We Move Freight. But This One Moves Us.
At Abound Transport Group, we spend our days moving freight across North America. Flatbeds loaded with industrial equipment, Conestogas headed up the coast, heavy haul loads rolling through the Pacific Northwest. We take pride in the work.
But every once in a while, something reminds us that the most important things we can move aren’t freight at all.
We are proud to announce our sponsorship of The Mayfly Project’s Medford, Oregon chapter. It is one of the most meaningful things we have done as a company, and we want to tell you why.
What Is The Mayfly Project?
The Mayfly Project is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission that is straightforward and powerful: support children in foster care through the sport of fly fishing, helping them build confidence, find healing, and connect to their local waters.
It was founded in 2015 in Arkansas by Jess and Laura Westbrook. For Jess, the idea came from a deeply personal place. After the birth of his son in 2014, he faced a severe anxiety struggle that pulled him away from work, friends, and family. It was fly fishing, and time on the water, that brought him back.
“When we are fly fishing we’re so focused, casting, mending, watching for that perfect drift, that everything else fades away,” Jess recalls. “It gave me a mental break I couldn’t find anywhere else.”
He started wondering: what if kids in the foster care system could find that same peace on the water?
That question became The Mayfly Project. Today the organization has grown to more than 60 chapters across 34 states, including right here in Medford, Oregon.
How the Program Works
Each Mayfly Project chapter runs a structured five-session program, named after the five lifecycle stages of a mayfly. Over the course of about six months, kids in foster care are paired with caring, trained mentors at a one-to-one ratio. Together they learn:
- Fly rod assembly and basic casting
- Knot tying and reading the water
- Matching the hatch and understanding local fish behavior
- Conservation and care for local waterways
- And most importantly, how to simply be present, breathe, and enjoy the river
By the final outing, every child walks away with a complete set of gear including a rod, reel, flies, and waders. The equipment is theirs to keep, so they can keep fishing long after the program ends. That matters. For kids who often have very little that belongs just to them, having their own gear is a big deal.
Program co-founder Kaitlin Barnhart, a mental health professional who has worked with foster youth for over 20 years, puts it simply: “Fly fishing wasn’t just calming. It was empowering. They were learning something new, challenging themselves, and feeling genuinely proud. That confidence is so important for kids who have been through so much.”
Why Southern Oregon, Why Now
There are currently 415,000 children in foster care across the United States. Of those, 42% will be convicted of a crime at some point in their lives, and 83,000 will face homelessness after the age of 18. Every year, 23,000 foster children age out of the system entirely, leaving with virtually no support network.
Those numbers are hard to sit with.
Southern Oregon is fly fishing country. The Rogue River, the Umpqua, the upper Klamath, these are world-class waters that run right through our backyard. Yet for kids in the foster care system here in Medford and the surrounding communities of Jackson County, access to those waters, and the mentors, gear, and time it takes to enjoy them, is often completely out of reach.
Foster children frequently move between homes and schools, making it hard to build lasting friendships or join sports teams. The Mayfly Project meets kids where they are. It gives them a consistent mentor, a six-month journey with something to look forward to, and a skill they can carry with them wherever life takes them next.
Why Abound Transport Is Proud to Be Part of This
We built Abound Transport on the belief that how you do something matters as much as what you do. That means showing up for our customers, our carriers, and our community.
Medford isn’t just where we operate. It’s home. Our team lives here. Our families are here. The rivers and forests and open skies outside our doors are part of what makes this place worth working hard for.
Sponsoring a child through The Mayfly Project costs approximately $780. That covers all five outings, the mentor relationship, the curriculum, the conservation education, and the complete gear package the child takes home. For a company our size, it’s one of the best investments we know how to make.
We are proud to be part of the Medford chapter’s fundraiser and get more Southern Oregon kids on the water. Every dollar goes directly to the program.
How You Can Help
If you’re a business owner, individual, or organization in Southern Oregon who wants to get involved, we would love to connect you with The Mayfly Project’s Medford chapter.
You can donate directly to the Medford fundraiser here:
Support the Medford, Oregon Mayfly Project
To learn more about the organization, visit themayflyproject.com.
A Note From Our Team
Abound Transport Group is a freight brokerage based in Medford, Oregon. We specialize in open deck shipping, Conestoga transport, heavy haul, and cross-border freight across the US, Canada, and Mexico. We believe great businesses build great communities. Supporting The Mayfly Project is our way of living that out right here at home.
If you see us out there, or if your kids are casting on the Rogue this summer, we hope some of it is because of this.