My PINK plea for GREEN.

Yes - it's that time of year again for me to impose the advocacy of my own endeavors upon my friends and loved ones.  I will be skippering the Pink Boat "Darwind" in the upcoming 1st annual Pink Boat Regatta - Seattle on September 9th, 2012 (and again for the 2nd Annual Pink Boat Regatta - San Francisco on October 14th, 2012.)  This is a charity event benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation during which sailboats decorate themselves as ridiculously pink as possible and have fun rounding buoys for a few hours followed by a charity banquet.  What makes this genius is you can actually cheat to win by purchasing buoys for the cause which will increase that particular boat's chances at winning.  Oh yes.  My kind of pink party.

A many of you know I met Thomas Watson, captain of Darwind, while in San Francisco with Nefarious for the Farr30 world championship in 2011 and became involved in the effort.  The Pink Boat has partnered with BCRF with the goal of raising $1 million to support breast cancer research.  Thomas will be sailing Darwind around the world, solo and nonstop via the Great Capes, beginning in Seattle on October 1st, 2013 in a world record attempt to achieve this $1 million dollar goal.

In the meantime, The Pink Boat will be hosting a series of regattas to help further this cause...such as this one.

This year's regatta in Seattle is really significant for me for a number of reasons, the first and foremost being that unfortunately my own mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer in the year since the last regatta.  I hope she will be joining in Seattle (from Dryden, Ontario, Canada - and health-pending) after a double mastectomy and between rounds of chemotherapy treatment.  When I became involved in supporting this organization just over a year ago I had no idea that I would be essentially be helping to fund the same research responsible for the advances in medicine and technology which has allowed my own mother the excellent prognosis today which even ten years ago may have been a very different story. 

Darwind on the water for the 1st Annual Pink Boat Regatta - SF

Secondly, I am the race chair representing both The Pink Boat as well as the Sloop Tavern Yacht Club in the organization of this event.  (Holy shit.)  What does this mean? It means not only am I raising funds to support Darwind, I am also looking for event sponsors and donations for our silent auction.  This means if you know anyone or any organization you feel may be compelled to become involved in such an effort, please contact me and I will inundate them with fancy official documents proving this effort is legit and explaining exactly what can be done to help us write the biggest check possible to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation this September 9th.

To my Seattle community: Sailors, I would much rather you sign up and participate in this event than donate to Darwind.  Seriously.  To my non-sailing friends: there are plenty of spots on spectator boats available as well.  Please come.  To EVERYONE: please share this & help spread the word!  Everyone should get to have no shame at least once a year.  I choose now.  HELP.

To donate (and help Darwind win!) please follow this link!


Many, many thanks to any who feel compelled to contribute. You all have my gratitude, along with that of the many hundreds of thousands of women to whom we already owe a even more disproportionate debt of gratitude for having inspired us with their strength and courage. 

Learn more about  The Pink Boat here: www.thepinkboat.org or help spread the word by 'liking' The Pink Boat on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThePinkBoat




Much Love.
Ashley

Darwind accepting 1st place int the "DD" division - October 2011.