Why Chemo Sabe?
Chemo Sabe is beneficiary of the Great Castell Kayak Race, started 8 years after our first paddling adventure. The race was begun in 2003 to engage recreational and sports enthusiasts on the lovely Llano River, and provide charitable contributions to the local Texas hill country area. The first six years, we had various beneficiaries, such as Hill Country Hospice, Livestrong and the American Diabetes Association. Oh, let me add that live music has always been part of our agenda!
Our first year we had expected 20 kayakers and had 63. It has gone like that since. BTW, the show Survivor was the model!!
In 2003 on my birthday my sister,Judith Curtis, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and began immediate surgery and treatment.
Judith moved to Mason, Texas, Valentines Day 2004, to be near family. That same year I was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and began my own rounds of interferon treatments that lasted a full year. Those times we were together, we found many common affinities; she loved music and was a great fan of the race even though she could not be in the sun. She became my inspiration to help cancer patients survive treatment, knowing how hard it can be.
In 2005 we continued our donations to American Diabetes in honor of a close friend’s request. We had a stellar year… At Christmas 2005, Judith’s cancer was back. While helping Judith to get back and forth to MD Anderson to be with “Papa,” the Melanoma specialist, we became more interested in how we could help others going thru this.
In 2006 we donated our proceeds to the Castell School Haus restoration. Then I found out that I had to have chemo again myself. I must mention here that I was only taking one “bio-chemotherapy agent” along with big anti-viral pills every day. It gave me enormous respect for my sister and all others like her who were taking massive amounts of drugs most normal people can’t even pronounce. Bye bye hair, bye bye energy, hello couch. How do you survive this?!
In 2007 I lost my sister; after doing all we could do, it was just out of our hands. The skies wept, the river roared, and the race was postponed due to flooding. It felt very appropriate. Meanwhile I was finished with my second go around with the Hep C chemo and found out I would have to live with this virus, pending any miracle or medical breakthrough. And so it goes.
2008 was our best year ever! That year, we joined forces with the Lance Armstrong Foundation and promised our funds to them for 2008. Grass roots here we came… we raised over 14K and were able to donate 10K to Lance Armstrong–Paddle on to Livestrong!! We had an auction that year and over 120 racers, we began to become a media sensation, a bigger force for change. We made contacts with many cancer resource centers, programs and mentors. Due to my lengthy illness and helping Judith and my mom (also a disabled cancer survivor) I had a fairly in depth knowledge of how it feels to be fighting this fight.
At the end of 2008 after the race, friends began coming to me asking for my help with persons newly diagnosed with cancer. We launched the idea for Chemo Sabe in the fall of 2008. In 2008 I also began the process of achieving our non profit designation. We met new interested community advocates and developed ideas for the future of our mission.
2009 rocked the Llano! We were given over 15K in free media exposure by newspapers, radio and television stations, including KXAN NBC affiliate in Austin, Tx. We had over 160 kayaks on the water, lots of people to hear the live music concert, shuttles running, and smiling faces. That year we were able to initialize our legal, office, and accounting tasks to bring the non-profit online.
After the race in 2009, we were inspired (thanks, Donna) to pursue a path using music as a vehicle for our outreach programs. We are going into cancer treatment centers bringing interactive programs, doing recordings and delivering educational materials that will give people support during chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. We also offer limited personal assistance in a crisis.
In 2010 we had 200 kayaks on the water! We brought Texas Songwriters in the Round on board and purchased equipment to produce our fund-raising events and appearances.We also began looking at other ways to raise funds, including grants and other possible activities. The race is quite expensive to produce but gives us great visibility. We hope to parley the race into a more prominent charitable presence, we are a work in progress!. Stay tuned while we tune-up our engine. We will keep moving forward and building something all of Texas can benefit from- from Mason to Houston- cancer has no boundaries.
Through music we can bring comfort so our friends can Ride Again, Chemo Sabe!
We will continue to be involved with with people to help guide them to every possible positive outcome in their challenges.
Our first pilot project on site has been recorded and we’ll have more news for you soon!
- Founder: Jerialice Arsenault 2003
- Director and Programs, Audio Engineer: Jerialice
- Board Member: Janice L. Ramalho
- Board Member: Marty Coston