ALWAYS a time to help

[WWKimba]

With the holiday season coming so comes the requests for giving. Here is a quick reminder about how we, as fly tyers, fishers and teachers can help out. There are many nonprofit/not for profit organizations that use fly fishing/fly tying/rod building as part of their recovery and support programs. I have donated flies for the past few years to Casting for Recovery and Project Healing Waters. Last year I tied 250 flies to match the 250 extras that I had accumulated from my various fly swaps for a 500 fly donation to the Casting for Recovery program (I'm retired and like to keep busy!).

Here are but a few of the programs that are looking for donations and volunteers to help support their programs. You can Google for others (try "fishing flies donation", "nonprofit organizations using fly fishing(or tying)"):

Casting for Recovery - https://castingforrecovery.org/retreats/

Project Healing Waters - https://projecthealingwaters.org/volunteer/ <--then go to SEARCH and type in your state to find the program in your area

Reel Recovery - https://reelrecovery.org/

Flyin' Heroes - https://flyinheroes.org/

The Mayfly Project - https://themayflyproject.com/get-involved/

Fishing Has No Boundaries - https://fhnbinc.org/about-us/

Take a Vet Fishing - https://www.takeavetfishing.org/

Warriors and Quiet Waters - https://warriorsandquietwaters.org/about-us/our-impact

Tie A Thon - https://warriorsandquietwaters.org/about-us/our-impact

These are but a few of the groups out there that can use the skills we as fly fishers, fly tyers, rod builders and teachers can provide. Most have sites located across the nation and some are more local/regional. See if there is one that perks your interest, contact them, and HELP OUT! I have been a volunteer or been in charge of volunteers for most of my life and I can say that it 1) enriches your life and 2) you get to meet some other great people! And helping out can be as easy as tying a dozen flies!

Hope this is informative to you all and please, you and your families have a happy holiday season and may the new year bring you new blessings!

Kim

 

[JimNovo]

Thanks Kim for all of the information!

I followed up on your advice last year and started tying for Casting for Recovery too. I donated a few hundred flies last spring and have been tying for next years even bigger submission over the past months. It is a cause close to me and my family, let’s me work on my craft, and as my wife says “keeps your hands busy and out of trouble”!

I’d encourage all of you fantastic tyers to join one of these causes if you can!!

 

[WWKimba]

When I was a YOUNG MAN (i.e. - MANY years ago!) I volunteered the first 7 years that Camp TaKumTa was in existense. To show how long ago, the camp will have it's 40th year this coming summer! It's a camp for kids with cancer and ~ the fifth one started in this country at he time. Now my S-I-L is going through her second bout with breast cancer -just started chemo this past Monday. Sothis group is becoming more dear to me!

Kim

BTW - the camp is located in VT BUT the of the first year's staff we had a total of 34 with 8 of us from the Cortland, NY area! (i.e. central NY. Our Program Director was from there and was a GREAT recruiter! We had 32 kids that first year.

 

[BruceC2C]

GREAT post here
ThankYouVeryMuch!!

 

[WWKimba]

Thank you, but I forgot an OBVIOUS one - Trout Unlimited! They are always looking for equipment/flies to support their programs. More than once I've tied flies for their fundraisers. The more common format is that they do a blind auction and attach flies to their chapter patch and auction the whole kit and kaboodle.

Kim