CC&K's Support Strokes for The Breast Cancer Fund

Saturday, August 23, 2003
California Canoe & Kayak's Annual

for The Breast Cancer Fund

15.5 grueling miles of hard paddling around Alameda Island.
40 Brave Kayakers. All participants finished the event.

And we netted over $15,372 for The Breast Cancer Fund

See our Pictures Pictures Pictures
or jump to the writeup for BASK's Bay Area Currents

Most of the GOOD pictures are posted courtesy of

Glenn Nunez

wood artisan of renoun,

or

Lisa Ouellette
Kayaker of the World

All of the grainy, poorly composed pictures are the fault of Dean McCully

Click ANY picture for an enlargement....

California Canoe & Kayak's Support Strokes 2003 for The Breast Cancer Fund	Another superb event supported by California Canoe & Kayak	Monica Towers finishes her paperwork and heads to the dock.	Janet McCarty all set to lead her clan. Ask Janet about "Cadaver Dogs" sometime. She works with the San Fran Search and Rescue department.	Setting out on a perfect day for paddling.
Ann Prentiss likes her fast kayak courtesy of CC&K for raising more than $500	Lisa Oeullette and Peter Rudnick - Wood is Good!	Jorge makes sure everybody arrives safely	The Flotilla on Crown Beach	A bunch of very happy paddlers!
Tara Sheen, Ann Denzer, and Amy Black - CC&K Rocks!	Craig sees to it that everybody is well cared for.	Trevor Saxty, Paul & Mari Litsky and friends refueling.	Jennifer Bojanowski and friends enjoying lunch.	Bill Pinkham cooling off before heading back out.
Monica	Peter and Judy	Sandhill Cranes	Andy's first kayak ride	Craig Hightower and Sheila from NY
Greg Chu is ready for the second leg	Leslie Levy settles in for the rest of the trip.	Shirley Langlois strikes a perfect pose	Craig Hightower having a blast!
Lisa Ouellete getting just one more picture	What a helper! From shelpping water to taking pictures.... You name it.... Michael MadDonald is your man....	Elite Racers are Chomping at the Bit	Um, Joni, where's your skirt?	Ann Gets ready for Blistering Speed.
Or blistered hands.	Eskimo Rolling is EASY on dry land.	We're gonna SIT in this thing for HOW long?	Heh, DOUBLE? That's CHEATIN!	Tara Sheen and An Denzer from CC&K Sacramento head out in a double.
And they're GRINNING about cheating!!!		Heh, let me outta here...	Ann sets up for paddling in higher tides.
			A little pre-race jousting is always a popular idea.
Mike & Joni, set to win the race.		Nice boat, Ann. Too bad they won't let you keep it.	CC&K's Support Strokes organizer, Tammy, to the Rescue	KTVU Showed Up
Heh, we were on the Ten O'Clock NEWS!
Yup, that IS LaRhee in her Brand New Boat	The bravest paddler: Pam! This was her first time in a sit-in boat, but she finished the entire 15.5 miles in record time!	Paddlin commences. Well, not yet.	Is that Glenn yakking with the camera man in the background?	Chomp, chomp, chomping at that bit..
Torso Rotation, Torso Rotation!	Geez, can we go YET?	Wow, check out that blazing paddle....	Lisa Ouellette lurches forward.	Drat, I forgot my head. No, wait, it's here. Well, never mind.... Is that Sheila? SHEILA!!!! Nice bandana.
Check out those intense stares! LaRhee kicks it in.		My 3 Newbies: Mike, Janet, and Joni McCarty. But where's Pam?	The view across the slough.	Takin a break across from Coast Guard Pier
Mike & Joni.	Joni & Janet prepare to dock.	No, Mike, I'm not going to wade out into shark infested waters and pull you out.	Mike McCarty shows us how to get into a boat	Going...
Going...	PLOOP! Ahhh, Mike finally slips into his boat.	Joni watches from the end of the pier while the Coast Guard guys eye her thru their gun sites.	Janet, eclipsing her mom.
Janet mugs for the camera, Joni is in the background		What concentration....	Janet pulls away, revealing that her MOM, Joni, is in the background.
	Mike kicks back and waits for a tow that never came.			Mike peels out
Into the caves under the giant unloader cranes in Oakland. It's like a huge Cathedral in there, you know.	Heh, come back, Mike!	Oh well, I hope the "Cave Sharks" don't get him.	Heh, it's SPOOKY in there!	.

Meanwhile, back at the starting point, Julie, Dana, and Dean McCully thank everyone for making the day a huge success.
See you all at next year's CC&K Support Strokes

Thanks, to all who paddled, and thanks all of our sponsors.
Together, we raised over $15,372 for the Cause.

And a VERY special thanks to Tamara "Tammy" Borichevsky, Marketing Director for CC&K, for producing Support Strokes.
And to Keith Miller, her best pal and the guy who pays the bills. Or is he the one who wracks up the bills. I was never too straight on that....

Anyway, you guys & CC&K are the BEST! Don't ever change.

Original Literature

Dear CCK,

Many thanks for hosting Support Strokes. It was such a well-organized, meaningful event. What a great thing to see a local business with such social consciousness!
-Jennifer & Melanie Bojanowski

How Support Strokes Works

The 2003 Support Strokes paddlers will launch from the dock at California Canoe & Kayak and travel around Alameda Island. Check in time is 8:00am, we will try to have everyone on the water by 9:00am. Total paddle time may range from 3 - 6 hours for you to complete the course.

Approximately halfway around the island, at Crown Beach, we will have refreshments available. This is a good place for family and friends to meet you to cheer you on. We will also have a trailer available there for anyone who would prefer to paddle the short course (7.5 miles).

Collecting Pledges
Each participant is asked to raise a minimum of $100 in pledges. Please collect the money before the paddle and turn it in the day of the event. All checks should be payable to The Breast Cancer Fund as all proceeds from this event will go directly to them. Anyone Collecting over $500 gets a free boat rental that day.

Please ask your friends, family, co-workers and local businesses to support your commitment to complete this paddle. You may want to ask for a flat amount, or a pledge per mile. Pledge Ssheets are available from CCK or you are welcome to use your own.

Or, you can have your friends pledge online at this URL:
http://www.eyeyak.com/supportstrokes-2003/sponsor.htm

Check in: 8am, Saturday, August 23, 2003
Launch: CC&K Jack London Square

For additional information, please contact marketing@calkayak.com or www.calkayak.com
call Tammy at 510-547-1450

The Breast Cancer Fund

Breast Cancer now affects one in eight American women.

The Breast Cancer Fund is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to end breast cancer through research, education, advocacy and patient support initiatives that promote:

Elimination of the preventable causes of the disease, including those in our environment;
Replacement of mammography with safer, more reliable screening methods;
Development of non-toxic treatments;
Access to the best available medical care and information for everyone.

The money raised by this event will support patient services, education, and research efforts to help prevent, detect and treat breast cancer.

For more information on
The Breast Cancer Fund
visit their website at
www.breastcancerfund.org
or call (415) 346-8223

The inititial press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information:
August 13, 2001 510-893-7833

SUPPORT STROKES
Saturday, August 23
A Challenging 15.5 mile Paddle to Support The Breast Cancer Fund.

California Canoe and Kayak (CCK) is sponsoring Support Strokes, a challenging, 15.5 mile sea kayak paddle around Alameda Island to support breast cancer research. This event is in memory of Lore Hogan, a friend and paddler who lost her battle with Breast Cancer in May of 2001.

How it Works: The Support Strokes paddlers will launch from the dock at California Canoe & Kayak in Jack London Square and travel clockwise around Alameda Island. Check in time is 8:00, we will try to have everyone on the water by 9:00. Total paddle time may range from 3 - 6 hours for each person to complete the course.

About halfway around Alameda Island, at Crown Beach, there will be refreshments available for all participants. This is a good place for family and friends to meet you to cheer you on as well. We will also have a trailer available for anyone who would prefer to only paddle 7.5 miles.

Join in the fun, challenge yourself, and help support breast cancer research! Ask your friends, family, co-workers and local businesses to support your commitment to complete this paddle. You may want to ask for a flat amount, or a pledge per mile. Pledge sheets are available from CCK or you are welcome to use your own. Each participant is asked to raise a minimum of $100 in pledges. All checks should be payable to The Breast Cancer Fund as all proceeds from this event will go directly to them.

The Breast Cancer Fund is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to end breast cancer through research, education, advocacy and patient support initiatives that promote:

1 Elimination of the preventable causes of the disease, including those in our environment;
2 Replacement of mammography with safer, more reliable screening methods;
3 Development of non-toxic treatments; and
4 Access to the best available medical care and information for everyone.

The money raised by this event will support patient services, education, and research efforts to help prevent, detect and treat breast cancer. For more information on The Breast Cancer Fund visit their website at www.breastcancerfund.org or call (415) 346-8223.

Registration forms are available at CCK's retail location at Jack London Square or online at http://www.calkayak.com/benefit.htm. Or contact us at 510-893-7833 or answers@calkayak.com

The Course

(click to enlarge)

Writeup for BASK's Bay Area Currents

Goals of story: Paint the event as Challenging, Fun, Worthwhile
NOTE: These are very rough NOTES. I'm fleshing the text out.

CC&K's 2003 Support Strokes for The Breast Cancer Fund

WHO:

40 Kayakers, hundreds of sponsors, dozens support staff from California Canoe & Kayak (CC&K), as well as representatives from The Breast Cancer Fund converged on a gorgeous Saturday, August 23, 2003, for CC&K's 4th annual "Support Strokes for The Breast Cancer Fund". We were poised to participate in CC&K's annual 15.5 mile sea kayaking paddle around Alameda Island to support The Breast Cancer Fund's research programs.

CC&K's annual event is in memory of Lore Hogan, a friend and paddler who lost her battle with Breast Cancer in May of 2001.

Formed in 1992, TBCF was formed to identify and advocate the eliminination of the environmental and other preventable causes of breast cancer. TBCF works from the knowledge that breast caner is not simply a personal tragedy, but a public health priority that demands action from us all.

TBCF is perfect match for kayaking. Emphasis on "climbing". Dedicated to the millions of women who are currently living with breast cancer.

TBCF sponsors:
Peak Hike Series
Bike Against the Odds
Climb Against the Odds

The founder of The Breast Cancer Fund, Andrea Martin passed away 2 weeks before.
1946 - 2003

The Breast Cancer Fund is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to end breast cancer through research, education, advocacy and patient support initiatives that promote:

1 Elimination of the preventable causes of the disease, including those in our environment;
2 Replacement of mammography with safer, more reliable screening methods;
3 Development of non-toxic treatments; and
4 Access to the best available medical care and information for everyone.

100% of the money raised by this event will support patient services, education, and research efforts to help prevent, detect and treat breast cancer. For more information on The Breast Cancer Fund visit their website at www.breastcancerfund.org or call (415) 346-8223.

WHAT:

A challenging 15.5 mile paddle around Alameda Island to help The Breast Cancer Fund.

WHEN:
August 23, 2003, 9am launch, everybody finished by 4pm.

WHERE: California Canoe & Kayak (CC&K) Jack London Square, Alameda, California.

WHY:
    Statistics: 1 in 8 women will
    Diagnoses: 267,000 women will be diagnosed in 2003
    Deaths: 39,800 women will die of breast cancer in 2003.
    # Living with BC:
    # Men diagnosed: 3000 men will be diagnosed in 2003.

Prolog:
4th Annual
Online pledging added a new tool to the arsenal of fighting breast cancer.
Success stories abounded. Paddlers who had never raised a penny for any non profit were astonished that money flowed so freely.

Gathering @ CC&K:
Check in time 8am. We were shooting for 9am launch.
All 40 of us gathered at CC&K.
Pledge checks fell from the sky. Almost $10,000 was raised online, but more than $5,000 was raised with face-to-face contact.

Outfitting:
We were all equipped with power bars and bottled water.
Tammy and the TBCF reps, Julie & Dana, present memorial "Prayer Flags" from Andrea Martin's memorial service.

Launch:
Kayakers hit CC&K's dock for a rapid departure.
As always, the good folk at CC&K provided free kayak rental for the day for those who raised more than $500.
    KTVU arrived to film our departure.

They're off
Kayakers headed out to. 4 Newbies with Dean, doing the 7.5 mile short course, the rest of the experienced paddlers headed clockwise around Alameda Island to complete the 15.5 mile long course.

Dean's Story

Newbie got away from me. Whistles, yell, too fast. Shoot flares?

Joni, Mike, Janet McCarty and I paddled out

Coast Guard Pier for a quick refreshment
Needed to buy a tow rope: free with only one catch: you have to pay for whatever the rope is attached to. I turned to see what the ropes were attached to: $1 million yachts and decided to pass.

Back into the water.

Left, around Coast Guard Island.

Return

Under the piers supporting the Oakland Cranes

Extra mileage: back and forth.

Total distance paddled: 7.5 miles
Total time on the water: about 3 hours.

Lisa O's Story

TBD

About halfway around Alameda Island, at Crown Beach, there will be refreshments available for all participants. This is a good place for family and friends to meet you to cheer you on as well. We will also have a trailer available for anyone who would prefer to only paddle 7.5 miles.

Aftermath: Keith Miller & Tammy Borichevsky, owners of CC&K, generously provided an impromptu post-paddle dinner @ TGIF

Results: $15,372
100% of the money was given directly to TBCF to aid in the fight against breast cancer. Not a penny of pledge money was spent on the event, thanks to the generocity of CC&K and other donors.

THANK YOU
to all who participated, sponsored us, or was otherwise involved.

Next Year
The 5th annual Support Strokes event in 2004 should be even bigger and better. Stay tuned as we strategize for the biggest Support Strokes event yet!

----------------------------------------------------------

WHO: List of Kayakers (add more)

Alice Jessup
Ann Denzer
Ann Prentiss
Beth Bostian
Beth Lucas
Bill Pinkham
Craig Hightower
Dean McCully
Douglas Smith
Fran Sticha
Janet McCarty
Jennifer Bojanowski
Joni McCarty
Kari Holmgren
LaRhee L. Webster
Lisa L. Ouellette
Mari Litsky
Michael L. Dworkin
Mike McCarty
Nancy Ableser
Paul Litsky
Peter Rathmann
Steve Brandon
Tamara Borichevsky
Tara Sheen

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