Friends,
I'm very pleased to announce the 2nd Annual Cape Cod Bay Challenge Event. On August 15th, 2009 a small group of standup paddlesurfers will attempt a grueling 30 mile marathon paddle from Plymouth to Provincetown. All proceeds from the event will benefit Christopher’s Haven, a 501-c3 non-profit dedicated to helping kids and their families while they are undergoing cancer treatment. Standup paddlers from as far as Hawaii, Oregon, California, Illinois and the UK are coming out to show their support and every paddler has trained for months in preparation for this unique event.
http://www.christophershaven.org/Massachusetts General Hospital is one of the few places in the world to have a proton beam accelerator for use in the treatment of tumors with highly targeted radiation. Kids from around the country and world come here for treatment. One thing that doesn't get covered by insurance is the cost a family incurs for living expenses while their child is treated (typically a 6-8 week stay). Boston is an expensive city to get a hotel room in. The haven is a short walk from MGH and allows up to 6 families at a time to stay in a comfortable homelike atmosphere helping to relieve some of the strain from a very difficult time. Christopher’s Haven is a home for kids when cancer hits home.
My friend and co-founder Mike and I both have been touched by cancer in our families and share a deep concern for kids causes so when we heard of Christopher's Haven and what it does for kids we knew it was the right charity for us for the future. Mike had suggested that we do something for a cause with a personal connection...he was speaking of my health issues. I'm not sure we could have found a better connection. I underwent treatment at MGH with the proton beam for a brain tumor in 2004. It was a short conversation in a waiting room with a very brave 9 year old boy who obviously had much more to be scared of than I did that made me vow never to feel sorry for myself again. Standup made my life close to normal again......and that young boys words helped me be stronger mentally. We're very happy to turn the proceeds of this event towards helping kids like that boy.
I had to wait a bit to write this letter. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to paddle this year. In a twist of irony I’m one of the very few for whom the proton beam did not work. I found out about three months ago that my tumor was growing again. June 17th I had surgery to remove it….fast forward. Things are going very well. Great recovery, a few bumps still to work out but I fully expect to participate in the CCBC. A scar that looks like a great white had my head in his mouth should be good for some stories.
Please help us show these kids and their parents a little hope as they struggle through a tough time. For some of these kids MGH is their final chance. Access to a great hospital with extraordinarilly skilled doctors and nurses coupled with the right attitude, and a comfortable place to recover with family and friends near can make all the difference.
Thanks for reading this, I hope you feel it’s a cause worthy of a donation.
http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org/Donations/donations.html Best Regards,
Bob
