, Barbara Lesser, Bureau of Reclamation, Bend Field Office at (541) 389-6541, Ext 223. In the rare event of rain, the C.A.S.T. event will be canceled.

For more background information about the program, contact regional coordinator, Shari Kohlbecker at the Bureau of Reclamation Regional Office, 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.

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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.