Today, April 5th, we honor our mother on the four-year anniversary of her death. We lost Paulette Isabel Crowther because there was limited advancement in preventing and treating anal cancer and HPV-related diseases.
Our mother’s strength, passion and perseverance continue to be a driving force behind all that we do. Since her passing, we have made it our mission to develop the infrastructure for the disease and improve outcomes.
This week, we will be celebrating her legacy and life in two exciting events. First we are announcing a grant to lay the groundwork for future HPV-related cancer therapy. We are also holding a NOMAN event to promote HPV vaccination.
Supporting Research
Today we are traveling to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conference in San Diego, California. On Monday, April 7th we will announce the recipient of our $1.2 million HPV-translational research grant, which we co-funded with Stand Up to Cancer and the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. We will be announcing details of the grant on our website and social media this week.
Raising Awareness and Promoting Vaccination
This weekend we will also work to educate people about HPV and vaccination through a NOMAN event. The NOMAN Campaign: Race to End HPV and Prevent 5% of Cancers raises awareness about HPV and vaccination through extreme sporting events.
Our latest adventurers, Jack, Nick, Chris and Mark, 24-year-old alumni from Exeter University, are training to compete against 14 other teams in the Great Pacific Race, the first ocean rowing competition between California and Hawaii.
To get ready for their Pacific journey, the 2014 NOMEN will be at the 160th legendary boat race between Oxford and Cambridge in London on the River Thames tomorrow, Sunday, April 6th.
HPV causes at least 6 types of cancers and incidence is growing. Come join us at the boat race to spread the word about how you can protect yourself with the HPV vaccine. Please visit the NOMEN at the race's start in Putney at the HSBC rowing club starting at 1:30.
These NOMEN will row the Pacific on the boat Isabel, named after our mother’s middle name. The journey is expected to take 30-40 days and they will face sharks, extreme weather, and 30-foot swells. They will attempt to set a world record for first four-man crew to row across the Pacific.
The NOMEN will also embark on a new type of expedition this summer. Tristan and a team of 7 others will compete in the Cosaveli Giro bike race through the Italian Dolmites.
Last year 10 NOMEN (including co-Founder Tristan Almada and UK Olympian Mark Hunter) rowed for 3 days across the Mediterranean from Barcelona to Ibiza. In 2015 we will repeat the Mediterranean challenge and are seeking NOMEN!
Last year we surpassed our fundraising goal of $1 million. This year we have set a goal of $600,000.
To learn more, to become a NOMAN and to donate to our cause, please visit the NOMAN campaign site.
