"To find out how much you've truly been blessed with in terms of love, time, energy, talent, joy, abundance, confidence, intelligence, wit, or any other quality, substance, or dispensation...give of them. Then you'll know what boundless really means."
~The Universe
TUT's Adventurers Club
June 2010 'Gifts From The Universe' Project:
Casting For Recovery
Building a focus on wellness instead of illness for breast cancer survivors… One Dollar at a Time!
Founded in 1996, Casting for Recovery has been offering free retreats for women dealing with breast cancer, all across the country. Their efforts rely entirely upon local volunteers and organizations.
CFR provides an opportunity for women whose lives have been profoundly affected by breast cancer to gather in a beautiful, natural setting and learn to fly-fish, while meeting other women who are experiencing/or have experienced the same thing.
● Why fly fishing and breast cancer?
Since 1996, Casting for Recovery has offered educational retreats that provide women with new resources and a new way to look at life. The gentle casting motion of fly-fishing helps heal the soft tissue following surgery, and the pristine locations of the retreats offer a respite from the usual environments of hospitals and doctors’ offices. The retreats provide an avenue for social support and group interactions, reducing the feeling of isolation many survivors may feel.
Fly fishing techniques provide a gentle exercise for joint and soft tissue mobility. And the dynamics of fly fishing provide a healing connection to the natural world, relieving everyday stressors and promoting a sense of calm.
● What CFR does
Casting for Recovery provides weekend retreats at no cost to the participants including lodging, meals, and professional instruction.
Any woman who has experienced breast cancer is eligible to attend a retreat (with medical clearance from their physicians).
Trained facilitators staff each retreat including: a psychotherapist, a health care professional (e.g. physical therapist, nurse), and four fly fishing instructors.
Participants learn the fundamentals of fly casting, entomology, knot-tying, and equipment basics while spending time on the water practicing catch-and-release fishing. But more important than anything, each retreat offers a forum for women with similar experiences to meet, learn new skills, and gain respite from their everyday concerns.
Happy Giving!
As part of our TUT's Adventurers Club mission, we have chosen Casting For Recovery as our adoptive organization for the month. To reach our collaborative goal of support for them, please donate a dollar or more now at the link below.