2008 was B4BC’s busiest year to date with our educational booth having an impact at over 90 action sports and lifestyle events nationwide! We wanted to share with you our year in review to show what we’ve accomplished with your donations and support this past year.
We kicked off 2008 with our traveling educational booth making a stop at Winter X Games 12 as part of ESPN’s corporate outreach tent. From there it was a busy season of activities that included stops at (6) B4BC board-a-thons, (3) Burton Women’s Learn To Ride Camps, the Union Square Street Sessions and Central Park Jam, Etnies GvR, Burton’s US Open of Snowboarding, and the Roxy Chicken Jam. On top of that we also had fundraisers and outreach activities with (4) collegiate ski and snowboard associations.
Though the winter season was full of wonderful moments, one of the highlights was back in January when our friends at Burton forwarded us an email from a passionate breast cancer survivor named Katie Jozwicki. After learning about Katie’s battle with breast cancer and her wish to participate in the Burton’s Women Learn To Ride Snowboard Camp, we were inspired to give her a scholarship to attend the program. Katie’s experience was so positive, it gave us inspiration to create our Survivor Scholarship Program so we can give other amazing breast cancer survivors a weekend on the hill to remember. We weren’t the only ones who were enthused by Katie. SELF Magazine was so moved by her story that she was selected as one of five women cancer survivors to be featured in the October 2008 issue! More on Katie�s story and the Survivor Scholarship program.
After the winter season we cruised into a jam-packed summer schedule that included surf, skate, and music events to spread our message of early detection and prevention. For the 8th year, our educational booth had the opportunity to hit the road with the Vans Warped Tour making stops at 46 cities nationwide. We also had strong outreach at Summer X Games and at the US Open of Surfing. Summer activities also included our 2nd Annual Surf For Awareness contest presented by the WSA. This memorable day included a “Breast Cancer Survivor Heat, where six survivors took to the water and surfed their hearts out together for a monumental 30-minute heat. The crowd cheered them on as they took turns riding each wave into the beach. One of the survivors, Kim Tilly, had learned to surf only one week before the contest so she could participate and share the experience in the water with the other ladies. Another survivor told B4BC that it was a very magical moment for her to surf with the other survivors, as she didn’t have the strength or energy to compete last year due to her intense chemotherapy treatment. These women are truly an inspiration for all, and we thank them for helping us bring awareness and education to the next generation of surfers. Click to read the full story.
Rounding out the summer were our annual Skate the Lake and Skate the Coast longboarding marathons. These special events bring a multitude of people together to skate for the cause, and one special participant we met this summer was Frank Alvarado of Team Manteca. Frank put together a nine-member team of family and friends that included men, women, and even a few groms. They skated in support of a very dear friend of theirs who is currently battling breast cancer. Team Manteca’s positive energy and spirit for their friend Katie made an impact on everyone involved that day, and when the crew pushed 27 miles and through the finish line together, Katie was there with a smile to greet them! It was an unexplainable feeling to see this team rally around the cause and for their friend! Find out more about Frank and Skate the Lake.
After Skate the Lake and Coast we moved quickly into our Fall season and October which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month; with outreach activities that included Hurley’s Art Chest, the Bonfire Fall Movie Tour, Etnies GvR, the 3rd annual DIVAS in Drag B4BC benefit, and our first annual Save Our Breast Friends fundraiser in NYC. 2008’s campaign ended with our educational booth on the campuses of UCLA, LMU, and the University of Arizona for three great awareness nights hosted by the universities ski/snowboard clubs.
Whew! It was an incredible year of action and we’re greatly looking forward to carrying this energy into the New Year!
Click here to see B4BC�s upcoming 2009 winter season.
We hope to see you out there!
