The 2024 Lip Ripper Fishing tournament season is complete, and one special highlight of the season included raising awareness for South Dakota’s Casting for Recovery organization.
“This year’s league season was dedicated to supporting Casting for Recovery in South Dakota,” said Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “This organization takes women battling breast cancer on a fly-fishing retreat, and the testimony from participants is extremely powerful.”
The first South Dakota Casting for Recovery retreat took place in 2023 in Custer. One of the participants, LeeAnn Currey of Watertown, reflected upon her time at the retreat.
“The Casting for Recovery Retreat was a fun-filled weekend and another way of celebrating life,” said Currey. “I attended the event for the first time in 2023 and had never fly-fished before. It was a great opportunity for me to try something new, meet new people, and discover more about the shining, sweet-spirited women who were brought together through our cancer journeys.”
“We shared LeeAnn’s story earlier this year before the season kicked off, and honestly the idea that every single ounce we brought was going to support more stories like this was the ultimate motivation for the season,” continued Harrington. “Whether we were having a good night or a bad night in the standings, every ounce we brought to the scale would make a difference.”
For each pound the boys brought to the scale, that would equate to $1 in the ultimate donation. Week Five also saw the boys take home the victory, which also doubled their winning weight toward the cumulative donation.
“We took the total pounds through league, including doubling our Week Five win, and we also added in Sharpe Showdown and Governor’s Cup to the donation as well,” elaborated Harrington. “Ultimately, I’m proud to say the final donation came in at $102.51.”
Individuals wishing to match this donation, or make a donation of their own, can do so through the Casting for Recovery website. To make a South Dakota specific donation, type in “South Dakota” when selecting a local chapter. Non-dedicated donations will be made at a nationwide level.
“I want to thank everyone who has followed along, supported us, and a special thank you to those who have matched my donation or made a donation of their own as well,” concluded Harrington. “This is an incredible organization and I’m extremely proud to have played a small role in supporting its mission this year.”
The 2024 South Dakota Casting for Recovery Retreat will be October 4-6 at NeSoDak in Waubay, South Dakota.
