Ben Shroyer remembers the exact four words no parent wants to hear: your child has cancer. That diagnosis, delivered to him and his wife several years ago, became the pivot point of his life and, eventually, the reason Casting for the Kids exists.
On Sarasota SpeaX, Ben walks through what he calls turning his mess into his message. He describes a heart-wrenching moment in the hospital that crystallized what he wanted to do next: make sure no child going through cancer treatment has to face it without their family close by, and no family has to face the financial weight of that fight alone. Casting for the Kids grew directly out of that resolve, combining Ben's love of fishing with a fundraising model built around a tournament for kids across the Sun Coast.
The episode carries real emotional weight, but also real hope. Ben shares numerous stories from families the organization has helped, and gives an inspirational update on his own daughter, who is now five years free of the disease that started this whole journey. It's the kind of full-circle detail that gives the conversation its center of gravity.
Fishing With a Purpose
Casting for the Kids has an upcoming Freshwater Tournament scheduled for Saturday, March 22, 2025, with details on how to participate or donate available through the organization directly. The hosts spend real time on the mechanics of how the tournament works and what it funds for families dealing with a child's cancer diagnosis, from covering treatment-related costs to simply giving families something to look forward to during an otherwise brutal stretch of their lives.
As always, the conversation comes back to Sarasota, with Ben weighing in on the roundabouts before heading into the rapid-fire gauntlet to close out an episode built on turning personal hardship into a fundraising engine for others. Ben closes by encouraging Sarasota-area families to get involved, whether through the tournament itself, volunteering, or simply sharing Casting for the Kids with someone who might need the support it offers during their own hardest days. He's candid that the organization only exists because his family lived through the worst version of a hospital stay, and that turning that pain into something that helps other families is what keeps him motivated on the hardest fundraising days.
What you'll take away
- Ben Shroyer founded Casting for the Kids after his own daughter's cancer diagnosis, and she is now five years cancer-free
- The organization runs a fishing tournament fundraiser for families across the Sun Coast dealing with a child's cancer
- Casting for the Kids has an upcoming Freshwater Tournament with details available through the organization
- Ben describes his mission as turning his family's hardest experience into help for other families