Boarding for breast
cancer
By Elizabeth Margerum,
Outpost Contributor
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In this package Breast
Cancer Facts On the Web Official
BBC Site Foo
Fighters
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Saturday was Boarding for Breast Cancer, an event to help raise money and awareness for battling the disease.
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Photo by Elizabeth Margerum Royal Crown Review performs on stage as part of the Boarding for Breast Cancer concert at Sierra at Tahoe ski resort. |
Boarding for Breast Cancer (BBC) started three years ago in memory of Monica Steward, a snowboard clothing designer, who felt a lump in her breast at age 26.
Steward wrote in a letter, "I went to the doctor, but he told me 'it was nothing.' He told me what I wanted to hear. I did not pursue getting a mammogram. Why should I? A 26-year-old healthy woman does not get breast cancer. I didn't think so, anyway. But three years later, that lump turned out to be 'something.'"
The letter, "Both feet on the Ground," was published in WIG magazine and created such a response it sparked the idea for a benefit event.
Steward died at age 29 before the first BBC event.
BBC's mission is to increase awareness among younger women and men, as well as to raise money for breast cancer research and education.
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One amateur snowboarder warms up on the "big air" jump. |
This year's event was the third annual Boarding For Breast Cancer day and all the money raised went to the Breast Cancer Fund and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Geralyn Lucas was guest speaker at the event. Lucas was diagnosed with breast cancer at 27 but caught it early enough that treatment was effective. She is not cured because there is no cure from the disease-- it could come back.
She told the crowd that men find 60 percent of lumps in their partners adding:
"You know who looks like they have breast cancer? If you're a woman you look like you have breast cancer."
The day started out with a traffic jam on Sierra at Tahoe road. It took 45 minutes of stop-and -go driving to reach the parking lot. The Supersuckers were caught in it and almost missed their time slot.
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MTV's Kennedy talks about the importance of breast cancer education. |
Numerous booths set up to educate people on the disease. One booth had jelly breast replicas so people could feel a healthy breast and find the lump in the cancerous breast.
In addition to the booths there was an equipment swap. Boards, boots, bindings could sold and all proceeds went to help the cause.
The snowboarders competed in the halfpipe and big air exhibitions between bands.
This year's event included amateur and professional snowboarders and four bands; Supersuckers, Royal Crown Revue, Moby and the Foo Fighters. Also on hand was MTV's veejay Kennedy as master of ceremonies.
Nate Mendel, bass player for the Foo Fighters said, "My own mother passed away from breast cancer. I was the one that sort of drug the whole band into it."
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copyright 04/17/98 Nevada Outpost http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost