Cast It Forward enriches young lives one fish at a time

When he retired from his position as an industrial salesman, Art Panfil promised himself that whatever came next would be something he wanted to do, not something he needed to do.

"Being in the out of doors, experiencing what you can only experience being with Mother Nature, is something that's always had a positive effect on me," Panfil said.

Regardless of how an expedition goes, good or bad, he said, it's something that transforms you for the better.

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So, in 2021, Panfil tapped into his lifelong passion for nature to found Cast It Forward, a nonprofit providing fishing opportunities to children, veterans, seniors or anyone else interested in the program who otherwise wouldn't find their way onto the water.

"I wanted to be able to share that with other people, especially, I think, with kids because they're pulled in so many different directions," Panfil said.

He hopes Cast It Forward provides them with a chance to get into a relatively low-cost sport that they can spend a lifetime pursuing.

Each fishing trip is an all-expenses-paid excursion onto Lake Erie on Panfil's 23-foot-long Hewescraft Pro V fishing boat named "Good Trouble." Cast It Forward supplies equipment to the anglers Panfil takes out on the lake, even going so far as to make sure the young ones have something to carry their fishing journey forward after that first day on the water is over.

"When we're done, we always gift the kids a fishing rod and tackle box so they've got something to take with them," Panfil said.

Every participant, young or old, is provided with gear and safety equipment, lunch, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, a fishing hat and a cooler packed with ice to keep catches fresh. Participants keep the cooler and the fish.

Cast It Forward was recently named one of 33 organizations awarded a total of $55,000 in grants through the Millennium Fund for Children, a partnership of the Akron Beacon Journal and the Akron Community Foundation. Since the Millennium Fund launched in 1999, it has distributed nearly $950,000 in grants to local groups that benefit children in the region.

Cast it Forward is using its $2,000 Millennium Fund grant to help finance fishing trips for children next year.

Enriching people's lives is something Panfil finds fulfilling. It's part of what he calls the "cast-it-forward mentality," the idea that good people helping one another has a cascading effect. Not only is he positively impacting the lives of the people he takes fishing, but those participant's families as well.

Casting a wider net in the future

Though it's a small group, Cast It Forward is a full-time endeavor. The organization is operated by only six people, including Panfil.

"We don't draw a salary," he said. "We do it for the sake of doing it and giving back to the community."

Even with its skeleton crew, Cast It Forward has been able to organize more than 40 trips during its inaugural season resulting in 156 people going out to the lake. Generally, Panfil said, trips run between April 1 and November 1 — but that can vary based on a number of factors.

"We'll pick and choose depending upon the participant," he said. "If it's somebody a little bit younger and a little bit more hardy, we can maybe take them out in weather that's maybe a little bit colder or a lake that's a little rougher." The group has rescheduled before, though, to make sure it is providing the best experience possible.

The plan is to organize even more trips for the coming year — perhaps 50. Panfil said he's already got people on the books.

"We're looking to, in two years, add another boat and double our capacity," Panfil said. "I've got a friend that can run a boat, so instead of being able to do 50 or 60 a year, we'll be able to do 100 or 120 a year. But again, that all comes down to funding."

As a nonprofit, Cast It Forward runs on donations. It's done well so far, but to continue operating at its current level and grow, it needs all the help it can get. Donations can be through the website.

Panfil likes to think big, something he learned from a career in sales.

"If you think small, you're going to be small," he said.

Even if Cast It Forward never gets any bigger, he'd be happy with what he's done. Still, he sees expansion on the horizon.

"I think the potential to grow and reach more lives is there, and I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen," Panfil said.

Anyone interested in setting up a fishing trip, volunteering or who has a question can call 440-221-8013 or send an email to castitforwardfishing@gmail.com

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at dkreider@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cast It Forward provides free fishing trips to kids, veterans, others