Casting for Recovery, The Hartford: Wisconsin women recovering from breast cancer are invited to attend free weekend retreat to learn how fly fishing can help them heal

Contact: Kate Fox

kate.fox@castingforrecovery.org

Phone: 802.362.9181

Casting for Recovery and The Hartford have teamed up to sponsor the first local retreat serving Wisconsin and Minnesota women recovering from breast cancer

Manchester, VT, April 21, 2009: Women recovering from breast cancer in Wisconsin and Minnesota have received a very special invitation from a Vermont non-profit organization and the local office of a major life insurance company. Casting for Recovery and The Hartford are offering area women at any age and any stage of treatment and recovery from breast cancer an opportunity to apply for a free weekend retreat in the country this summer so they may learn how fly fishing can help them heal, both physically and emotionally.

Casting for Recovery, with support from its national sponsor, The Hartford, hosts 42 retreats in 27 states and will host its first retreat for women who live in Wisconsin and Minnesota on July 17-19, 2009. The intimate and confidential retreat is open to just 14 area women and will be held at the Trout Haven Retreat Center in Frederic, Wisconsin. Women who attend will arrive late afternoon on Friday and leave Sunday afternoon. During that time, they will share their personal stories and challenges, receive counseling and education, and, most important of all, learn how to fly-fish in Knapp Creek.

According to Kim Rasmussen, who is The Hartford’s local volunteer coordinator for the event, the dynamics of fly fishing provide a healing connection to the natural world, relieve stress and promote a sense of calm. She also said that fly-fishing techniques provide a gentle exercise, similar to the exercises physicians recommend, that promotes joint and soft tissue mobility.

“Casting for Recovery retreats change lives by giving women an opportunity to share with one another and to learn life-long skills that will help them deal with everyday concerns,” Rasmussen said.

Women interested in applying to attend the retreat should contact Casting for Recovery in advance of the May 8 deadline at 1-888-553-3500 or by e-mail at info@castingforrecovery.org. Selections will be made on a random basis from all those who apply.

With 25 local volunteers and almost 1,000 volunteers nationwide, Casting for Recovery has served 3,500 breast cancer survivors since 1996. The Hartford, who is Casting for Recovery’s lead national and local sponsor, was the first insurer in the nation to offer life insurance at standard rates to qualified women age 40 and older who had been treated for early-stage breast cancer. For more information on The Hartford’s work with Casting for Recovery and other cancer research and recovery organizations, visit http://www.thehartford.com/winningspirit.

The Hartford is one of the nation’s largest financial services companies and a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford’s corporate Internet address is http://www.thehartford.com.

Further Information About Casting for Recovery

Casting for Recovery retreat programs are offered at no cost to the participants. Numerous medical and psychosocial professionals and institutions consider Casting for Recovery one of the leading programs providing support for women with breast cancer. Retreats are also held in Canada and the United Kingdom through sister organizations, Casting for Recovery-Canada and Casting for Recovery- UK/Ireland.

Casting for Recovery is supported by generous donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Our national sponsors include The Hartford (http://www.thehartford.com), the lead national sponsor, a Fortune 100 company that is one of the nation’s largest financial services and insurance companies and a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products, and business property and casualty insurance; Under Armour® (http://www.underarmour.com), a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories, whose “Power In Pink” program is an effort to help educate women about the important link between physical activity and winning the battle against breast cancer; and Albright Tackle, LLC, a leading provider of fly fishing equipment.

Casting for Recovery is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. For more information about the Casting for Recovery program, please call: 802-362-9181 or visit http://www.castingforrecovery.org.