Catching a Special Thrill in the Desert
It's always a treat, especially for me, to kick off the C.A.S.T. season with an event in Phoenix. Why? Well where I live, in Seattle, in mid-April, it's about 35 degrees and raining. In Phoenix, it's about 80-90 and sunny. I think you understand now why I'm eager to go.
But this year when I arrived the afternoon before, it sure didn't look good. There was like an Arizona tornado or something going on. Winds were gusting up to 50-60 miles an hour and the air was just filled with dust. I mean it was nasty. I was very afraid that it would last through the next day and force us to cancel our event. I went to bed that night with the wind pounding my window and fearing the worst.
But when I woke up early Saturday, it was quit. I got up and looked out the window and it was absolutely beautiful; the sun was out and there was just a gentle breeze. Game on!
By the time I got to Lake Pleasant things were in full swing. Tents were up, rods & reel strung t-shirts out, and volunteers running every which way getting the final things together.
This year's event hosted 46 special needs kids. We were thrilled to have a new group participate this year; A Hand of Hope. They work with children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. They all wore these great t-shirts that had "Got Hope" across the front. Pretty cool!
The fishing itself was good, with several kids bringing in bass up to 5lbs. The Arizona Bass Federation Anglers that took the kids out were very jealous of that one.
Probably the most touching moment of the day was during the awards ceremony when we had out plaques, trophies, and goody bags to all the kids. One of our favorites, Jonathan Coleman, who is blind and has been coming for the past 4 years, asked me if he could make an announcement. I said of course. What Jonathan wanted to tell everyone was that his special friend and fishing buddy had pasted away. He said "You know, I thought he would always be going out in the boat fishing with me. I guess not" There wasn't a dry eye in the house, not even mine.
I think what this so clearly shows, is how special life is, and how every moment is important for many of these kids. And how is a privilege for us to be able to spend some of these moments helping to "Catch A Special Thrill", as we catch one too.
Thankx to all of our Partners and Sponsors that help make this event possible, especially the Bureau of Reclamation and its caring and dedicated employees that give so much of their time to these kids.
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