LIFESTYLE
“I wasn’t sure a retreat was for me, but I’m trying to make up for five years, so I vowed to do more things to make up for lost time,” said Peggy Laurenz , who has been in recovery from breast cancer since 2023 and metastatic melanoma since 2020. Fourteen attendees are chosen within 10 days of the application deadline through a lottery process. Karen Barclay and Kristin Oordt , South Dakota’s participant coordinators, connect with attendees to answer questions and prepare them for the upcoming retreat. More than 1,800 volunteers all over the United States make it happen, including medical and psychosocial professionals, fly fishing instructors, and alumni. “Having past participants return as a volunteer for the program speaks to the greatness of the program and its mission,” said co-program coordinator Sandy Richter . “They have been through the trenches and know the journey, and are our best advocates for the program and for our participants.” The 2025 CfR-South Dakota took place September 12-14 at Outlaw Ranch in Custer. Free to participants thanks to donations, grants, and sponsors (like South Dakota Game Fish and Parks , Black Hills Area Community Foundation , Black Hills Fly Fishers , and Dakota Trout Unlimited ), the weekend-long retreat offered a full schedule fulfilling their mission of empowering women, mental health and wellness, and conservation. DID YOU KNOW? 70% of the women who attend Casting for Recovery retreats have never been to a support group.
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