News Release Archive

Reclamation Hosts 14th Annual C.A.S.T. for Kids – Let’s Move Outside! Event at Lake Mead Saturday

Media Contact: Rose Davis, 702-293-8421, jdavis@usbr.gov

For Release: October 02, 2012

BOULDER CITY, Nev – With visions of boats, tackle, and wriggling catches, about 40 disabled, developmentally-challenged or disadvantaged participants from throughout the Las Vegas valley will enjoy a morning on the water and learn the art of fishing. The Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Region Office is hosting the 2012 C.A.S.T. (Catch a Special Thrill) for Kids/Let’s Move Outside! event Saturday, Oct. 6 2012, at Lake Mead’s Las Vegas Boat Harbor/Lake Mead’s Hemenway Harbour from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

C.A.S.T. for Kids is a water-recreation event providing children and adults with disabilities or who are economically disadvantaged a day for an on-the-water fishing experience they may not have had before. The Region’s Boulder City office C.A.S.T for Kids event incorporates the Department of the Interior’s Let’s Move Outside! initiative to encourage healthy lifestyles and outdoor activity. Let’s Move Outside is an integral component of the First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign to reduce childhood obesity. The Region’s Phoenix Area Office also hosts a C.A.S.T. event at Lake Pleasant with Arizona partners annually in spring.

As part of its participation in Let’s Move Outside, Reclamation has updated its long-standing relationship with the C.A.S.T. Foundation to promote the health benefits of physical activity and fishing for disabled and disadvantaged youth around the country. Upwards of 1,000 kids each year are able to engage in hands-on fishing activities at 30 different Reclamation sites through C.A.S.T./Let’s Move Outside! programs. The activities engage participants from all backgrounds in a range of educational programs and self-guided activities in America’s Great Outdoors.

“Being selected as part of this initiative is a big plus for the Lake Mead event and the national program,” said Regional Office C.A.S.T. event coordinator Phil Aurit. “This is our 14th C.A.S.T. event and we are coupling a fun, outdoor fishing experience with healthy eating choices and an expanded emphasis on recycling.” Regardless of their fishing luck, each participant will receive fishing gear, a C.A.S.T. T-shirt and cap, trophies, commemorative awards, and other gift items. Volunteers also receive a large dose of “warm and fuzzy” from assisting the novice anglers. “Every safety precaution is being taken to ensure a safe outdoor experience,” Aurit said. “All anglers must wear life vests while fishing, and like last year, the kids will fish only from pontoon boats tied to the dock. Also, the best fishing on the lake is at the boat dock which is normally closed to fishing.”

In addition to Reclamation, volunteer agencies include the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the National Park Service. Sponsors and organizational participants include the Nevada Striper Club, Give me A Break, Inc., AmeriFace, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Southern Nevada, the Knights of Columbus, the Nevada Bass Anglers, Blind Center of Nevada, the Las Vegas Boat Harbor, and the Railroad Pass Hotel and Casino. Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is arranging a special guest appearance by “Coastie,” its robotic tugboat and mascot.

“C.A.S.T. for Kids has proven to be a wonderful activity in which children with disabilities and special needs can participate as their abilities permit,” said Scherrie Adams-Ambre, executive director of Give me A Break, Inc. “In the 10 years that Give me A Break, Inc., (GAB, Inc.) has partnered with the C.A.S.T. for Kids Program, we have seen the amount of love that has been expressed to the families participating continue to grow each year,” Adam-Ambre added. “Families that GAB, Inc., has invited to participate in C.A.S.T. for Kids have expressed to us how much they enjoyed the event.”

“We are extremely proud to again partner with C.A.S.T. for Kids for this very special event,” said Debbie Oliver, executive director of AmeriFace, a national nonprofit community organization headquartered in Las Vegas. “And it’s a privilege to work with volunteers from Reclamation and local fishing clubs to bring smiles to the faces of these children.” Oliver noted that pediatric patients born with a condition known as cleft lip and palate, the most common birth defect in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control, undergo several facial reconstructive surgeries by the time they reach elementary school age.

“Ongoing medical care often leaves little time for leisure activities like fishing and boating,” Oliver said.

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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.