PacCuppers with a Purpose, Mariners with a Mission, whatever alliteration suits your fancy.  All of our entrants and finishers have a drive to do something  special, different, or out of the ordinary.  A few of our entrants have decided to take their efforts one step further and dedicate their effort to bringing attention to, or raising funds for, a worthy cause.

 Notable in their efforts are Le Flying Fish [1] , to benefit Children's Hospital of Oakland, Elise [2] , for Sarcoma [3] , and Oceanaire [4] ,for Give Back a Smile, benefiting victims of domestic violence.

Let's take a look:

Elise - BeatSarcoma.org

Nate and Nat Criou are double-handing in the 2008 Pacific Cup.  Read their excellent site [5] !  Nat -- Nathalie -- got cancer and beat it.  She was brave enough not only to fight the disease, but also to tell her story and then with Nate to undertake the 2008 Pacific Cup Race doublehanded to raise awareness and funds for this uncommon version of cancer.

After you visit their site, consider a donation through their site [6] , benefitting a sarcoma fund at the Stanford Cancer center.  

 Le Flying Fish - Children's Hospital

Jean-Phillipe Sirey and Stephane Plihon, Trans-Pac and Pac Cup veterans, are doing it again, this time double-handed and this time with a mission [7].   In a way, their race is about little Evan Luc, born very premature, living his first three months in the hospital, and coming home to a healthy, happy childhood.

Evan Luc's family cannot and will not forget those who helped them, and want to help and honor the institutions that made Evan Luc's life possible.  The beneficiary of their effort is'The beneficiary of their effort is Children's Hospital & Research Center Foundation [8] at Children's Hospital of Oakland [9], an outstanding health-care provider.  The goal is to raise $50,000, which will go helping more children have a shot at life.

The boat, Le Flying Fish [10],  is a Moore 24, pretty much the tiniest class of boat participating in the race.  Maybe that's appropriate for an effort to help the tiniest patients.  Visit their site [11] , learn their story, and give!

Oceanaire - Give Back a Smile Foundation

It's not just the little boats (or the French) who are putting their efforts where their mouths are.  Garrett Caldwell aboard the Tayana 47 Oceanaire [12] will be sailing to benefit "Give Back a Smile."  

This program helps individuals touched by domestic violence reclaim their lives, health, and self-esteem through repairing and restoring their smiles.  The program has helped hundreds of people who might otherwise bear marks that last longer than scars or bruises.  You can visit the foundation's site [13] to find out more.