© Boarding for Breast Cancer
Taking Action: Boarding for Breast Cancer
Dec 18 2006 / Los Angeles, CA
This month is breast cancer awareness month, so what are you doing to change the world?
Even without a snowflake on the ground, this month is one of the busiest for a group of snowboarders and action sport activists who run
Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC). October in the US is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so B4BC--one of the action sport community’s most prominent leaders in philanthropy and education outreach—is in high-gear with increasing numbers of manufacturer partners and news events, including a Tahoe skate relay benefit and a
new partnership with CCS Girls in a campaign reaching more than 2,000 high schools across the U.S...and that’s just this month so far.
The group, which was founded in 1996 by snowboarders
Tina Basich and Shannon Dunn, along with friends from the industry, is dedicated to educating young women and men about breast cancer. They launched B4BC in honor of their friend Monica, founder of Bonfire snowboard goods, who died at age 29 with breast cancer. Monica had been being misdiagnosed for three years because of her young age. What began as an annual concert to benefit the cause-- featuring bands like the Beastie Boys and Linkin Park in Sierra-at-Tahoe--became a traveling educational resource and fund-raising powerhouse.
Unlike traditional cancer awareness programs or outreach groups, B4Bc primarily targets men and women ages 16-30 who are members of the action sport community, and who are more likely to hold the misconception that breast cancer only affects women who are middle-aged and older. Their mission, according to their website, is to “increase awareness about breast cancer, the importance of early detection and the value of a healthy lifestyle.” With board-a-thons all winter long and booths at events including the Vans Warped Tour, the X-Games, the U.S. Open of Surfing—and everything in between—their scope is massive, and their message clear. We caught up with Justine Chiara, B4Bc’s executive director, to get the word on what is going down and where the organization is going. You can
read more here>
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Boarding for Breast Cancer
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B4BC might be one of the hottest action sports charity organizations out there, but they’re not the only ones making a difference. Skaters, surfers and the action sport athletes are known more for individual risk-taking and performance than being team players, but numerous members of the action sport industry are leaders in championing multiple causes and issues confronting us above and beyond the boundaries of our skate parks and mountain towns. This month is an opportunity to put our boards and bikes down for a sec and pick up a sense of community and awareness. Here are a few organizations making a difference:
- Visit Boarding for Breast Cancer's Official Site:
B4BC.org Surfrider: Dropping in to Activism
While Surfrider was founded by surfers in an effort to protect their ocean playground and coastal habitats more than twenty years ago, the organization now has more than 60 chapters nationwide, including Puerto Rico and Hawaii, and four international branches. Some of their more prominent grassroots demonstrations include are surf-specific, such as paddling out in 38 degree water to protest a dioxin dump off the New Jersey coast, and negotiating access to surf spots in states including California, New Jersey, and Florida. But Surfrider, whose membership of 50k+ includes coastal supporters and ocean enthusiasts from kayakers to divers and bodyboarders, also pursues major civil lawsuits against baddie big business (Chevron was one of their recent targets), ocean-friendly legislations at the state and national-levels, plus numerous grassroots, community events like beach clean-ups. Check out their mission, programs, publications, and recent battles, won and lost.
- Check out Surfrider Foundation. Click here>
Action Sports Environmental Coalition: Go Green
Founded by Bob Burnquist, Julia Butterfly (she’s the woman who sat in an old growth tree for a year to save it), Frank Scura (CEO of Ecoresolutions) and friends, this organization is working to raise awareness amongst youth culture about their environmental impact on the world. A combination of an education and action program, the ASEC can help you set up a recycling program or tell you how to get wood for your backyard ramp that comes from sustainable forests. This past year the ASEC made a big impact by “greening” the X Games. Not only were the ramps made of sustainable wood, but serious effort was put into creating recycling bins for trash throughout the show.
- Visit the Action Sports Enviornmental Coalition site.
Click here>
Tony Hawk Foundation: A New Kind of Park
While it may not seem like skateboarding alone can necessarily make the world a better place, skate parks really might. Founded in 2002, the Tony Hawk Foundation was started by Hawk and friends to help fund new skate parks around the country for kids to go hang out at. The idea came about after Hawk received hundreds of emails from parents and kids saying they didn’t have a safe place to skate or hang out. Now thanks to the organizations towns across America can afford to have their own skate parks. Check out one of the many parks that was recently built in Missoula, Montana.
-Anna Diamond and Shanti Sosienski
