BREWER – The husband of a cancer patient, Stephen Cole, has found a unique way to participate in Champion the Cure Challenge and invites others that share his fishing passion to join him.
An avid fisherman, Stephen had a serendipitous meeting with Northern Light Health’s President and CEO, Tim Dentry, while guiding him on a fishing trip. During that trip, Stephen mentioned that his wife had been a cancer patient and how wonderfully she was treated at Northern Light Cancer Care. He also shared that he’d really like to give back to show how much he appreciated their wonderful care. Tim then made sure that Stephen was put in touch with the folks at Champion the Cure Challenge.
While there are several ways to participate in Champion the Cure Challenge already, Stephen wanted to put his own twist on the event and open it up to those who love to fish, as he does. Reeling for a Cure, a summerlong fishing event to raise money under the Champion the Cure umbrella, was then born.
Participants fundraise by asking their personal network for either a flat donation or a pledge per fish caught. Individuals can determine whether they’d like their personal challenge to go all summer or for a specified period.
This is the third year Stephen Cole is Reeling for a Cure. Last year, he raised more than $7,500 for his Champion the Cure Challenge team. He hopes that this year individuals will join his team or create their own.
In addition to fishing, Champion the Cure Challenge participation options include the walk/run/cycle event in Brewer on Aug. 20 and 21, the paddling event on the Penobscot River in Brewer on Sept. 18, and the horse trail ride in Corinna on Sept. 24. The Challenge is open to anyone in the community who wants to join the fight against cancer in Maine.
Every dollar raised at Champion the Cure Challenge supports patient care and research at Northern Light Cancer Care. Recently, Challenge funds were used to ensure access to groundbreaking clinical trials, hair preservation technology that reduces hair loss during cancer treatment, local genomic research, food for cancer patients in need, vision testing for pediatric brain cancer patients, and more. Since the first event in 2010, Champion the Cure Challenge has raised $5.5 million.
To register a team for the 2022 Champion the Cure Challenge, visit ctcchallenge.org.
