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Kiteboarding 4 Cancer kiteboard events scheduled for Aug. 9,
with Aug.10 as backup date
By
BEN MCCARTY
News staff writer
August 2, 2008
When her brother, Scott, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2006,
Tonia Farman spent hours with him in his room at Seattle
Children’s Hospital. She set up an art studio there as an outlet
for Scott as he dealt with the disease.
“Everything came out in paints and charcoal and canvas,” Farman
said earlier this week. “It was very therapeutic.”
Scott would eventually succumb to the cancer, but Tonia has
paired art, an outlet that was therapeutic for her brother
during his battle with cancer, with another love, kiteboarding,
to form a powerful 1-2 punch.
In its first run last year, Kiteboarding 4 Cancer raised $60,000
more than Farman expected thanks to fund-raising by the amateur
kiteboarders taking part and the silent art auction held during
the event.
The money raised will be going to benefit Celilo Cancer Center
in The Dalles, the John Wayne Cancer Institute and Children’s
Healing Art at Portland children’s hospitals.
“We wanted to bridge the gap between the recreationists and the
community,” she said.
As the event gets ready to go for the second time Aug. 8-10,
that bridge appears strong.
“It’s mind blowing; I completely underestimated the support of
the athletes and the community,” Farman said. “We have already
raised more money in advance than last year.”
The event will also have a few new parts from last year
including a trainer kite clinic for new kiteboarders and, for
the first time in local kiteboarding, a long jump competition,
which will see competitors see who can jump the farthest instead
of the highest.
That is coupled with a silent auction for art and other prizes,
including several travel packages, and a Full Sail beer garden.
As she organized the event last year, and as donations have come
in this year, Farman has found that no matter how odd the
combination of art and kiteboarding may seem, people are willing
to help however they can when it comes to a disease that has
affected so many.
“We have people coming from all over North America,” she said.
“It has grown into something bigger than I could have imagined.”
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