Paddling 4 … © 2008 Bo Mackison

. . . the promotion of prostate cancer awareness and early treatments.

I met Skip early Saturday morning as he was preparing to shove off from the tip of Door County, Wisconsin, heading into the choppy waters of Lake Michigan. I was busy taking photographs of the lake when I noticed his kayak, loaded to the gills with equipment. I went over to see what was going on and he spoke with me about “his mission.”

He explained that a week ago, on Saturday June 14, he had pointed his kayak into Lake Michigan from the Chicago Harbor, and began a planned 54 day, 1,700 mile trip from the Midwest to the Hudson River in New York City.

Ciccarelli, a 60 year old high school teacher from Massachusetts, is a prostate cancer survivor. If all goes as planned, he will arrive in NYC on August 9 – 7 years to the day from when he had surgery for prostate cancer. He is doing the trip to raise prostate cancer awareness.

“I realized, like most men, I was clueless about prostate cancer and soon became flummoxed at how little men know about their own bodies,” Ciccarelli said. “I realized I could help raise awareness. By drawing attention to this disease, I’m hoping more men will get prostate check-ups, PSA screenings and that more research will focus on this type of cancer.”

More information on Cicarelli’s journey can be found at www.paddle4prostate.org. Any funds he raises over and above his expenses will be donated to two cancer organizations: Us TOO International and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.