As some of you may know, I am a competitive paddler with Lanakila Outrigger Canoe Club. This year, our women's team is again a part of the Ocean of Hope, an organization of ocean minded people who raise money for the Sarcoma Alliance. Last year, our team raised over $4000 through the Ocean of Hope (O2H) for the Sarcoma Alliance, a non-profit whose sole purpose is to empower and educate those who suffer from sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. With the help of the money we raise, cancer patients and their families are provided access to doctors and hospitals who specialize in treating sarcoma, as well as providing a means for cancer sufferers and survivors to connect with one another. This is a grass roots organization, where 100% of donations go to those who suffer from cancer and to the resources which will help them.

I am proud to be a member of both Lanakila and the Ocean of Hope campaign. This year, I have a personal goal to raise over $1000 by our Catalina race, which is September 12.

The U.S. Championships of outrigger paddling has been raced every year for the past 50 years from Newport Harbor to Catalina Island. We have been training through the summer in the hopes of our three top women's teams being able to call ourselves true champions by winning Catalina in the Open, Masters, and Bradley divisions.

We have dedicated our summer to training and raising money for the Sarcoma Alliance through the Ocean of Hope. We have all known someone who has had cancer or whose life has been affected by a loved one with cancer, so we look at this opportunity as a way to help other people. And, it is very easy for you to help us.