Paddle For Pink Continues To Support Breast Cancer Research

The fourth annual Hamptons Paddle and Party For Pink raised a record $1.6 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation on Saturday, with donations still coming in on Monday morning.

The event, created by Sag Harbor resident Maria Baum, was co-hosted by Baum and her husband, Larry Baum, as well as Lisa and Richard Perry, and Jackie and Bippy Siegal. The day began with a morning paddle race at Havens Beach in Sag Harbor, where participants chose from a three- or six-mile distance, followed by an evening party at Fairview on Mecox Bay in Bridgehampton.

Baum—a mother of four and a breast cancer survivor—created the race because of her love of paddleboarding, which she says was instrumental in providing stress relief while she was battling cancer. Baum owned a Laird Standup board, and during her solitary morning paddles, she’d look down at the word “LAIRD” on her board—referring to Hawaiian big wave surfer and SUP pioneer Laird Hamilton—and have imaginary conversations with him, airing all the fears, frustrations, and other emotions she kept pent up while trying to manage her illness and shelter her four children from the frightening reality of cancer.

“I would paddle out really hard and talk to Laird and come back so peaceful,” Baum, who has since recovered from breast cancer, said. “I was able to do my job and take care of my kids and nobody really knew what was going on.”

Baum was introduced to Hamilton and his wife, former pro volleyball player Gabby Reece, by mutual friends. When Baum shared her story with Hamilton and Reece, they ultimately joined her cause, and flew to the Hamptons from their home in Hawaii to participate in the paddle during its second year. They were unable to attend last year, but returned again for the fourth edition of the race this past weekend.

“They’re just unbelievable,” Baum said, expressing her gratitude for Hamilton and Reece’s support. “It’s just really, really meaningful.”

Baum said she was overwhelmed in general by the support of everyone in attendance—from recongizable celebrities like Hamilton and Reece to the Pierson High School classmates of her two oldest children, Sabrina and Greg, who helped volunteer at the race on Saturday. Because of logistics, the event had to close out at 200 participants this year, but Baum added that she and Lars Svanberg of Main Beach Surf and Sport, who coordinates the event, are working on ways to increase the number of paddlers next year. Baum also added that she and others involved with the event are working on bringing it to both Malibu, California, and Miami, Florida in 2016. Since the event began four years ago, it has raised more than $5 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and Baum became a BCRF board member this year.

“We really want to keep the momentum going,” Baum said.

Men and women of all ages and abilities got out on the water at Havens Beach on Saturday, mixing in with celebrities like fitness guru Tracy Anderson, as well as Lena Dunham, actress and creator of the television show “Girls,” and former New York Giants football star Jason Sehorn. The conditions were challenging, with a strong breeze and current—at one point, Hamilton came to Dunham’s aid when she was having difficulty navigating her paddleboard. But Baum said she was impressed by the dedication of all the paddlers, especially novices, like Dunham.

“I was shocked by how committed everyone was,” she said.

Awards for the paddleboard race were divided into categories according to distance (three-mile or six-mile) and size of the paddleboard (14-foot, 12-foot-6-inches and 12-foot-2 inches-and-under). In the six-mile race, Andrew Dima won the 14-foot division and Claudia Lebenthal was the top female finisher; Evelyn O’Doherty won the 12-6 division, followed by Jessica Bellofatto and Stephanie Shideler, before the first male, Jason Sehorn, took fourth; and in the 12-2-and-under division, Felipe Gili was first, followed by top female finisher, Amy Korpus, in second.

In the three-mile division, Chris Hanson was first, while Ann Welker was the top female in the 14-foot division; in the 12-6 division, Chris Dowling was first and Jennifer Place was the top female, taking second; and in the 12-2-and-under division, Angie Duke was first, followed by Kate Stewart, who took third and was the top female in that division.

Complete results are at prtiming.com.