The Race To End Prostate Cancer, Thursday, Jan. 31 at Mt. Seymour. Registration and check-in: 9: 30-11: 30 a.m. Warm up and course inspection: 11 a.m. to noon. Race: noon-2 p.m. Cocktail reception and silent auction: 3-5 p.m. Registration ($100 per person or $350 for a team of four) and info: prostatecancerbc.ca/events or 604-574-4012.
ON Thursday, the powder will fly at Mt. Seymour as Lower Mainland residents aplenty race to the finish in a show of support in the fight against the second-leading cause of cancer death in Canadian men.
The Race To End Prostate Cancer will get underway at 9: 30 a.m. on the North Vancouver mountain and is open to skiers and snowboarders who are comfortable on intermediate terrain. The event is being presented by the resort in partnership with the beneficiary, the Prostate Cancer Foundation B.C., which works to improve knowledge, prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.
"It's something that affects one in seven men. For us, more than half of our guests demographically, we're about 60 per cent men. . . so we feel that's something that will affect a great number of them," says Jonathan Mosley, manager of skier development for Mt. Seymour. "Also we've been looking for something that we could do that could support a men's cause for a while."
Mt. Seymour has been working with the B.C. Cancer Foundation for the last few years for Shred for the Cure, a Monday ladies night in support of the foundation and breast cancer research. (Info: mountseymour. com).
"That's been such a success and we sort of wanted to share the love on that and find a cause that would support men as well and so we felt this would be a pretty natural fit," says Mosley.
The Race To End Prostate Cancer was modelled on the format of a charity golf tournament and is open to 100 participants who will compete in teams of four.
Each racer will complete two runs and awards will be presented to the team and individual who most accurately guess their times, and the team and individual with the most consistent times on each course. Prizes will also be awarded to the top three fundraisers.
"It's basically the ski racing equivalent of best ball in a golf tournament so you can be the slowest person down the course and still win," says Mosley. "It's really more about getting out, having some fun, creating some awareness about prostate cancer, partly because the studies show if it's caught early and treated effectively, that treatment can be very successful."
Among the planned participants is skier and Tsawwassen resident Robb Lucy, a prostate cancer survivor.
He's been working as a volunteer advisor with the Prostate Cancer Foundation B.C. for the last year, getting involved following his diagnosis and effective treatment of the disease.
Diagnosed two-and-a-half years ago, Lucy underwent surgery and is now considered to be cancer-free.
"You never, ever know, there might be one little cell of cancer in there that gets going again, but so far that has not happened," says Lucy, 61.
He's pleased to be taking an advocacy role as of late.
"There's going to be guys like me who are going to be struck with the word cancer and they won't know what the heck to do," he says. "The support the foundation offers is very good and probably the thing that a guy needs immediately. . . . After you get over the shock it's good to talk to people who've been through it and who know the road you're going to travel."
To allow the foundation to continue its support of prostate cancer patients as well as research towards a cure, Lucy encourages community members to come out to what promises to be an enjoyable day.
"Any funds that are gathered will eventually find their way to a cure," he says.
The race will be followed by a cocktail reception and silent auction, open to community members at large ($20). For more information on participating, sponsoring a racer or attending the cocktail reception, visit prostatecancerbc.ca/events.
