"What if my future child gets cancer?": this is the question I found myself asking while paddling my 90th mile during last year's trip. If my child or grandchild was diagnosed with cancer, am I okay with the current treatment options? The answer is definitively, no. While cancer is too big for any one person to beat, the collective resources and dedication of our communities can bring HOPE to those who need it most.

To be honest, our trip throughout the Keys is no vacation and your support gives Lila and I the strength to keep going. There's nothing pleasurable about 110 miles of grueling paddling, about getting up at 5:00am to load coolers and brew coffee, about exhausting yourself physically and mentally for a full week. However, there is great joy in paddling with cancer survivors our final mile to shore, in seeing the smiling faces of families as their kids get to enjoy being a kid for a day, in seeing people sacrifice their resources to love the vulnerable among us.

Please join us in supporting such a worthy cause. Consider giving if you can. If you can't give, consider sharing our message on social media. If you can't share online, tell your neighbors, send prayers, think about those who are in the hospital right now - do what you can.

And perhaps most importantly - stay connected! Please follow along with Lila and I through social media (or send us a text!) for updates about our progress on the trip. We want to share the beauty of this event with our supporters. We want each and every one of you to be part of this new community we now find ourselves in.

With Love and Gratitude,

Lila and Ryan

Together we're funding innovative research for childhood cancers. SebastianStrong is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that funds discovery science to cure childhood cancers and supports families affected by this disease. It has received the highest level of recognition for transparency from GuideStar, the world’s largest source of information about nonprofit organizations. When you support SebastianStrong, you are helping to ensure that no family has to face childhood cancer alone. You are funding HOPE.