Island Anglers First Annual Venice Beach Florida Fishing Event
By Founder Gary A. Anderson
The Island Anglers dot com
Like a hurricane building in strength, the Catch A Special Thrill (C.A.S.T. For Kids) Island Anglers First Annual Venice Beach Florida Fishing Event was a moment frozen in time as special thrill makers greeted thirty-seven girls and boys from Sarasota County Boys & Girls Club, Florida at the entrance to Sharky's on the Pier. The Island Anglers presented the first Venice, Florida C.A.S.T. For Kids event along with co-host, WSRZ 107.9 FM radio Candy Girl, producer of Cruise-In Hour. The Venice Beach fishing fundraiser was a first ever C.A.S.T. For Kids Foundation saltwater shore bound event. Since their inception in 1991, C.A.S.T. has utilized Captains with their vessels in producing a million smiles worldwide. Venice, Florida marks the first with The Island Anglers utilizing its members as Pier Captains in guiding young minds to becoming better stewards to the marine environment around them through their efforts in passing on life skills of 'Positive Mentoring through Fishing', The Island Anglers mission statement.
The children, each assigned to a Pier Captain, ranging in groups of one to four, joined their teammates as each Pier Captain guided and supervised his team, while fishing on the Venice City Pier. Pier Masters, volunteers to the event, joined in by roving the boards and supervising the Pier Captains with their fishing teams while members of the Venice Police Marine Patrol Officers Phil Phillips & Betty Camp, Florida Wildlife Commission Law Enforcement Officer Michael Rodgers and Rich Abrams, Environmental Specialist FWC - Division of Marine Fisheries Management, offered additional guidance and direction to all.
A special thanks to the staff of Sharky's on the Pier, providing food & beverages for the C.A.S.T. For Kids Classic Car Show Benefit, along with the City of Venice, Florida providing support and the usage of Brohard Park in displaying the cars on their newly paved beach parking lot, coupled with over one hundred local and national sponsors made these events possible.
Area local marine artist Brendan Coudal and their business Dockside Store LLC donated bait, as local and national corporations donated gifts as door prizes and raffles with icons such as Shakespeare Fishing, Guy Harvey Inc. and Treves Tumbler, to name but a few. The children fished from nine until eleven-thirty in the morning, returning back under the covered area provided by Sharky's on the Pier for their plaques and lunch, provided by Co-founder Mike Cavallo of The Island Anglers and his beautiful wife Karen, our Pier Mom. Robert Stewart took the plaque photographs for the event, while my lovely daughter, Thisha Anderson, followed up with the action shots from the boards on the city pier. The day ended as the children had the opportunity of viewing their first Classic Car Show. This allowed the registrants of the Car Show to see just where their registration fees went too, kids and smiles.
Special thanks and a round of applause to all of The Island Anglers members, as well Captain Mike Zgrabik. Also thanks for the visiting of Captain Lamar, Captain George and Sandy Kostick of the Ft. Myers area in the lending of a hand. To all involved, you are now special thrill makers and to this, I salute you.
All in all a great day on the water with each child receiving a Zebco rod & reel, Plano tackle box, Eagle Claw terminal tackle, a hat, T-shirt, plaque memorializing their day and memories of Catching A Special Thrill.
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