Casting for Hope was born out of a service learning project in 2012, when a grieving high school student teamed up with his teacher to put on a fly-fishing fundraiser in memory of his mother, Amy Sharp, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2010.

Those efforts led them to joining forces with CFH founding Executive Director Kathy Haney, a longtime leader in the North Carolina cancer community.

What began as a one-time fundraiser soon became a full-fledged nonprofit organization that hosts retreats for patients and their caregivers and offers ongoing financial assistance to women and their families.

In 2023, CFH co-founders John and Taylor were inducted into the Southern Fly Fishing Hall of Fame for their humanitarian impact within the sport.

In 2025, after a dozen years of asking hundreds of patients, “What is your greatest need?” and answering, “Here’s how we can help,” Kathy phased into retirement.

We thank our founding team for their service to Casting for Hope.