Some of my fondest childhood memories are of spending summer mornings fishing with my father on Strawberry. For 29 groups of physically and mentally challenged youth and their companions, the annual C.A.S.T. (Catch A Special Thrill) event creates similar memories for participants and volunteers alike. This year's event was held last Saturday on the Soldier Creek side of Strawberry, and as always those who participated counted their time on the water as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Almost all of the kids caught at least one fish," said Valerie Harrison, the event organizer.

But of course, catching fish was secondary to the excitement participants felt as they cruised across the glassy smooth water in boats of every shape and size, in search of the sometimes elusive cutthroat and rainbow trout.

"One young man caught a 21-inch rainbow," continued Harrison, "that weighed five pounds. He also won a drawing for a free taxidermy mount, so he'll get his lunker mounted for free, courtesy of Wildlife Memories."

I wrote my first article about a C.A.S.T. event back in 2000. A friend sent me photos and the story from Washington, and I learned about the Cast for Kids Foundation. So, when shortly thereafter I was contacted by employees of the Bureau of Reclamation who announced that they too would be sponsoring a C.A.S.T. event in Utah, well, I couldn't resist.

The concept of C.A.S.T. is really straight-forward. It is an opportunity to provide a recreational experience for physically and mentally challenged youth.

"This year our participating children and their families had disabilities ranging from autism and Down Syndrome and diabetes to deafness," Harrison said. "We helped two children in wheelchairs and two who needed breathing machines."

At 7 a.m. the participants were treated to a light breakfast and then were paired up with the boats provided by the Utah Bass Federation, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, Strawberry Anglers Association and other local volunteers. Then the boats disappeared into the nooks and crannies of the reservoir in search of fish. Just before noon, all returned to the dock. Then, participants and volunteers alike were treated to lunch and an award ceremony.

Each participant received a special award, had their pictures taken and won prizes in a drawing. In all, more than 185 people assisted to make certain the participants had a memorable time.

"My companion for the day got pretty scared when my bass boat hit top speed," said Tommy Zupfer of Orem, "but when I asked him what he enjoyed most about the day, he said, 'the boat ride.' "

Volunteers from the Weber Basin Job Corps served the food, and two University of Utah students prepared Navajo fry bread, a real treat to be sure.

C.A.S.T. events are held in several states and the goal is to provide as many children as possible the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

The organizers wish to thank the DWR, Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands, the Uinta National Forest, Outdoor Resources Foundation, the BLM, and other sponsors and volunteers too numerous to mention that made this year's event a smashing success.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C5.