The dream.

Skate4Cancer fanbook.

February 2012

Introduction Hello everyone! We are very excited to share this with you. This

e-book is filled with stories of Skate4Cancer supporters from

around the world.

Thank you so much for helping us to make this idea become a

reality! We're very happy to be involved with such incredible

people!

We hope you have tissues somewhere, because you'll need them!

Polona & Tara

Here we go…

Ashley(Alberta):

After losing my Grandfather to lung cancer, on top of a series of other losses in

my family, certain aspects of my life were altered -- and not necessarily for the

better. Though I learned from these things, and am a better person for it now,

those times weren't exactly positive ones, and by some stroke of luck, during

that time I stumbled across Skate4Cancer. I'd heard about the organization

before, but never really looked into it, and upon reading their mission

statement, I think it's safe to say my life was changed. And for the better this

time.

I now have a print out of that statement, pinned up on my wall. Reading it I felt

such an incredible connection and a sense of hope, an indescribable sense of

hope. I started skateboarding that summer, and Skate4Cancer became

something I held on to. It felt like a light, when things were dark. I followed the

New Zealand and Australia skate, checking the blog every day, and as things in

my family got worse in some ways, and better in others, I found myself

wanting to contribute something to the cause. The cause that had been

helping me and giving me hope, not just through my experience with loss due

to cancer, but gave me hope that I could be a good person, and follow my

dreams, just like Rob had. And I'm sure it's a unanimous opinion when I say we

all know that Rob is easily the most big-hearted, empathetic, strong, and

simply beautiful person to ever touch the lives of others.

Wanting to share my connection, and help others, I organized a Skate4Cancer

event in my hometown in Alberta. Alberta is a pretty boring place, and lots of

kids turn to drugs and cigarettes to kill time, and having lost my Grandfather

to lung cancer, I wanted to tackle that. I wanted to promote Skate4Cancer so

that maybe someone like me, who could use a light in their life, could find one.

I wanted to share Skate4Cancer to promote cancer prevention too, to get kids

to stop smoking, to agree with the fact that "the cure is knowledge." I wanted

to do my part, and be proud to support Skate4Cancer, and help promote them.

It was the least I could do after all they had done for me.

Unfortunately, after months of planning and trips to skate parks and events to

advertise my event, lack of interest and some legal conflicts forced me to

cancel. I had planned a mini skate (just a few kilometers), and a barbecue. Out

of all the pamphlets I handed out, and all the skate shops and events I visited,

only two or three people were committed to participating, and I had found out

too late in the planning process that I needed legal permissions to skate the

strip of highway I intended to.

Although I am saddened by the fact that young people here just didn't seem to

get it -- I had some people sneer at my pamphlets, I had some kids straight up

refuse to quit smoking, it doesn't change what Skate4Cancer did for me. I hope

that maybe, one of my pamphlets in my hometown reached someone who,

even if they didn't contact me or didn't agree to skate, looked up

Skate4Cancer. And I hope that the word of the organization spread, and

helped someone, in some way. And knowing that I made a real, genuine effort

to change something in my city gave me a sense of accomplishment, even if

the event wasn't a success.

I now have a Skate4Cancer tattoo, and I take pride in explaining what the

organization is to people who ask me what it means. I suppose this story is my

way of extending an incredibly heartfelt thank you, to Rob and those at

Skate4Cancer for doing what they do. The cause is an incredible one, and I

know for a fact that I am not the only life they have touched.

I say with confidence now that the hardships I did face at that time, are over. I

had the strength to move on and move forward, all on my own, but nothing

will compare to that little light, that hope that Skate4Cancer was to me. Rob

is, without a second thought, my hero. And if there were one person I could

wish all the happiness and prosperity in the world on, it would be him. I've met

him once at Warped Tour, but I'd love to meet him again, to shake his hand

and thank him. And of course, catch that incredibly contagious smile of his.

Karen (Switzerland): ''That day I

met Rob Dyer in beautiful Paris'' I had planned for month to travel from Switzerland to Paris to meet some of

my friends who live there during my Summer holidays and was really sad to

learn that I was going to miss Rob for juste a couple of weeks. And when, a few

weeks before going there, I saw that tweet saying the meeting was postponed

and would be on June 26th 2011 I couldn’t have been happier in that moment

because I was going to meet one of my role models.

It took us quite some time to find the right hill where the meeting point was (it

was in a huge park with dozens of hills and it was crazy hot that day) but I

finally got there with my two friends!

I remember seeing him from afar and having the biggest smile ever and that

feeling of pure joy growing in my stomach. I was so nervous before going to

talk to him because I had a million of ideas of things I wanted to say but they

wouldn’t come out of my mouth. And acting that way was so stupid because

he is the most genuine persone I have ever met and after a few seconds, all my

silly thoughts disapeared and it felt like I was talking to a friend.

I also remember thinking that you could just see the kindness in him from his

smile. He has the sweetest smile and it’s contagious.

He asked us how and when we heard first about Skate4Cancer and asked

about nice places in Paris and cities that they were going to skate in and some

other random things. And then we took a picture with him, hugged him

goodbye and let him talk to other supporters that were waiting for their turn to

talk to him.

It went all very quick but it was enough for me to realize how amazing he is and

how much he inspires me in becoming a better and even more kind person.

And from that day on, I consider that moment as one of the best day of my life

because it truly changed me.

So thank you Rob for all your hard and amazing work. Thank you to the

Skate4Cancer team, too, because you are all amazing for being part of such a

great organization.

Nicki (Alberta, Canada): ''I finally

met my idol.''

August 12th, 2011, I met one of my idols. Rob Dyer. He was at the All Time Low

concert selling Skate4Cancer merch, trying to get the word out about

Skate4Cancer, what they do and stand for. He was handing out pamphlets

with information about Cancer. When I asked for a picture with him, he said

yes with a big smile on his face. He was just so upbeat and happy about what

he was doing. After the picture he gave me a hug and thanked me. I was too

tongue tied to say anything other than thank him also. There was so much I

wanted to say to him, like thank-you for what you do, you’re a huge inspiration

to me, and you’re story is such a sad but good one. If I could change a thing

about meeting him, I would just tell him how much he and Skate4Cancer mean

to me. All I can say is keep up the great work Rob! And I hope you can open the

DreamLoveCure center soon! That center will do wonders to people dealing

with Cancer!

Janja (Slovenia):

Camille (France): ''Rob made sure

he talked to everyone and gave so

many hugs I stopped trying to count

them.''

I lost my grandmother when I was a child, my grandfather had to deal with it, such as my uncle and a lot of people I care(d) about, may they have been from my family or not. But the biggest loss I had to deal with was the one of my father. I've been missing him everyday for almost two years now, and I will probably always do.

He was my hero, and he's still the person I look up to the most. He was an incredible human being, the kindest person I've ever known. He's fought for two years before finally pass away exactly a week after his 47th birthday. I'll never forget that day. This is when I decided to change. I think and hope I became a better person thanks to him. I got tattooed "Dream Love Cure" in his memory exactly one year after that, which was my first tattoo of a long list. I met Rob last June at the "Skate de France" kick off in Paris, and it was just amazingly perfect. He took time to make sure to talk to everyone, hear everyone's stories and give so many hugs I stopped trying to count them. I hope Skate 4 Cancer gets way bigger in the future. It's an organization everyone should know about, and I'll always try my best to spread the word about it. I hope they'll be able to open centers in a lot of foreign countries to sensitize youngers about cancer.

Natalie:

Rae: When I first heard about skate4cancer it was when I had found out my papa

had Cancer.

5 years ago, it was a shock to all of us. My papa had just retired from work and

quit smoking long before that.

When i found out my papa was in the hospital because if it, i was actually

hanging out with my best friend Leanne

from then on each day for about 2 weeks we would visit him, and you could tell

he was very tired. but other days

he would be energetic and everything. when he got out of the hospital My

mom and I drove him to chemo.

that was the hardest things ever to see him to through. he had to be one of the

strongest people ever.

while he was fighting the cancer, he made sure to spend time with everyone.

Every Saturday night we would go to

the local race track, and watch the races, at the time my dad was in the pit

crew. Then in November 2007 he was

told he was cancer free, and to come back in January to come back for a check

up. January we had found out he

relapsed. it was back. i didn't know what to do. i kept telling myself that this

wasn't the end and he would beat it again.

he did chemo for 2 more months. then on March 3rd, he was rushed to the

hospital, everyone was there. i was at school

at the time, and i came home to a call from my mother, she said they didn't

know when they would be home, i brushed it off.

they came home and said he was fine, joking around and everything, and my

dad told them they would see him the next day.

March 4th 1:09 am. My mom woke me up saying that "papa needed us" they

came home at about 7 am, and i received the

worst news i could ever get. My Papa had passed away. i didn't know what to

do. i was so lost. I text Leanne and told her.

i couldn't believe it, i didn't want to. i cried so hard. I miss him so much, I know

he is watching over me and is proud for everything I do.

When i first heard about skate4cancer, I remember hearing about the

organization and then just googling. i read about everything on there

then i read about Rob Dyer. Everything he did. then and there i became a full

supporter, telling everyone i know about it. Skate4Cancer is

very dear to my heart, and also to my friends hearts. I love Rob Dyer, and

everyone else within the organization, honestly when i found out

that my papa, had cancer I found a lot of comfort in the Skate4cancer, i want

to be involved with it. I cant thank Rob Dyer for everything he

does, he is truly my number one hero and i just want to be like him one day.

Also my best friend Rachel got me the S4C hat for my birthday and i ended up

crying so much, I didn’t take it off for a week. also I just want to thank Rob for

everything he does, with skate4cancer he helped me a lot through the times

with my papa and i cannot wait to meet him again, he will always be my hero,

and he will never know how much he means to me. In a few weeks i will be

getting my first tattoo which will be a skate4cancer tattoo. Skate4Cancer will

forever be in my heart.

When I met Rob Dyer it was a dream come true. I met my hero. I still feel as if it

was a dream. My best friend Rachel and I made a Facebook group to bring him

to our city, St.Catharines for the local Music Festival, we made the group in

April. we had a goal to get 250 people behind us, over just a few days we were

at our goal. the festival was in June, they announced that Rob Dyer and the

skate4cancer crew was going to be there. Rachel and I were so excited. we

made this happen. everyone who joined the group made it happen. Our

dreams were coming true. my dream was coming true. after years and years, I

was finally going to be meeting ROB DYER! the day before the festival Rachel

and I had our annual pre-scene sleepover, we had to get together our gift for

rob and we were just talking about it. i was already getting nervous. we were

counting down the hours i told Rachel not to mind if i cried because i had been

waiting for this day to happen. finally we were at the festival, in line and we

saw the skate4cancer tents, as soon as we got in we went there, he was

standing right in front of us. Dream came true. We met him, I hugged him and

told him how much he meant to me, and how much skate4cancer meant to

me. I told him about my papa. he also signed my shoe. I still have those shoes, i

can never wear them

again, but i will never get rid of them.

Thank you so much Rob Dyer.

Syla(Toronto, Canada):

Alison: This organization, if you can even call it that. Actually no this isn't an

organization it’s a community. This is a place where you raise awareness that

WILL make a difference. I recently shaved my head and donated my hair, if I

had known that i could send it here that would have been my first choice. I

donated my hair because I've known many people having survived, and passed

away. This biggest person I lost was probably my officers from cadets, he

amazed me. He was sick you could tell but continued to show up and push you

further. The second would be my cousin, she has a brain tumour, and is doing

everything in her favour to get it removed. She recently got news back that

they couldn't remove it because it was too big and too far in her brain. But she

continued to hoping that everything would go smoothly the next time. She has

2 kids and doesn't let that stop her from going through with numerous

treatment, some that could result in horrible things. These two people amaze

me. That’s why I became such a strong believer that things can get better no

matter the circumstances.

Thank you Skate 4 Cancer community, and you Rob.

Love, Alison.

Maja(Slovenia): Dear Rob,

I might not be good with words, but that doesn't mean you are not very special for me. With

this letter I just want to tell you how important you are to me.

First of all, I want to thank you. For doing what you’re doing, for being an amazing person

who keeps spreading optimism and love among others. What you do is just incredible. You

are truly such an inspiring person. Not only for people with cancer or those who know

someone that suffers from this terrible disease, but also for everyone else. Just with your

beautiful, honest smile you put a lot of smiles on our faces. With your story you make us

want to do something good, something useful instead of giving up. You’ve taught us that

we should learn from everything bad that happens to us and take the most out of the bad

experiences. You’ve taught us that we should make other people smile and that there’s no

place for hate in the world. You’ve showed use that each person can and should help others,

even if it’s just something small – it could be important. And you also keep telling us how

important it is to take care of ourselves, to love ourselves enough to do that.

Showing me so much, I want everyone to know you and to learn from you at least as much

as I have. So I’m happy when I get a chance to tell people about you and Skate4Cancer. I

once had a presentation at school and when I told them where you skated, they were quite

amazed and I was really happy that I told all of my classmates about you.

As I said, I just love how much you try to spread cancer awareness, to tell people it is really

important to live healthy. Fortunately, no one in my family had cancer. But I do know a

woman who had breast cancer, but luckily it was found soon enough so she didn’t have

many problems. And I am so grateful everything is okay with her, because she is such a

beautiful person and very important for me as she helped me a lot in my life. So I know how

important things like eating healthy or doing breast self-exams are. So thank you for letting

people know that.

I am really grateful for getting to know you, for everything you have taught me. When I feel

down, your words, the quotes you write keep me going. When I don’t see the sunshine

behind the clouds, I think of you. And I smile. And this truly means a lot to me. I think if

there were more Robs, this world would much more beautiful. I hope you are aware of

how incredible you are, Rob. So, once again – thank you. I wish you all the best, because

you deserve nothing less.

I hope one of my biggest wishes - to meet you - comes true one day so I can see your smile

in person and hug you tightly.

Stay amazing.

Love

Christina(Germany): Skate4Cancer changed my life in many ways. When I first heard about Rob

skating across countries to raise awareness about cancer, I thought about how

many people I had lost to cancer. I had already spent months and long nights

of researching about it, so I knew how to do self breast exams, how to eat

healthy and how to prevent many forms of cancer. But then I thought, I didn't

know much about cancer, other than that it existed, before my grandpa passed

away. And after I talked to many friends and my family, I realized that no one

knows that much about it. At that moment I knew I HAD to support S4C and

spread the word. The next day I stopped smoking. I had already tried it two

times, but my friends weren't really supportive. Reading about Rob's story and

getting to know some other S4C fans the same day, I knew I would make it

that day. I finally got the support I needed so bad.

A few years ago my aunt - a cancer survivor - called me to tell me that she may

have cancer again. That was one of the hardest phone calls of my life. It felt

like the whole world started to shake and everything would fall apart. After we

hung up, I couldn't work anymore. So, I grabbed my board, put on some music

and went out to skate. I had no destination - I just pushed and pushed for

hours. And then: Wheelbite. Yeah, we all hate that. I slammed so hard to the

ground, I couldn't breathe for some time. We all hate that too, right? After I

was able to breath again, I skated back home. When I woke up the next day, I

woke up to a destroyed knee and back, but also to a call from my aunt that it

wasn't cancer. I was so happy at that moment, there are no words to describe

my feelings. After we talked for hours I decided to go see a doctor. She told me

I should get laser treatment at the hospital. So I went there twice a week for

seven weeks total. The waiting room I became very familiar with was not just

for the people getting laser treatment but also for the people who were there

for chemotherapy. After sometime we got to know each other. There were

people in their 60s and 70s, people in their 30s and 40s and a young girl. I later

found out she was 15 and had leukemia. When we first started talking, she

looked at me and said "You have really nice hair. You know, I used to have the

same hair colour like you." I told her that I'm growing my hair until it's long

enough to donate it. Then I told her about Hair4Cancer, Skate4Cancer, Light

Up A Smile and Rob. She really liked the idea and after we were both done

with our treatments we met again and talked for hours. When we wanted to

go home I decided to give her my Dream Love Cure wristband. She said "You

know, one day you care about who has the best clothes at school or who's

father has the best car. And the other day all you care about is Love and

finding a Cure. And you Dream about living a normal live again. All you want is

to be healthy. Please continue to tell Rob's story. And one day a girl like me will

be more than happy to get a beautiful wig because someone decided to give

some of her hair."

We hugged and parted ways. I never saw her again. Some weeks later I read in

a newspaper that she died. And even though we only met once I just couldn't

stop crying. It felt like I lost a long time friend. I am very proud and blessed that

I had the chance to meet her and talk to her.

I will always support Skate4Cancer with everything I got.

So, thank you Rob, for doing all this. Thank you to the rest of the S4C team,

because of you - even though I barely know your names - many people all over

the world found something they can identify with. The people I met through

S4C are not just about raising awareness about cancer. It's a whole new

generation of people who live by "Dream Love Cure". It's also about helping an

old woman across the street, holding a door open for someone or just showing

a stranger your smile, because he may have had a bad day. I feel love and

respect for everybody involved in this movement.

The Cure Is Knowledge. Push Past.

Ian(New York):’’Before S4C, I

was living just because I was

alive.’’ How did you get involved in Skate4Cancer and how did it change your life?

I got involved in S4C through myspace, actually.

I guess what drew me in was the huge super famous picture of rob skating past

the hospital, and listening to Push Past and all of the other amazing songs on

their old profile. It changed my life because up until that point i really had no

inspiration and was just living because i was alive. Now, i sort of live to help

other people if I can.

Can you tell me something more about Skate For Awareness? What is the

main goal of it?

Skate For Awareness really was concepted shortly after Rob was side-swiped

back in Australia. while he wasn't able to skate, I figured there would be some

way I could keep S4C alive in my heart. (i thought that he wouldn't be able to

skate again and feared that so much so) Coincidentally, there was a place to go

that was just an oval that had some distance to it, and was near my house. The

wheels just kept rolling from there. Once i started the skate, my goal was to let

people know, this isn't just some local kid that's crazy and likes skating in

circles. A couple of times friends accompanied my skate, but not many times.

Most people didn't believe I skated it once I told them that's what I did, and

surprisingly no one asked why I just skateboarded 1000 miles in a circle.

You already did a skate last year. Do you feel like you reached the goal with

the miles skated or was the point missed?

I'm doing 1,000 miles this summer again because ultimately SFA had three

missions: to show Rob that he's never alone, to commit to something I started

and to perservere so I could better relate to Rob and people who are going

through Cancer, and to Raise awareness of S4C. I guess after the skate was

done, it really wasn't too successful. 1/3 of what I wanted to get out of it was

there.

This year I plan on doing it again, only this time I've taken a little more

preparation. My friend supports skateboarding, photography, videography,

and what I'm doing, so my friend Josh is going to help me document my skate

in Video and Photo media. We also have a blog so you can keep up with the

skate, get some general knowledge and read about the past skate.

Your three biggest wishes and your three biggest fears?

My three biggest wishes I'd probably say are..

1 - to meet and even skate with/across a country with Rob Dyer

2 - to move to Toronto and work with the New B.E.A.T. and be in a band

3 - to move to Toronto and attend Ontario College of Art and Design

University

My three biggest fears are...

1 - none of my goals happening

2 - losing my family

3 - feeling like my life was lived but it wasn't for other people

Would you be able to say S4C saved your life? Why?

Ultimately, no, S4C did not save my life because I never felt as if my life was at

risk, so to speak. However, it did make my life way better, give me a purpose,

and show me so much about life I never would have learned without

Skate4Cancer, so Rob, wherever you are, thank you man <3

More about Skate For Awareness here: http://skateforawareness.tumblr.com/

(Interviewed by Polona)

Rachel(St Catharine’s, Canada):

Above is a picture of Rob

Dyer and me at two

separate times. My best

friend Rae introduced me

to the Skate 4 Cancer

organization. She had

always told me how he

was her hero and a whole

bunch of good stuff about

him. Which brought us to

thinking about this crazy

idea to bring him to our musical festival that is at the end of June every year

called “S.C.E.N.E Music Festival”. There’s no better way to spread awareness

of a non-profitable organization. This brought us to making a Facebook group.

As well as, to make this happen we talked to the coordinator of the festival at

the time and he said that he was a friend of Rob’s manager, which was great!

When we got him to the festival. I finally got to meet him, my best friends hero

and a lovely gentleman. I was

inspired from his enthusiasm;

he was just so happy and

encouraging, such a

sweetheart. I ended up

buying three shirts. I had to

help spread the word about

what this gentleman was

doing. I saw him again at the

All Time Low show last April

at the Sound Academy and

he remembered me, which

was awesome! I will always be a supporter of this organization.

(Above): Grandma, cousin Vicky and my dad (left to right)

Grandparents; my fathers’ parents.

Grandma, breast cancer: she passed away on December 1st, 1985 and I never

got to meet her because I was born October 24th, 1993. She was diagnosed in

October 1978 and then got a mastectomy. Then she got bone cancer in her hip

the middle of October 1984, resulting in a hip replacement.

Then a tumor was found in her spine September 1985 and she was classed to

have terminal cancer at the end of September 1985. From all the things I’ve

heard from my dad through stories, she would have been an amazing

grandmother and I’m sure my life would be so different if she were alive now.

Rest in peace grandma, Mary Keep <3

Grandpa, on my fathers side, melanoma; the first time he got it was in

April/May 2003 on his face underneath his eye. He got it removed in time. Then

it decided it was going to come back around the same time, in the same spot,

in 2008. Once again, he got it removed just in time. And just when we thought

we were done with it, it came back in the same spot in September 2010

because they didn’t get it all the first time. Let’s hope that was the last time

that he had to get the cancer removed. My grandpa is a big part of my life, I

visit him once an awhile with my dad. I’m not sure if I could handle him passing

away anytime soon. I love him too much for him to leave right now or ever.

He’s the only grandparent that has seen me grow up.

This is my grandpa, with the

aftermath of his melanoma. Not sure if

you can see it under his right eye

(readers left).

Grandparents; my mother’s parents.

Grandpa, on my mother’s

side, stomach cancer: he

passed away on December

31st, 2000. I remember seeing

him all the time when I was

younger, but Christmas time

holds the memories that I

remember the most.

Their wedding photo; Oma, Grandpa and Grandma (left to right)

The one Christmas we went to his house and he got us these outrageous size

candy canes filled with candy; my brother and I were astonished! Then he

started to get sick. I remember visiting him in the hospital all the time, but I

was unsure really of why he was in there. Whenever I went, all I did was watch

the television. I didn’t think anything of it; I though whatever he had would go

away. It ended up spreading and took him over, he had a stroke and he left our

world. I imagine my life outrageously different if he was still alive. He would

have taught me guitar, and my second language would be German because he

would have taught me it. I probably would have gone to Germany with him

sometimes to visit cousins. He discovered the stomach cancer after having two

strokes. Rest in peace grandpa, Peter Gabski <3

Grandma, on the mother’s side, pancreatic cancer: she passed away May 10th,

1983 she was diagnosed late 1981. They gave her the survival rate of one to

two years. She passed away before my parents wedding, which was August 3rd,

1985. Therefore, she never got to meet my brother and me. My mom doesn’t

talk about her much, but I’m sure she was a lovely lady and my life would be

greatly different if I had met her. I would definitely have German as my second

language. She is in the picture above with my grandpa. Rest in peace grandma,

Ingrid Gabski <3

On February 17th, 2011 on of

my cadet officers Captain Jim

Lane passed away. He was

going to be the next

commanding officer of our

cadet corps as well. He may

have been just an officer for

most cadets but to me, he was

much more than that.

The luminary for Jim the

previous year (left) Our memorial for Jim at the Relay for life (right)

He was a friend and as well as, my best friend Ryan’s father. It all started in the

first year that I was on the silent drill team for cadets which was in 2007. He

was in charge and I remember going to our armories every Saturday for

practices. Jim made drill seem really fun, and it’s something I enjoyed doing.

After that, I had a passion for drill and joined the team every year after that. He

knew that drill manual like the back of his hand and he was amazing at it. After

I found out he had colon cancer, I was heartbroken. I knew before most of the

cadets, because his son and my best friend Ryan told me. Last summer, I went

to go visit Ryan at camp to watch the annual Sunset Ceremony. My mom

drove me to his house and Jim agreed to drive me up accompanied by his

lovely wife Kim and their neighbor Dorian. When we go to Borden where the

cadet camp was, we went to the CANEX to get Kim a sweater. Jim asked me

what kind of candy I liked and I said Nibs; however, I didn’t know later that

evening that they were bought for me. Since that night, Nibs were our thing. I

got them for him nearly every time he ran out of them after that. The last bag

of nibs I gave him remained in his desk for a couple months because he was

unable to come to cadets because he was too sick. On February 17th, 2011 at

3am in the morning, I got a text from Ryan saying, “He’s gone.” All I could do

was cry, and nothing more. Then at his viewing, his neighbour Dorian and I

decided to go the corner store and get him Nibs. When we go to the store,

there were the Nibs all perfectly aligned but one package; he knew we were

coming. I gave the bag to his wife, and she laughed and said she was never

opening them. The week after he passed there were Nibs still in his desk, but

when the officers went to go clean it out a bit later they were gone; nowhere to

be found. Strange right? As well as, every Wednesday (our cadet night) until

our cadet annual, the weather was always rainy or a thunderstorm. That was

my hardest annual because we had no help from Jim for our silent drill team

routine; however, every time we finished our routine, there was a big crack of

lightening and thunder. Since Jim was a big part of our senior cadets cadet

careers, we decided to base our 2011 relay for life around him. Our team was

the Cancer Fighting Superheroes’, and Jim was our biggest hero. I miss him so

much, rest in peace James Jim Lane <3

Polona(Slovenia): My story with Skate4Cancer starts back in 2010 when a Twitter friend told me

something about it. I was amazed but I didn’t actually do anything for a few

months. Then a Facebook contest for an event started. The group who would

get the most members would get an event in their town/country. Then I

started the Slovenian street team. We’ve done so much since then. And I can

say Skate4Cancer changed my life. I switched schools in September 2011,

which was quite hard because everything was getting harder. I couldn’t stand

the pressure anymore and it got to the stage when I was about to explode. But

S4C kept me up. Rob’s optimism encouraged me that there is something more

in life than just living the routine. I’ve been trying to achieve my dreams ever

since. School is still just a part of routine but everything else is different. I do

things that I like, things that actually mean something to me. And I have to

thank Skate4Canceer for that. I really hope I’ll be able to meet Rob and the rest

of the team someday so I can thank them for everything.

I think my friends are slowly starting to get attached to S4C as well because I

talk about it all the time. Talking about something I love makes me happy even

when I’m under so much stress everything seems too much.

I am one of those S4C supporters who can say the organisation saved their

lives. Because I wouldn’t be able to push through last two years without it.

Thank you, so much.

Two Crown King: (Interviewed by Polona)

Firstly, can you tell us something more about the band Two Crown King for

those who might don't know you yet?

We're a six piece band from London, Ontario, Canada. We listen to hip hop,

soul and rock'n'roll and probably sound a little like all three. To date, we've

released two short albums - a four song demo, "Two Crown King Is A Demo"

which was produced by Dan Weston whose credits included Shad and

Classified, and a six song, self titled EP which was produced by Ben Kaplan

whose credits include Rise Against and Biffy Clyro. We're fortunate to often

share the stage with artists like, Down With Webster, Brother Ali, StereoKid,

Classified and USS. We love playing live and we have the coolest fans in the

world.

How did you start working with Rob from Skate4Cancer? Can you tell us

something more about that?

"Rob is a close friend from way back and we've always been a supporter of

Skate4Cancer. When we decided we wanted to release the song and raise

money for research, it seemed like a natural pairing. Rob has a heart of gold

and was excited to be apart of the cause, and we are very fortunate to be

teamed up with such a great organization."

What's the story behind ''Ben's Song''?

Ben is close friend of the band. The song was originally written before Two

Crown King was formed. Four and a half years ago, Ben lost his Mother to

cancer. Dick and Goodchild wrote the lyrics as a conversation between Ben

and his Mom. The song was never officially released and was instead given to

Ben as a gift. A few months ago we decided to honour Ben's family by re-

recording the song and donating all the proceeds to cancer. We told Rob at

Skate4Cancer about the concept and immediately got to work.

Why did you decide to release the song on 4th February, the world's Cancer

day?

"We really wanted to make sure that we got our message out to the right

people. Bands are always releasing singles, everyday, all over the world so we

knew it would take something to make the release date stand out. With all the

proceeds from the sales of the song going to Cancer research, it just seemed

fitting that our campaign would begin on the day the world's awareness was

being put in the spotlight'

Can you say for yourselves that you eat healthy and do everything to try and

prevent cancer?

There are six guys in Two Crown King. We all have different habits.

Collectively, we're doing ok. Five of the six of us are former smokers who've

quit for good. Dick's sister is a brilliant nutritionist so she keeps a pretty close

eye on us, too. And, you wouldn't know by looking at us but we hit the gym

now and then, some more than others. ;)

"We all maintain healthy lifestyles. Everyone in the band has been affected by

the loss of someone to cancer, so as friends, we have all done our part to

educate each other when it comes to preventative measures."

The question you wished I’d ask you? (You can answer it as well. :)

"Who was involved in the "Ben's Song" project and how?

Jamie Lawson at Poly Studio (www.polystudio.ca) - Artwork

Ben Kaplan - Producer of "Ben's Song"

StereoKid (Facebook.com.StereoKidBand) - Close friends and Skate4Cancer

supporters

The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation (www.pmhf.ca) - All proceeds go

to this organization

Josh Bloom - Close friend, supporter and unbelievable all around person

Rob Dyer a Skate4Cancer - Close friend, supporter and supercool dude.

Ben and his family - For absolutely everything.

Every person who spread the word, spread the love and supported the project

from the beginning. Thank you

And finally, what is your message for all Skate4Cancer supporters out there?

You're a special group and Rob is grateful for each and everyone of you.

Believe us. Skate4Cancer supporters share a enormous amount of passion and

enthusiasm. It's entirely addictive and is a major factor in the organization's

success. Rob feeds from your energy as much as you do from his. Thank you.

Please keep spreading the love.

Please check out www.benssong.com and download it from iTunes. All raised

money will go to The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation!

Also, go to www.twocrownking.com and check out other songs by this

incredible band!

Tara(Newfoundland, Canada): To be honest, I don't really know when I first heard of Skate4Cancer but I do believe it was sometime in 2006 or early 2007. I read up on it and thought it

was really cool what Rob was doing. I remember seeing someone at the store once wearing a S4C shirt and I was really stoked because I didn't know of

anyone else around where I lived who supported S4C.

I made the Skate4Cancer Facebook group in April of 2010, begged my friends to join, sending the link to Rob, not expecting more then 20 people to join

behind me we quickly raised to over 200 in just a few days. In mid-October, Rob tweeted saying that S4C Newfoundland news would be coming soon. 6 months to the day after I created the group, Rob announced the date of the

event, December 18th, 2010. I always said that I would cut my hair and donate it to Hair4Cancer but only if Rob did it. Then started my quest to make that

happen. I tweeted, Facebook messaged, emailed, everything to make it happen. To make this story short, I went prepared for him to cut my hair, and it

did in fact happen. This was the first time that Rob and I had ever met in person and he called me by name without ever having to tell him. So just

remember, if you support S4C and haven't gotten the chance to meet Rob yet, there is a very high chance that he will know your name.

December 18th, 2010 will always remain as one of the best days of my life. Rob

is easily the friendliest, nicest, most genuine person I've ever met and I will never forget that. I will never be able to express the appreciation I have for

both Rob and the S4C team, especially Josh and Nathalie for putting up with my constant emails and Facebook messages. They took the time out of their

days to respond to me and acknowledge the group that I never thought would actually work.

We are also very proud to introduce

you to the first ever, international

Skate4Cacncer supporters website.

www.s4cdreamers.wordpress.com

Dream, love, cure.