‘We’ll find a way to get them fishing’: CAST for Kids takes ‘differently-abled’ children fishing

Published 11:00 am Thursday, July 29, 2021

CAST for Kids is looking to take about 30 “differently-abled” children fishing on Tennessee’s Harrison Bay near Chattanooga in September.

Amanda Hardin said her son Jackson, 11, went last year and is eagerly looking forward to going this year.

CAST (Catch a Special Thrill) for Kids volunteers take “differently-abled” children on their boats for a day of fishing. The events are free.

“My son Jackson Hardin participated in this last year and will be participating in it again this year,” said Amanda Hardin. “Jackson was born with spina bifida, and having this fishing experience has been amazing. It was his first time to go out on a fishing boat. He has fished off a pier before.”

She said when his first experience with CAST for Kids was over, Jackson “was so excited,” and told the man whose boat he fished on, Brian Higgins, that he couldn’t wait to fish with him again.

Murray County resident Shanna Eaton has been organizing CAST for Kids events for the past three years, and she is planning one on Harrison Bay for Saturday, Sept. 25.

“This will be our fourth year. I’m a special education teacher at Valley Point Elementary School,” she said. “I came up through Whitfield County Schools, and my husband and I have a business in Dalton. We were looking for a way that we could give back to our community and teach our kids about giving back to others.”

She said she did a Google search and found CAST for Kids, a national nonprofit organization.

“It seemed perfect,” she said. “It combined our two loves, my husband’s love for fishing and my love for working with kids.”

She said Chick-fil-A is one of the event’s sponsors and provides breakfast.

“We have volunteer boaters who are paired with our kids,” she said. “And we have shore volunteers for the kids who don’t go out on a boat. Last year, we had a child who had just had surgery and couldn’t go out. And we have some children who are just a bit leery of boats.

“They can fish from the shore. We have some children who come in wheelchairs, and we have pontoon boats that are wheelchair accessible. Any type of differently-abled child, bring them on. We’ll find a way to get them fishing.”

The children are given a fishing rod and tackle box as well as a commemorative T-shirt.

“We max out at 30 kids to keep it more personal. They go out and fish,” she said. “They come back at lunch and a church youth group cooks lunch for us. The Northwest Georgia High School Anglers Association comes and sets up a stage and we do a pretend weigh-in and all the kids are given a plaque.”

Eaton said it is not too late for parents to sign their children up.

“Just go to the CAST for Kids website (castforkids.org) and click on the Harrison Bay event,” she said. “Parents can sign their kids up, and people who want to volunteer, either on a boat or on shore, can also sign up.”

Eaton has a Facebook page called “Harrison Bay CAST for Kids Event” where people can see photos of past events and learn more about the program and find out more about becoming a sponsor.

Eaton said she would like to have a smaller event in the future closer to Dalton to help raise awareness of CAST for Kids.

“This is such a great organization and such a great program,” she said. “Every year I’ve had parents tell me this was their child’s first time fishing or first time on a boat. And it’s a great way for them to connect with other differently-abled children.”