When
battling cancer, Bruce Brady, noted outdoorsman, author and sculptor drew strength and hope from his beloved outdoor
experiences. During the last days of his personal struggle with cancer he was deeply concerned that the
world’s largest children’s wish granting organization
had established national policy that created a glaring gap in its
service to qualifying children. Thus, one segment of the qualifying
child population would no longer be able to realize their greatest
dream; a dream that Bruce and countless outdoorsmen considered worthy
and appropriate. He envisioned a program that would fill this service
gap and provide life-changing hunting and fishing experiences for children facing life-threatening illness at a time when “....these children
need to know that hope does, indeed, exist.”
Although Bruce did not survive long enough to accomplish anything beyond sharing his vision with friends and family, the program was created a few months after his death in 2000 by some of those same friends and family members. Ultimately, in 2003, the Catch-A-Dream Foundation was chartered to provide a 501c3 home specifically to support the Program by the same name.
But
those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They
will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) |
It is this very message of hope, as promised in Isaiah 40:31,
that we seek to instill in these children and their families. We
use hunting and fishing as opportune tools to expose them to the
“..wonders of God...” that await them in “The
High Country,” as they spend time in the outdoors, away
from the bleak and sterile world of medical facilities, treaments,
and hospital gowns, but in the presence of The Creator who is the
Author of real hope.
On each trip, the children and the family members who accompany
them, are surrounded by outdoors-minded people who understand that
these children are often “...sick and tired of being sick
and tired!” A designated Catch-A-Dream host accompanies
each family and, together with outfitters and local volunteers,
facilitate their dream experience, love and nurture them through
the strong personal relationships that inevitably are forged in
the lodge, on the stream or in the woods. Hosts and volunteers often
become their best friends, and remain a part of their families long
after the dream trip has concluded. As one volunteer eloquently
stated, “We can’t change the whole world; but we
can change someone’s whole world for at least a short period!”
Many parents have confirmed that the mission is consistently accomplished!
Read Parent Testimonials
Catch-A-Dream grants once-in-a-lifetime hunting and fishing experiences to
children 18 years old or younger who have a life-threatening illness.
Catch-A-Dream has touched over 200 families to date. We have granted
outdoor adventures for children from 43
states. We hope to have touched lives in all of the 50 states
and Canada in the very near future.
The Catch-A-Dream Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization,
working in cooperation with the
Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi
Wildlife Federation. |