“There is nothing like showing people a good time fishing”. Those words of wisdom come from C.A.S.T. for Kids event coordinator Thomas Boyd of Westlake, CA. Thomas coordinated his first C.A.S.T. event when he was a sophomore at Westlake High School, and this summer he coordinated his 3rd C.A.S.T. event in Westlake Village, CA.
Thomas learned about the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation by searching online for volunteer opportunities related to fishing. “The more I learned about C.A.S.T., the more it drew me in”, he said, “watching all the videos C.A.S.T. posts inspired me to definitely get involved. I said to myself, ‘this is something I’d love to do!’, and I reached out to C.A.S.T.”
“Coordinating a C.A.S.T. for Kids event these past three years has been a dream experience. I have a great group of support, and we work together to give the kids a great day. I think we get more out of the event than the kids do. There is nothing like helping someone catch their first fish.”
“I remember my first fish – it was a pike, and I’ll never forget it! Watching a child catch their first fish at a C.A.S.T. for Kids event brings you back to your first fish and it’s a neat experience. Fishing is something given to you by someone else. Someone has to take the time to share their love and passion for fishing with you. My family has done that with me, and I have done that with my friends. That’s what we do at C.A.S.T. for Kids.”
Thomas says “coordinating a C.A.S.T. for Kids event has been a great experience for me, and I encourage other young people to get involved. Besides the wonderful fishing experience, you learn so many other skills related to leadership and working with people from different backgrounds.”
Thomas will be attending Dartmouth University in the fall, and he hopes to get a new C.A.S.T. for Kids event started in New Hampshire while at college. In the meanwhile, he has passed off the coordinating of his Westlake Village event to his friend who will be a high school senior next year. We wish them both all the best!
