Surfing for a Cancer Cure

In August, the MDVIP Foundation and I sponsored an MDVIP Surf Team to participate in the Luau & Legends Longboard Invitational event in La Jolla, California. This “Surfing for a Cure” event is a one-of-a-kind fundraiser benefiting cancer research at the prominent Moores Cancer Center at the University of California San Diego.

There aren’t many events where I get to ditch the suit in favor of shorts, sandals, a luau lunch, San Diego sunshine and, of course, surfing. There were numerous former world champions and other surf icons such as Robert August (star of The Endless Summer and world-famous surfboard shaper) and “Wingnut” Weaver (star of The Endless Summer II and larger-than-life personality) in the crowd and in the water.

The MDVIP Surf Team included, from left to right, Dr. David DeAtkine (MDVIP Affiliate in Alabama for the last 15 years), MDVIP member Dave Kaplan, me and James Wood, MDVIP's Director of Business Development for Employers.

The weekend event was especially poignant for me as I also hosted a gathering for a friend with terminal cancer who has sadly run out of treatment options. It’s a tragic, but all-too-common story.

Cancer touches all of us – through our circles of friends and family – and often devastatingly so. It is, as oncologist, researcher and writer Siddhartha Mukherjee called it, The Emperor of All Maladies.

Finding a cure is a never-ending battle and there are new discoveries and victories coming from the terrific work at places like Moores Cancer Center, our Medical Centers of Excellence partners and many other organizations. With each step forward, there is a little more hope. At MDVIP, we’re honored to help with those steps forward.

Shakas,

Bret Jorgensen