Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Van Dyck.
Dan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was contacted in 2011 by Judie Vivian, a breast cancer survivor who was referred by a friend in the paddling industry. Judie, feeling grateful to be alive wanted to share her experience with Standup Paddling as an active, healthy lifestyle and a tool for recovery. Standup for the Cure (SUFTC) is designed as a fun, family friendly, festival style event where participants can learn how to paddle, demo all the latest equipment, shop and learn at our health and fitness expo, get Free breast cancer and melanoma screening all while enjoying live entertainment and great food. To date we’ve raised over $1,000,000 to fund local breast cancer screening for the underserved in communities where we host events while screening over 1800 on site for free. SUFTC has 4 nationwide events including Southern California, Seattle, South Florida and West Michigan. We depend upon partnerships to continue our growth.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Hosting events and running a non-profit is never smooth. The biggest bumps revolve around securing partnerships to fund our hard costs involved in hosting events across the country. Rejection comes in daily doses.
I wish empathy and compassion could cross the financial barriers. With the right connections, Standup for the Cure could be in a dozen cities and raise millions. My hope is that someday we have a cure and my job won’t be necessary.
Standup for the Cure – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Running a non-profit corporation and hosting events requires me to be a “Jack of all Trades”. I’m certainly not a pro at everything, but empathy, compassion and inclusion are high on my skill/asset list. The secret to a great event is making everyone feel that they are part of a family. I believe that SUFTC does this well than most fundraising events I’ve attended. We make our participants feel special, we raise a ton of money and have a bunch of fun while spreading positive energy.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I was proudest when in Muskegon this past summer we hit our $1,000,000 fundraising mark. I was surrounded by my Midwest family, volunteers and friends. This was certainly a milestone.
Pricing:
- Entry Fee for events is only $35
Contact Info:
- Address: 1615 Legaye dr
- Website: www.suftc.org
- Phone: 7604363589
- Email: dvandyck1@gmail.com
- Instagram: @Standup 4 the Cure
- Facebook: @Standup for the Cure
- Twitter: @Standup 4 the Cure
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
