By:Chris Munzing
The Fifth Annual Breast Cancer Kayakathon will be held Sept. 12. The event was created by members of the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, but it soon involved the Long Beach Breast Cancer Coalition because of Long Beach's proximity to the event and the LBBCC's dedication to educating women of the dangers of the disease.
"They just called us up and said they'd like to share the event with us," said Joyce Smolkin, co-president of the LBBCC. "Last year we had well over 100 rowers."
The event kicks off from Empire Kayaks in Island Park, and features a leisurely (which Smolkin stressed) three-mile paddle around Garrett Marsh. Registration for the event is $20 per person, and kayak rental fees are $10 for a single and $15 for a double.
In the interest of further fund-raising, prizes donated by local merchants will be raffled off to participants.
Smolkin said that the LBBCC isn't concerned about the amount of money raised and doesn't have a target figure, because all of the money goes directly into the LBBCC's programs. "We are a totally voluntary organization with few expenses," Smolkin said. "We don't care what we raise, because everything goes to help."
According to the LBBCC's Web site, the organization was formed to "promote awareness through education and community outreach; advocacy to increase funding for research into the causes of breast cancer, and for improved methods of detection and treatment; and assistance in securing access to screening, diagnosis, and treatment, and support while undergoing treatment."
The Lend a Helping Hand program will receive some of the funds the kayakathon raises. The program is designed for women with breast cancer who are undergoing treatment and need some assistance, whether it be with house cleaning, grocery shopping, a day of beauty treatments or transportation to medical appointments. This year, Lend a Helping Hand has helped more than two dozen women in the area, according to its vice president of media and environmental programming, Andrea Primeggia, a 10-year breast cancer survivor.
Primeggia added that many women who could use the program don't use it. "It's so important to let them know we're here, because we can help," she said. "We want to help. We have so much to offer to our community."
The LBBCC also offers educational programming in the schools, giving early-detection lectures in the high school and organizing poster contests on living healthy and eating natural foods in the elementary schools. "It's all about awareness," said Smolkin, a survivor for nine years. "There are things you can do to live healthier and feel better. You've got to take care of your body."
Despite their struggles with the disease, both Smolkin and Primeggia said that getting breast cancer has opened up their lives and made each day more enjoyable. And events such as the kayakathon let them know that there are others out there in the same boat - on this day, literally.
"You embrace everything differently, and you find out who your true friends are," Smolkin said. "It makes every day special."
"You begin to appreciate your life, and you don't take everything for granted," Primeggia said. "Your whole outlook on life is different. You say 'I love you' a lot more."
