A 14-year-old girl and her stepfather were gifted a saltwater fishing trip to Baytown as a bonding experience. A 13-year-old boy who lives with his grandmother near Marble Falls and is under the watchful eye of a Burnet County juvenile probation officer went bow and freshwater fishing on Inks Lake with a mentor. Both hauled in big catches and made lasting memories, which is exactly the goal of Outdoor Kidz, a new Marble Falls-based nonprofit founded by Kaela and Brett Williams. 

“Without this program, they would not have been able to experience the outdoors,” Brett Williams said. “Being outdoors can turn your mindset around.” 

The aptly named Outdoor Kidz program offers much more than fishing, which, on its own, includes bow, night, saltwater, and freshwater fishing. Kids ages 16 and younger can also be nominated for hunting trips, wakeboard lessons, and drift car rides. They are chosen based on their individual stories and their lack of access to outdoor activities. 

“The whole intention behind Outdoor Kidz is to take kids who financially or situationally wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience the great outdoors,” Williams said. “We want to be that link and that opportunity for these kids.” 

Nominations may be made online at outdoorkidz.org for kids with special needs, disciplinary issues, health issues, or troubles at home—or any kid who has not been exposed to the great outdoors for whatever reason. 

“You can nominate your kids or someone else’s,” Williams said. “After we get the application, we contact the person to see what activities they would like to join.” 

All but the archery events, during which anyone is welcome to just show up, are through nominations. Recently, a 9-year-old girl picked up a bow and arrow for the first time on a Friday night shoot at the Marble Falls Rodeo Arena. She started going to 3D archery events in Fredericksburg. 

“She loved the archery world,” Williams said. “She was provided the opportunity to spend several weekends a month out in the woods with her family. Now, the whole family has an opportunity to do things together as a unit.” 

He emphasized that “this was not a traumatic event household” but “an educational opportunity for the family.” 

Outdoor Kidz received its 501(c)(3) status in January. It has been operating in Marble Falls since 2020, when Brett and Kaela moved their family and their passion project from West Texas. They first started linking youngsters to outdoor activities in 2010. 

“We want to shine the light in areas where people don’t have the opportunities to get outside,” said Brett Williams, who works full time as a school resource officer for the Marble Falls Police Department. “Outdoors fixes a lot of the problems the judicial system or a doctor’s prescription can’t.” 

Williams served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He recruits family and friends to serve as mentors, including Cory Munoz, who organizes the freshwater and bowfishing events; Jeremy Qualls, archery; and Joey Wilburn, saltwater fishing. Wilburn is from Kingsland, while Munoz, Qualls, and Williams are from Marble Falls. 

Munoz, who is an MFPD SRO sergeant, calls himself a silent partner in the endeavor. He is on the board and helps with decision-making, organizing trips, and securing needed equipment. He jumped in to help as soon as Williams told him about Outdoor Kidz.

“I said, ‘Heck, yeah,’ when he presented it to me,” Munoz said. “I have a lot of fond memories being outdoors with my dad and grandad, hunting and fishing. I see far too many kiddos getting sucked up into electronics; adults, too. Outdoor Kidz reaches out to a greater stage, beyond our own kids. It gives them those memories, those bonding experiences. It’s a great thing and a great cause.” 

Participants’ adventures are recorded and posted on Facebook and YouTube on a regular basis, exposure that brought in help of a different kind.  

After watching the videos, Bailey Norris of Horseshoe Bay took on the role of grant writer to secure the funds needed to expand available activities. This month, the nonprofit sent a young man to Camp Balcones Springs in Marble Falls for a week. 

“We could only afford to send one this year,” Williams said. “Next year, we hope to send five or more.” 

All equipment for every activity is provided free of charge. Group events include free food and, if necessary, transportation. The group travels to Fredericksburg 3D Archery on the first Sunday of the month, after a warm-up with bows and arrows at the Marble Falls Rodeo grounds on the first Friday of the month. They also take regular trips to Hutto for Dreamers of Drift events, where kids ride as passengers in drift car practice runs.

Wakeboard events with nominated kids happen three to five times a month, March through September, on Lake LBJ.

Next year, Williams plans to start a branch of Flights for Fosters at a nearby airport. It would include a scholarship program to pay for flight school and flight time for foster kids who want to become pilots. 

Williams cites his own childhood as the reason he feels it is important to expose stressed families to outdoor activities where they can build bonds and strengthen relationships.

“I came from a mixed home with stepfathers, and sometimes it was rough,” he said. “I have a special place in my heart for mixed homes.”

Money for the 20 events the organization has held since January has been raised entirely through donations from individuals and business sponsors. A softball tournament fundraiser is planned for Oct. 24 in Johnson Park. (Details will be released closer to the date.)

Williams is also seeking donations to help fund an August trip on a donated party bus for 14 kids to Kalahari Resorts water park in Round Rock.

Outdoor Kidz accepts donations at any time through its website at outdoorkidz.org. Along with money, Williams said he is looking for people who can help with equipment or land.

“I’m looking for someone who can let us come shoot or hold an Outdoor Kidz event,” he said. “We need people in the community who have access to hunting. We’re looking for anyone with access to an outdoor opportunity, like duck hunting, pig hunting, exotic hunting.”

Kids are vetted and trained before they are assigned to any activity that involves firearms, he added.

Williams rates the program as 100 percent successful, measured “one event at a time, one kid at a time.” 

“Every time we take one kid out, and they make the statement ‘I’ve never had this much fun before,’ it’s a win—or, ‘I never got to do this before,” it’s a win,” he said. “Every time I see a dad and son high-fiving and hugging when they usually fight, it’s a win. Seeing that relationship get mended, that’s a win. We’re successful every time we have an opportunity to host an event.”

Outdoor Kidz is planning a fundraising softball tournament Oct. 24 in Marble Falls. In the meantime, anyone interested in volunteering, donating, or participating in any Outdoor Kidz activity may contact Williams at brettwilliams@outdoorkidz.org or through the website at outdoorkidz.org.

suzanne@thepicayune.com