Avid SUP (stand up paddleboard) enthusiast Oscar Casiro figures if he’s going to paddle anyway, it may as well be for a cause.
He took up the sport as the pandemic settled in, after trying kayaking and other activities. After finding SUP, he started taking courses, learning navigating and paddle techniques and even became an instructor. “It became like a passion, being in the ocean. Now I paddle throughout the year, every season, three times a week.”
His 8- to 12-km paddles span the regions of Sooke to Sidney and off Victoria and Oak Bay. Travelling about 4 km/h, they round out to two- or three-hour paddles.
“It’s just amazing being out in the ocean without a motor, under your own power, and being in contact with nature,” he said. Eagles and seals are a given, orca and other whales remain a treat while he's out getting valuable, whole-body exercise.
“When you put it all together, it’s good for your soul, because you’re out in nature and it’s very good for your balance and fitness.”
It’s also been good for the soul in other ways. Looking to challenge himself, Casiro set a goal of paddling 750 kilometres in his 75th year and decided to parlay that into a fundraiser. He searched for a small local organization with low administrative costs made up of mostly volunteers, and found Island Kids Cancer Association was a perfect fit.
“It’s a local grassroots organization that works directly with families, finding gaps in the systems and finding services for families where they need, when they need,” the retired pediatrician said.
Island Kids Cancer Association supports more than 200 families across Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands as they navigate the trials of childhood cancer.
Working in newborn intensive care in Manitoba, he’d met with many families with children in hospital, primarily living outside the city. “People were coming from far away, and their babies had to spend sometimes weeks in the hospital. So I got to understand the difficulties of having children that need services, in a highly specialized centre that is far away from where you live,” Casiro said.
He started tackling the 750-km total on April 5 and hopes to finish by Sept. 5 for ICKA Paddle for Health at Willows Beach – the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
“I’m doing this in segments. I’m paddling about 35, 40 kilometres a week. The distance – 750 kilometres from Victoria – is roughly the distance from here to the southern tip of Haiada Gwaii,” Casiro said.
So far, he’s paddled 173 km, almost as impressive as the community response.
Whether the man, the cause or the sport, the goal seemed to instantly resonate with the community. He hit the original goal of $7,500 in the first week. As of Friday (May 9) afternoon, the fundraising tally sat just over $700 shy of the doubled $15,000 goal.
“The response from the community has been amazing,” Casiro said.
It’s a testament to both the man and the wider community, says IKCA executive director Susan Kerr, noting that level of involvement is vital and “the cornerstone of our association.”
“He’s really a special individual, and there are just so many stories out there of our families and our donors. As far as ICKS, we are proud of the businesses and families that support us," Kerr said.
The money Casiro raises will go to general-purpose funds in the non-profit. For them, that means supporting comprehensive programs including financial assistance for families, mental health services and community building events.
All the services are crucial in alleviating the stress and challenges faced by a family dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
“The programs have helped alleviate financial stress, offered emotional support and what we’ve also done is create a network of families that can lean on each other,” said Kerr, who has faced those struggles herself. “We support one another as human beings going through challenging times. And it is an isolating journey; part of our goal is breaking down those moments of isolation.”
Founded in 2017, the organization has seen major growth, reaching more families and, most recently, focusing on enhanced mental health resources.
The Touchstones program – focused on mental health support, minimizing barriers and helping families find service providers or specialized therapists – started with 32 providers on Vancouver Island and now includes more than 100 counsellors, psychologists, art therapists, music therapists, play therapists and more "dedicated to ICKA,” Kerr said.
“With Oscar’s fundraiser, when I look at it, supporting his fundraiser is more than a donation. Like all of our third parties, this is something really special to us,” she said. “Supporting Oscar’s fundraiser is really a commitment to making a tangible difference to families and children facing cancer – to bring hope to those in need.”
Learn more about the organization at ikca.ca. Find Casiro’s fundraising page online at https://shorturl.at/0qu9F.
