Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation Cancels Banner Event
It appears that 13 is not a lucky number for the Paddle For A Cause.
The 13th annual Paddle For A Cause, set to be held on June 13, is canceled until further notice due to circumstances surrounding the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
On Feb. 13, Ventnor commissioners granted approval for the marquee event presented by the Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation to be held at Ski Beach. Previously held at Frank S. Farley State Marina in Atlantic City, the 22.5-mile paddleboard race attracts competitors from across the globe and raises money for local families affected by cancer.
However, the annual event largely depends on the financial support of local businesses and participants.
“Our local businesses are suffering right now and a lot of people are out of work and we thought it best to encourage our supporters to focus on those in need around them right now,” said foundation president Brady Middlesworth.
With the current uncertainty surrounding the future of public events and the ongoing need for social distancing, the June 13 date was becoming questionable for some time, he said.
The Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation’s 20th annual Surf For A Cause is scheduled to take place on September 12th in Margate, NJ and there are hopes among supporters that they can incorporate their paddleboarders into the event in some way.
“With everything going on we are playing it by ear right now, but that’s definitely an option that is on the table,” said Middlesworth
New Jersey’s most successful surfer, Randazzo of Ventnor, was recovering from a bout with Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2001 when the inaugural Paddle For A Cause was conceived. The course was designed by Mike May to challenge racers as a reminder that they are helping people struggling with cancer. Randazzo who completed last year’s paddle said that’s exactly what kept him motivated in the water.
