By Tegan Beese | Photos courtesy Mark Osiecki
If you’re in Madison in May, whether to pick up your kid from college, on an early summer trip or looking for a reason to visit, Mark Osiecki’s Casting for Kids is an event you do not want to miss. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Keep an eye out for all of the boats that will be in the area!
This event is personal to me, as my daughter was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma three-months ago, at six-months-old. She is being treated at American Family Children’s Hospital with UW Health, and seeing this event that brings the community together to support children fighting cancer, like my daughter, is an amazing thing. I reached out to Mark after discovering this event to learn more about his story and how he came to be involved with UW Health and supporting our littlest warriors.
Having been in the pediatric unit at a hospital himself when he was born early, and hearing what it was like for his family, he has been drawn to giving back to other children’s hospitals and families going through difficult times. He moved to Madison from St. Paul for college at University of Wisconsin, where he participated in hockey and fishing. Through his time as a student, athlete and eventually as a coach at UW, he formed a connection with American Family Children’s Hospital and the Carbone Cancer Center. When he started his Casting for Kids event on a whim, he knew they were who he wanted to support.
Mark loves fishing, as many residents of and visitors to the Midwest do, and thought it would be a great way to raise funds for a good cause. Their first year they started with 45 boats and are up to 84 boats in their eighth year. While this year is full, they are hoping for even more participants in 2027! On top of the Catch-Photo-Release Multi-Species Tournament which takes place on lakes Kegonsa, Mendota, Monona and Waubesa, the event also offers a happy hour, dinner, live music, bucket raffles, a silent auction, a live auction and a boat raffle. Mark says he anticipates at least 500 attendees for the dinner.
He stressed that this event is not stuffy and attendees are encouraged to have fun and be excited to give back. Their silent auction includes a variety of items such as signed hockey and football jerseys, as well as other surprises! Their boat raffle is for brand-new donated boat from Alumacraft and rigged thrrough Don’s Marine. Mark says their biggest need is for more outdoor companies to join them to help underwrite the costs, allowing their fundraising to go further.
The morning of the event, attendees and their boats arrive at the Alliant Energy Center, where there is a boat parade and Mark personally shakes the hand of every participant, ensuring that they know how appreciated their time is. Alongside the participants he has 70 guides volunteering their time to help out with the 84 boats participating in 2026!
Mark is a truly humble person, with a giving heart. Speaking with him on the phone was like talking with a neighbor, and once I saw all of his achievements through college hockey and the NHL, I was very impressed with how he has taken the connections that he’s made and his love for his community, and turned it into a successful fundraiser to give back to a mission he is passionate about.
To learn more about Casting for Kids, visit their website: https://www.casting4kids.org/ and be sure to check out their silent auction to help give back this year: https://go.eventgroovefundraising.com/cfk26/Campaign/Details