Idaho2Fly

"Men often do not know how to reach out for help, and even if they did, where would they go? There are so few options. Idaho2Fly is THERE for us. The support and comments of others helped me realize the necessity of assistance and patience; plus I learned to cast like the guy in A River Runs Through It."

Comments by an Idaho2Fly Guest after attending one of our expense-paid three-day fly fishing retreats

In 2023, it's estimated that 8,000 Idahoans will hear their doctor say "You have cancer." Slightly more than half of that number will be men. 

Sadly, our society provides few non-medical, supportive resources for men with cancer. This scarcity may stem from the fact that our culture encourages men not to reach out for assistance, to "tough it out" rather than communicate their uncertainties to their families and friends or to ask anyone for help. All too often, men with cancer turn inward and repress their feelings to the point that their recovery can be significantly impeded.

Idaho2Fly, Inc. is an Idaho 501(c)3 nonprofit that uses fly fishing-related activities to bring men with cancer together for mutual support.

You see, it's our experience that if you can get a man with cancer away from the stresses of his everyday life and take him on a three-day expense-paid weekend of fly fishing and camaraderie, supported by a caring group of volunteers, there's a better than even chance he will return home changed for the better. 

Many of our Guests aren't fly fishermen before they arrive--some have never done fishing of any sort in their lives. Yet, by the time they leave our Retreat, they'll have caught a bunch of fish and made a lot of new friends. Most importantly, they'll have begun to look outward again because they've come to realize that they're not in this fight alone.

We rely heavily on the generosity of our Donors, Volunteers and Industry Partners to accomplish our work. Yet, at the end of the day, it still costs about $1,000 to take one man on Retreat.

Where does the money go? In addition to providing their meals and lodging, we make sure our Guests have use of all the gear they'll need to fish--rods, reels, fly lines, waders, boots, vests, etc.

So here are 3 Reasons why you can feel good about a donation to our cause:

1. We're really efficient! The vast majority of the funds we raise support Guest-centered activities. In addition to our two fishing Retreats, we host a variety of shorter follow-on activities throughout the year so that we can provide our guests and their families with ongoing support for as long as they need it.

2. We’re building a community.  We provide retreats for guests from all over the southern and eastern part of the state and have relationships with most cancer centers and many cancer service providers around the state. We've developed strong relationships with cancer centers, oncologists, nurse practitioners and patient navigators throughout the state. These professionals, community groups like Cancer Connection and former guests frequently refer men with cancer to our retreats.

3. We're absolutely certain we are making a difference in the lives of our guests. How do we know? Well, you almost have to be there to witness the transformation that takes place over the course of three short days. Guests and Volunteers, who began the weekend as a collection of strangers, come away members of a truly special band of brothers, each changed for the better. As one of our recent guests put it "Loving life more than ever. Thank you to all involved. I may have cancer, but cancer doesn't have me."

For more information on Idaho2Fly and the work we do, please visit our website: www.idaho2fly.org