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A new venue for cancer awareness
Dylan Harreld has been skateboarding for close to three years now but only recently found a way to channel his passion into a cause that touches people's lives.
Harreld is involved with Skate 4 Cancer, a non-profit Canadian organization that aims to raise cancer awareness by putting on skateboarding shows across Canada and the United States at hospitals and music venues. Rob Dyer, the organization's founder, lost several family members to cancer and originally sought to raise money to fight the disease by skating across Canada.
Dyer cross-country skated in the U.S. and Canada before Skate 4 Cancer grew and began putting on skateboarding shows for cancer victims in cities across North America and Europe. When Harreld lost an uncle to lung cancer, he heard about the organization and felt compelled to get involved.
"Sometimes we'll go to skate parks and skate or we'll go to music venues where there are actual bands playing and we'll go outside and set up a few ramps or something," Harreld said. "They have a yearly concert venue called Warped Tour where Skate 4 Cancer has a tent and you show up, and I got to work there and skate with the founder of it (Dyer), so it's pretty cool."
Harreld is the only representative from Missouri and said he hopes to go to Canada relatively soon to meet the top organizers. Currently he said he sends pictures and videos of himself skating to be used in Skate 4 Cancer posters or videos.
Although he's the lone representative of a relatively anonymous organization, Harreld has received some civic support from the city of Nevada and Vernon County. Carol Branham worked for Nevada Parks and Recreation at the time the skate park was built and was a staunch supporter of the project. Now, Branham is on the board of the Vernon County Cancer Relief Fund, and sees some opportunities to work with non-profits like Skate 4 Cancer locally.
"I was with Parks and Rec when we built the skate park, and so the skate park was my passion, to give an alternative for kids because those are skilled little athletes," Branham said. "I am so happy that you're giving Dylan some additional coverage because, like I said, he has got a real passion for what he's doing and I think he is going to bring some attention, particularly for kids. Anything we can do to help him and to help promote awareness, we'll be happy to do that."
"I think there could be some opportunity for local support for that. And plus, it's using kind of a different style of sport to bring a message and I think it will capture people that normally aren't captured through other types of events."
Harreld continues to skate at the Nevada skate park, waiting for an opportunity to contribute locally. Because Skate 4 Cancer isn't likely to make an appearance in Missouri, Harreld said locals can help the cause by purchasing merchandise and media through Skate 4 Cancer.
"All the money that they make selling T-shirts or selling poster and skating demos, we raise it to help cancer awareness and cancer protection basically," he said. "I would tell people to go to the web site to get more information about it."
Skate 4 Cancer recently completed of Nevada, California and Oregon. It partners with The Princess Margaret Foundation, based in Toronto. Questions about how to donate or volunteer can be directed to the Skate 4 Cancer web site, www.skate4cancer.com.