C.A.S.T

Catch A Special Thrill Kids Foundation Program

Anna Pillow’s open-mouth smile would’ve lit up the lake’s shore at Reynolds Park in Paragould. Her legacy of bringing joy to all she was near lives on when other special needs youth make their first fish catch on a Saturday morning each May.

Mindy Tritch, Pillow’s cousin, cries talking about it.

“Anna passed away a couple of months before we got to host our first event (in 2021),” says Tritch, who started Arkansas’ first CAST (Catch A Special Thrill) for Kids Foundation program. “She loved being outside and would’ve just loved that day.”

Tritch taught and coached at Greene County Tech from 2002-2013 and was twice named Teacher of the Year. She gravitated to special-needs children there, always helping with track and field events during the Special Olympics.

Tritch’s whopper of a heart is rivaled by her servant spirit, which might be as contagious as Anna’s grins were.

Close to 200 gathered at water’s edge May 6 in Paragould for the third annual CAST. Most were volunteers, including 40 serving as ‘buddies for the day’ to 40 anxious anglers.

“For some of them, it’s their first time to go fishing,” Tritch says. “When they pull in that first fish that morning, it doesn’t matter its size, the look on their face is wonderful.”

“The thing that pulled on my heart strings was Mindy’s motivation for this event,” says Farm Bureau Insurance state sales manager Mack Wallace.

Pancake breakfast served by 4-H members launches the day, and Farm Bureau Insurance provided and cooked lunch onsite for everyone plus financial support for the program. In between, CAST aims to enrich the lives of the participating youth through fishing. Every angler receives a stocked tackle box, fishing pole/rod, t-shirt, cap, goodie bag and plaque with their photo at an awards show after the fishing.

Three participants lead in prayer, pledge and national anthem before the bait casting begins. Each child gets to angle from the bank and for one hour in a boat. Tritch’s son Hudson (15) drove one of more than 10 vessels for the first time this year. His sister, Reesie (14) does arts and crafts, and brother Fisher (11) returns as a shore volunteer.

“We do this not just necessarily for the special needs kids but for our kids to learn that we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Tritch says. “A lot of the area youth get to come out and see, that in God’s eyes, we are all created equal. We want to keep that growing. Maybe one day we can have 20 boats and do two events right here.”

The program is growing. Three other CAST events will be held this year in Arkansas: June 16 at Cabot, June 17 at Sherwood and June 18 at Springdale. Farm Bureau Insurance will be at all of them, too. Tritch says a group from Tennessee will attend the event in Paragould for direction on how to start some of these special days back home.

Tasha Pillow, no relation to Anna, comes from a fish farm family and serves as co-leader of the event in Paragould. Tritch’s dad serves as emcee for the day and many Harvest Baptist Church congregates volunteer. The crowd, including the participants’ caretakers, line both sides of the park’s street for participants to do a “run through,” Tritch says. “Everyone just goes wild. The kids love it.”

At a recent Bassmaster Classic event, Tritch was told Paragould’s event was a model for success. Her family attends 2-3 pro fishermen tournaments annually. CAST founder and former pro angler Jay Yelas, the 2002 Bassmaster Classic Champion and 2020 inductee to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, often challenges the crowds attending pro events to get involved.

“We were at an event a few years back in Florida and Jay was on stage talking about CAST,” Tritch says. “I thought, we could do that, and it could be really good. So, we visited with Jay for a while afterwards and then just came back home and ran with it.”

Pro fishing giants Hank Parker, Roland Martin, Jimmy Houston and country music star Trace Adkins endorse the program.

Yelas says: “The C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation enriches the lives of children with special needs, supports their families, and strengthens communities through the sport of fishing. We empower families and communities to celebrate children with special needs, making these children feel valued and loved so they can overcome limitations and be successful.” • https://fb.watch/kzwx9uQHvc/