Kansas State Troopers bring the "Thrill" to the Heartland
| By: | Tom Spencer K-241
Kansas State Trooper |
The forecast didn't look promising. The weatherman was calling for rain for most of the weekend. Storms were going to hit and hit hard. The Wichita Metro area was told to prepare, for up to 80 mile an hour winds. We were right in its path. The first annual Cast for Kids event in El Dorado, Kansas at El Dorado Lake was scheduled for bright and early Saturday morning, June 17th. And, just as scheduled, the storms hit just past midnight on that day. It rained endlessly and the wind blew for hours. But at about 5:00 AM, the storm moved on making way for the event to carry on as planned.
It was our first annual event so the planning, the organizing, and the execution were all done on a trial and error basis. Finding volunteer helpers, boaters, cooks, and even moral supporters was the easy part. We found many good people anxious to lend a hand to a wonderful cause. The donations flowed in steadily and upon getting the word out to the schools, the kids started to call to reserve their spot on a boat. A total of thirty boaters, thirty-five volunteers and 32 kids arrived at Shady Creek Marina on that cloudy, but cool morning to "catch a special thrill."
It was "organized chaos" during the sign in and matching up process as we tried to get the kids to stick around and get their photo taken with their boater, if he had returned from putting his rig in the water. The Kansas Highway Patrol and Kansas State Troopers Association were the largest contributors to the event of both funds and volunteers and the Kansas Highway Patrol "Road Dog", was on hand, to have his picture taken with the kids. Master Trooper Raul Carrillo (K40) had the honor of being "Road Dog" for the day.
Master Trooper Brent Lies (K-93) spoke to everyone about occupant protection and the importance of wearing a seatbelt, not only for safety, but because it's the law. Trooper Lies also showed off his new car, a Dodge Charger. The Patrol now has 15 of the new Chargers on the roads of Kansas. There were a lot of dads that were very interested in the states newest vehicle. Trooper Dale Brooks (K-125) and his dog "Nitro" were a big hit. Nitro was truly in his element as all the kids smothered him with hands as Trooper Brooks explained his job and what Nitro can do given the task. Lt. Jimmie Atkinson (K-110) had set up a display and video that explained the Patrols goals and responsibilities to the citizens of Kansas. The El Dorado Fire Department had its twenty-eight foot fire trailer there and gave fire safety demonstrations. Kansas Wildlife and Parks Conservation Officer Jason Barker and his dog also made the rounds and spoke about their responsibilities in the Metro area.
Finally, at 9:00 AM, after an impromptu water safety course and a doughnut, we turned everyone loose on the water. Look out fish, here they come! One of the first "fishermen" to return was a gorgeous little eight year old girl Nina. She had a huge smile on her face and when I asked her if she had caught fish she said, "no, I just wanted to go really FAST!" So that's what they did. They jumped waves and wakes, did a few doughnuts and squiggly turns and left the fish alone. Her big brother Tanner, on the other hand, caught several fish and even got a prize for catching one of the biggest.
Top fish honors went to a seven year old, little girl, named Kenna. She was paired with the only Walleye fisherman (Mark Joy) and caught a 19" Walleye. Most of our boaters came from several local and nationally recognized Bass organizations. My special thanks to members of Chisholm Trail Bass Club, Southwinds Bass Club, Jayhawk Bass Busters, ESPN Bass Master Series, Wal-mart Stren Series and American Bass Anglers.
Lunch was hamburgers and hot dogs grilled up fresh by Kansas State Troopers and their families. Fishing must be hard work because everyone seemed to work up quite an appetite. When everyone had their fill, there wasn't much more than a crumb left.
Awards, plaques complete with the kids pictures, and participation certificates were handed out just before the next round of rain clouds moved into the area. Captain Alan Stoecklein (K-458) and several other Troop F Troopers were on hand to congratulate the participants on their efforts. Several dads said this was the best "Fathers Day" that they could ever hope to have with their children. Now that just about says it all about this event.
However, Troopers also personally delivered Official Invitations to all of the children and several families commented on what an awesome experience that was for the whole family. One father stated that the image of that Trooper (who by the way was Trooper Matt Mullen K-423) walking up his driveway delivering the invitation will forever be ingrained in his mind. He said it was a wonderful experience he and his family will never forget. One Trooper told me out of all of the programs he had done over the years nothing compared to this event. He said he would never forget it. Many volunteers, families, and boaters made the same or similar comments about the event and the Kansas State Troopers they had gotten to know. My Special thanks to Cindy Miller and Lisa Fleetwood (www.onthesidelinesphotography.com) who captured the great smiles and moments, of this awesome event. Visit her web site to view many other photos captured of this event. The photos tell the story much better than it could ever be written.
This special event was given a chance by the grace of God and a lot of huge hearted Kansas State Troopers, boaters and volunteers. The first annual event was such a success that I'd be willing to bet that there will be a bigger and better second annual event next year. Catch a Special Thrill!!! We did!!!
|
(Click on a picture to enlarge)
|
