CLEAR LAKE, Wash. – A family is channeling their grief into helping others while trying to honor the memory of Brayden Bahme. Brayden’s aunt and parents say Brayden absolutely loved to fish. In fact, the only thing he may have loved more than fishing was sharing the passion with others.
“We got really good at making sure we always had extra (fishing) gear,” his mother Heather said. “It was not unlike us to go through all of it before we even finished a fishing trip because (Bryaden) would give it away to kids that didn’t have fishing gear.”
That’s just who Brayden was. The kind of kid who constantly tried to make this world a better place.
“He was amazing,” Heather said. “He would do, the things he did when no one was watching … We found that out after we lost him. The parents and just kids said all the amazing things he did out of the kindness of his heart … Just because it was the right thing.”
In April of 2023, Brayden lost his life in a tragic accident during a PE class at Cheney High School. He was just 16-years-old.
His many loved ones came together to create a fishing event called ‘Fish Pockets’ to continue to spread his love for the activity. The free event pairs special needs children with mentors around their same age to learn new skills. It was perfectly named for Brayden.
“Brayden loved fishing so much, he would often come home with ‘fish in his pockets,’ because you need all the hands you can get when teaching someone to fish,” the family wrote in the event description.
Saturday morning friends and family gathered for the first of hopefully many similar events on Cleark Lake. They had six different learning stations from life jacket safety to diving into specifics of different types of fish.
The Issac Foundation coordinated the event. Brayden’s aunt Hollie Bahme Goodwoman is the Executive Director and said she knows it would have made Brayden smile.
“Brayden was friends with everyone regardless of diagnosis or ability,” she said. “This is going to be a perpetual event. We will be back next summer.”
To get involved with the Issac Foundation or contribute to next year’s ‘Fish Pockets’ event, visit this website.
