The Organization

The Mission of Athletes 4 Cancer

Athletes 4 Cancer is dedicated to harnessing the healing power of the elements with the determination of the human spirit to impact lives affected by cancer.

Our Vision

Athletes 4 Cancer is focused on renewing, rebuilding, and restarting lives after cancer. We recognize an immediate need for viable resources and survivorship-focused programs in our community.

Our Program

Athletes for Cancer runs adventure-therapy retreats for cancer fighters and survivors. These retreats promote a healthy model for survivorship, aiming to grow survivor confidence and self-esteem by providing an attainable platform for personal success, self-growth, and achievement.

The History of Athletes for Cancer: It began from personal experiences with cancer.

Professional kiteboarding instructor and advocate for the sport, Tonia Farman, watched her brother, Scott, battle Leukemia for a year before he passed away in June 2007. For those 13 months, Scott braved chemotherapy, radiation, and clinical study tests that no human being should ever have to endure. Watching this, Tonia knew she had to do something, utilizing what she knew as an athlete to make it happen.

Meanwhile, a friend and pediatric surgeon, Garret Zallen, experienced cancer on a nearly daily basis at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Watching this awful disease take so much from a person, friends, and family, and recognizing that cancer is a common thread that unites our community, the two set out together to convert the feelings of helplessness into utilizing the passion, energy, and vitality in the sport we love – kiteboarding -- to do something good.

The result was Kiteboarding 4 Cancer (KB4C), a non-profit designed to put on fundraising events that donate proceeds to partnering cancer charities. In KB4C's first event on August 25th, 2007, kiteboarders raised pledge money for one of KB4C’s partnering cancer support organizations, then competed in an 8-hour endurance kiteboarding race on the Columbia River.

We quickly outgrew the one sport of kiteboarding, recognizing and embracing the passion of so many other athletes and sports for the cause. We soon added standup paddling, then kayaking to our annual fundraiser. Evolved in 2010 as The Tenacity Games, this adventure fundraising series helped Athletes for Cancer grant over $250,000 to regional cancer advocacy, prevention, and survivorship programs.

Now Athletes 4 Cancer, we are a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, IRS tax ID #42-1737854. We fund our event and charities solely through tax-deductible contributions from private individuals, corporations and foundations. Please join us in the fight against cancer. We look forward to your support as a sponsor in KB4C.

KB4C and Athletes 4 Cancer is In Memory of Scott Farman, as well as the many otherwise active and healthy individuals who fought cancer and are no longer with us.