“’I just arrived at this fly fishing retreat that my wife signed me up for; I have no idea who these guys are that are milling around with smiles on their faces, I have nothing in common with anyone, shoot I don’t even know how to fly fish.
“’Oddly, I find myself striking up conversations with these men and I find out I have a lot in common; they don’t know anything about fly fishing either, they each have cancer or have had cancer and their wives signed them up, too!
“’After meeting my fishing buddy and a quick crash course in how to cast a fly rod it was time to fish. I found myself with blinders on; the only thing I could see is my fly in the water and the fish underneath it. The focus of the day was when that fish was going to take the fly. The cancer, pain, and worries were gone during the time on the water; it was me, my fishing buddy and those darn finicky fish.
“’The last day of the retreat came too quick. I wasn’t ready to leave my new best friends, my fishing buddy that wants to meet me on the water again real soon, but most importantly I don’t want to leave those fish. There were hugs and tears.’
“This is a story of many men that come to a Texas Reel Recovery retreat and at the same time, why Reel Recovery is successful. Reel Recovery provides free 3-day Fly Fishing Retreats for Men with Cancer. Retreats are held across the country at premier facilities, with access to fishing; all meals, lodging, fishing equipment and one-one instruction are provided at no cost to the participants. Men with all forms of cancer in any stage are eligible, with a maximum of 14 invited to each retreat. The Retreats allow for the sharing of cancer experiences in professionally facilitated ‘Courageous Conversations.’
“‘I have to admit I did not want to leave. No, it wasn’t the facility that made me want to stay…it was the assembly of people…..Men….Men with Cancer. The longer we were there, together as one… the more I left my cancer thoughts behind.’ – Jerry R.
“‘I met about a dozen other cancer survivors and there are still several of us that remain in close contact and support of each other since the retreat. One thing that made the retreat special was the time we met as a group and shared our experience and feelings about cancer.’ – JJ
“Reel Recovery was founded in 2003 in Colorado, currently serving approximately 30 states and is geographically growing each year. The Texas Chapter of Reel Recovery is the largest in the U.S. and is currently holding five retreats a year and is expanding in 2017.
“For more information about Reel Recovery, go to www.texasreelrecovery.org and to read a great insightful first hand story check out Fishing Report by Shannon D., also a local fishing guide!
“Lastly, if you appreciate what we are doing, please make sure to stop by our page on North Texas Giving Day and make a donation so we can continue to serve these courageous men!”
-By Brent Walters, Reel Recovery Inc., Retreat Coordinator
* Photos provided by Reel Recovery Inc. ______
In seven years, North Texas Giving Day has pumped more than $119 million into the North Texas community. In 2015, $33 million was raised through more than 118,000 gifts benefiting over 2,000 nonprofits.
On Thursday, September 22, support Reel Recovery Inc. by linking here and spreading the word. #NTxGivingDay