Roger Williams Park & Zoo
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Little state……BIG SMILES
By: Russ Thetonia
Well I just hosted my first C.A.S.T. event and can honestly say it was one of the most gratifying experiences in my life to date. I am 39 years old, my name is Russ Thetonia and I am as hooked on C.A.S.T. as I am on fishing in general.
Our event was held in my home state of Rhode Island. We chose the "Temple of Music" at Roger Williams Park & Zoo dead in the heart of our capitol city. This location was perfect with its graduated shoreline, scenic marble temple, maintained boat launch, rolling lawns and nearby nationally acclaimed Zoo. A "meet and greet" from Lieutenant Governor Fogarty was greatly appreciated as support came in from all sides.
The children at our event came from 4 local agencies, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Hasbro Children's Hospital, the Trudeau Center and the Frank O'lean Center. Of the 36 children registered, we had a turnout of 29 which, considering the rain made me very happy. This also allowed us to outfit quite a few siblings so there will be fishing partners to enjoy this sport with in the future. Our goal, as a committee, was to teach the parents as well as the children and outfit the "family" with not just the equipment but the knowledge of how to use it so a future trip can now be attempted with confidence.
A word about the parents:
I have received many emails and a few drawings via snail mail to thank me for the day. I truly appreciate all the kind words but I feel I need to reiterate one strong point.
The parents are the real heroes here. Day in and day out, they are there. We just give them a chance to see their precious child smile. Something they don't get to see enough of. The time and effort we donate is MINIMAL when compared to the real heroes in our communities, the parents.
I can't thank the volunteers enough for their time & support. For this event, things really fell into place when the Rhode Island B.A.S.S. Youth Director Mike Broggi and Carol Baker from the Telecom Pioneers got on board. A great big "THANKS" to them as well as everybody else who contributed in a wide manner of ways.
A special "Thank You" also to Glenn May from www.BassResource.com. Glenn's forum is where I was introduced to this amazing foundation, via Glenn himself.
And lastly, thank you to Jim Owens and Art Pasley from the C.A.S.T. for Kids foundation. They both assured me that C.A.S.T. WOULD NOT LET ME FAIL. They walked with me through the whole process lending support in a number of ways, always making me feel that the decision to do this was definitely the right one. A support team is critical and the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation certainly embodies this sentiment.
I can't say who got more out of the day, the hosts or the guests. I suppose that is a sure sign of success! Can't wait for the next one!!!
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