Thomas & Thomas Releases Limited Edition Breast Cancer Awareness Rod in Support of Casting for Recovery
Massachusetts, October 2024 — Thomas & Thomas, the renowned American fly rod maker, has launched a special edition Breast Cancer Awareness Rod in partnership with Casting for Recovery, a nonprofit that provides free support and healing retreats for women with breast cancer. This limited series, featuring a commemorative pink thread wrap, honors those affected by breast cancer, with 10% of proceeds directly supporting Casting for Recovery’s mission to empower and uplift women facing the challenges of breast cancer.
The idea for this exclusive rod emerged unexpectedly when Rachael Durand, Thomas & Thomas’ Marketing Manager, posted a single version of this Limited Edition rod on T&T’s social channels to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Casting for Recovery. She returned from the weekend to find her voicemail inbox flooded with messages, including those from Casting for Recovery volunteer fly fishing guides eager to purchase a rod to honor the women in their lives impacted by breast cancer. Inspired by this outpouring of interest, the Thomas & Thomas team was moved to create a customized, meaningful way to support these women. Working with their team, Thomas & Thomas handcrafted 25 limited-edition rods, each adorned with a pink thread wrap and personalized by a long-standing team member, Sheila LaShier—a woman who has hand-inscribed Thomas & Thomas rods for over 30 years at their Massachusetts headquarters.
“We’re incredibly proud to support Casting for Recovery,” said Neville Orsmond, owner of Thomas & Thomas. “Connecting with them initially at the Cheeky Schoolie Tournament, we quickly recognized the shared values between our brands. This collaboration means a great deal to us, and it’s our way of honoring the resilience and strength of everyone touched by breast cancer.”
“These special fly rods are more than a tribute to loved ones; they are a meaningful contribution to Casting for Recovery’s mission of supporting women affected by breast cancer,” said Susan Gaetz, Executive Director of Casting for Recovery. “Each rod allows individuals to honor those they hold dear while empowering women to find hope and community. We are deeply grateful for this support.”
The Thomas & Thomas Breast Cancer Awareness Rods are available in limited quantities, with each purchase helping to expand Casting for Recovery’s programs across the country, serving more than 800 women each year. For more information on how to purchase a rod and support this initiative, please visit here.
About Thomas & Thomas
Established in 1969 by legendary rod builders Tom Dorsey and Tom Maxwell, company ownership evolved over time. Over the years, the fundamental beliefs, values, and singularity of purpose behind Thomas & Thomas were challenged but never abandoned.
Thomas & Thomas rods are built by a select group of skilled rod-building artisans in our Greenfield, MA, factory. From the raw material preparation to the final layer of varnish — each step in the process is performed by a specialist with years of experience. We are proud to say that every aspect of the production process for every fly rod we sell occurs in-house in the USA.
“The relentless pursuit of innovation, superior quality, and uncompromising performance in creation of the world’s finest handcrafted fly rods.”
About Casting for Recovery
Casting for Recovery® is a national non-profit organization that provides healing outdoor retreats for women who have experienced breast cancer, at no cost to the participants. Casting for Recovery’s innovative program enhances the lives of women with breast cancer by connecting them to each other and nature through the therapeutic sport of fly fishing, and providing oncology medical and psychosocial support. The programs are open to women of any age, in any stage of breast cancer treatment and recovery, and have been described by many as “life-changing”. This year, CfR is hosting 60 retreats nationwide serving more than 850 women who have received a breast cancer diagnosis.
