For 20 years C.A.S.T. has had the privilege of partnering with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to host anywhere from 15 to 20 events a year. Each event is fantastic in its own special way and the Lake Shasta event, held annually in late June, is no exception. Event Coordinator Shari Harral has been dedicated to making the event a success for going on 13 years, but she prefers to defer credit to her planning team. “There are three amazing people who help make this happen”, remarked Harral. Fellow Reclamation Staffer, Tami Corn has become Harral’s right hand and her tireless efforts with all administrative tasks keep everything moving forward. Cheri Rahm, the wife of a former Reclamation employee, has taken the lead for the meal portions of the event purchasing the food, then preparing it all for breakfast and lunch. Cheri chops up all the fresh fruit for the morning and makes incredible baked beans and potato salad for lunch. Lake Shasta has become known for it’s wonderful food spread!
In addition, Matt Doyle, the manager of Lake Shasta Caverns has become another indispensable part of the Lake Shasta event. He has donated their huge Cavern Queen patio boat for the last 11 years and although there have been a few years where not many kids went on the Cavern Queen, to Matt that does not matter. Even if it was one child he would be there and ready to do anything to make sure that every single one of these special kids gets the opportunity to experience the magic of the event.
When reflecting upon her involvement with the C.A.S.T. programs, Harral states, “For me, my favorite time is in the early morning as the children start to arrive. There is excitement in the air with the anticipation of what the new day will bring for these kids (you can actually feel it!). The prospect of catching the “Big One” or just getting to go out on Shasta Lake is a very special treat for them. As the volunteers smear the kids with sun screen you can see delight on their faces. That to me this is the pinnacle of why we all do this. Their joy is pure. Of course, then the rest of the day becomes a big blur until the day is done and we can all reflect on what an amazing thing C.A.S.T. For Kids really is. It is giving, pure and simple and there is nothing better than that.” We couldn’t agree more!
