Last September I was lucky enough to join a small group of courageous cyclists for a 6 day, 600 mile ride down the coast of California from San Francisco to Los Angeles… all in honor of cancer survivors.  Our team, named the Fireflies, is a small group of advertising and film professionals who tackle the hardest climbs of the Alps and the coast of California every year to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer, and specifically leukemia.

In about 30 days, I’ll be boarding a plane for Switzerland, to join the Fireflies again for a ride from Geneva, Switzerland to Cannes, France.  I’m thrilled, I’m honored… and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a touch nervous.

Yes, I ride my bike a lot… but there’s NOTHING on the coast of Maine or California that could possibly prepare me for the hardest climbs of the Tour de France.  It will be 1000Km of hard roads and 22,000m of elevation climbed by the time we reach Cannes.  The Fireflies motto is “For those who suffer, we ride” and every pedal stroke, every moment of self doubt, every glorious view and grueling ascent will be for those leukemia survivors… like my big sister Lea… who have lived with a disproportionate amount of suffering every day since being diagnosed.

This ride is 100% in aid of Leuka, one of the world’s great leukemia research and support foundations.  Their mission could not be nearer and dearer to my heart… and quite honestly, I hope you will consider making a donation to Leuka today.

So… like everything we do for cancer survivors, there’s an opportunity for YOU to get involved.  Here’s how:

1.)  I won’t belabor the point: we need financial support.  100% of donations go to Leuka in aid of leukemia research, awareness and support.  None of your donations pay for any part of my trip.  I have a goal of raising a minimum of 2,000 £​’s (that’s about $3,000 as $1 = .6£’s) in the next THIRTY (30) days. Please help!

The direct link to my fundraising page is here (or click on the Leuka logo below)

2.)  Beginning June 13th, we leave Geneva, Switzerland for a 9 day ride in search of the hardest climbs of the Alps on our way to Cannes, France.  Though I always ride for my big sister Lea and her ongoing battle with this awful disease and the aftermath of her bone marrow transplant, once again, I’ll be dedicating a part of each day’s ride to a cancer survivor that YOU tell me about.  Just email directly HERE or leave a comment & send me their name etc.  You can also contact us via Twitter or Facebook.  We know there are cancer survivors out there who are suffering, and we want them to know that we’re in the fight with them.  There is power in Unity. It may be a really steep climb, it may be the day when my legs are exhausted from the hundreds of miles I did days before, or the incredible view from the top of the Alps… but connecting with survivors will motivate me to keep going, to tell their story, and hopefully do remind them that they’re not alone.

3.)  The third way you could help, is to go find a friend who hasn’t yet registered for the bone marrow registry and get them committed to signing up.  It breaks my heart to see people literally dying, because the public doesn’t realize how EASY and FREE registration and donation is.  You can go HERE for the link to all the information, and the FREE registration process.

If you live in France or Switzerland, or know someone who does… please come out and cheer us along.  We are a small, but dedicated group of wackos who put ourselves on the line in order to support the fight against cancer.  We love meeting new folks along the way, and can provide detailed times/locations to anyone who might want to connect to ride with us, or just needs a sweaty smile and wave.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!

Individual pumpkins form the 350.org logo for the 10.10.10 celebration in Freeport, Maine.

The environmental group 350.org asked us to take an aerial photograph of their 10.10.10 celebration at Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport, Maine.  Founded by Bill McKibben, 350.org gets it’s name from it’s mission: to lower the amount of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere to below 350 parts per million.  350.org is a great organization attempting to raise awareness and a sense of urgency about the earth’s climate crisis.  If you have a moment, check out their website here, and consider getting involved:  350.org website.

On the short flight to Wolfe’s Neck Farm, I couldn’t help but look out the window and capture some of Maine’s incredible beauty.

The leaves were bursting with color.

We passed farms with cows…

And boats still moored safely in harbors.

Seeing Maine from the air always reminds me of how precious our environment is, and how we all can do our part to protect our planet.

350.org  is a global movement.  Check out what people are doing worldwide, and how you can help!

]]> http://www.brianwedge.com/blog/2010/10/11/350-org-aerial-shoot-at-wolfes-neck-farm-freeport-maine/feed/ 1 http://www.brianwedge.com/blog/2010/06/03/2-night-vacation-in-maine-raffle-ends-on-saturday/ http://www.brianwedge.com/blog/2010/06/03/2-night-vacation-in-maine-raffle-ends-on-saturday/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:44:22 +0000 brianwedge http://www.brianwedge.com/blog/?p=3102 Continue reading →]]>

A quick reminder for all those who “meant to” join the bone marrow registry, or wanted to donate a little cash to LIVESTRONG, that your opportunity to “do good” while winning fabulous prizes is running out!  All donations and registrations received before 11:59pm on Saturday, June 5th will qualify for entry.  Don’t miss this opportunity to help someone with cancer… or to sneak off to the coast of Maine for a wonderful getaway!

The details are all here: http://www.brianwedge.com/blog/2010/05/05/win-a-weekend-on-the-coast-of-maine-and-help-fight-cancer-with-lance-armstrong/

We’re feeling pretty fortunate these days as our business continues to grow through the support of some truly wonderful clients and organizations.  We recently won a photo contest that came with a pretty spectacular prize:  a two night stay at The Newagen Inn in Boothbay Harbor, Maine INCLUDING gourmet breakfast and dinner!!  When we won the contest for the 2008 year, we were pretty psyched… but we never thought we would win AGAIN for 2009 as well.  We’ve been pretty lucky… and we feel like we should give back a little.  We decided that we would donate our prize to help raise money for one of our favorite organizations: The Lance Armstrong Foundation and LIVESTRONG.

If you need any reminders of why we’re so passionate about the fight against cancer, just imagine someone you love… fighting for their lives.

Alternatively, you can just click HERE or HERE and you’ll learn a bit about my amazing sister Lea who was diagnosed with leukemia a little over 4 years ago, and later survived a bone marrow transplant.  Her progress is slow, but steady.  Her attitude and perspective on life in incredible.  She is now cancer free and the mother of a beautiful baby boy… but the impact that the disease has had on our family will never leave us, and LIVESTRONG has been part of our support team for years now, so it would be wonderful to give back to them for all that they have done on behalf of survivors like us.

SO WHAT’S THIS CONTEST YOU KEEP REFERRING TO?

Happy you asked!  We are raffling off a TWO night stay at the beautiful Newagen Seaside Inn with gourmet dinner and breakfast included.

Check out The Newagen Inn’s website HERE, or click on the photo below.

HOW DO I WIN THIS INCREDIBLE TWO NIGHT STAY ON THE COAST OF MAINE?

There are two ways to enter (Yes, you can… and should do both!!):

THE FIRST OPTION (CASH DONATION):

1.)  Go to: fundraising.livestrong.org/grassroots2010/brianwedge and make a tax deductable donation right now.  For every $10 you donate, you will get an entry into our raffle that will be chosen at random on June 5, 2010… the winner will be notified by way of the contact information you provided when you made your donation.  So if you donate $10, you get one raffle ticket.  Donate $50, you get five tickets, donate $500, and you get 50 raffle tickets etc…. as well as a darn good chance that you and your significant other will be spending a weekend relaxing on the coast of Maine!

THE SECOND OPTION (REGISTER TO BE A HERO):

2.)  My sister’s life was saved by a true hero named Tammy who registered to donate bone marrow YEARS before she ever got the call that she was needed.  Donating bone marrow is NOT like donating a kidney or lung… so get that out your mind right off the bat!  It’s EASY, and registering is EFFORTLESS.  Joining the registry is FREE and is literally as simple as swabbing the inside of your cheek with a Q-Tip, then mailing it back.  YOU can do this. YOU need to do this… because the people who need a bone marrow transplant are literally dying without your help.  The act of bone marrow donation can take on one of two different forms, but 70% of all donations are taken in a procedure very similar to the simple act of donating blood. The cold hard truth though is that every year 35,000 people need a donor and only 3800 will find one.

VIDEO: How to register / get tested

Here’s the link with all the detailed information and how to receive a free test kit (donations accepted but NOT required):

Plus, if you register or are already registered… you get ONE FREE RAFFLE ENTRY.

Just tell us that you’re registered via:

A posted comment to this blog below [your email address is never published... promise]

or via TWITTER (@brianwedge)

or via FACEBOOK

Just tell us and when you WIN, we will contact you with the info you provided.  Honor system here.  If you say you went to the website and ordered the registration kit… we believe you and you qualify.  If you say you are already on the registry: we believe you!  If you say you actually donated marrow to someone: we LOVE YOU!!!

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So, to review:  You can win an exquisite two night stay at The Newagen Seaside Inn including dinner/breakfast if you:

a.)  Donate $10 to LIVESTRONG here: http://fundraising.livestrong.org/grassroots2010/brianwedge

OR

b.)  Are registered currently or become registered to donate bone marrow (just contact us through our comments section here, Twitter or Facebook)

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Follow up questions:

Brian, I own/work for an AWESOME company… and I bet we would be psyched to donate something to add to the prize list and therefore raise more cash to fight cancer (while also harnessing the power of social media marketing and your amazing blog followers)… how on earth would I do that?

What a great idea!  Just shoot us an email, or hit us up on Twitter (@brianwedge) or our Facebook Page and we will add it to our prize list while promoting your company as best we can!

(Original Photo Credit: EPA)*

Is it true that the winner gets to go for a ride with Lance Armstrong during their stay in Maine?

Ever since Lance and I ran the Boston Marathon “together”, it is true that he is a huge fan of Brian Wedge Photography (always bugging me for a print of his favorite wedding shot or obsessing about the plight of sea turtles in Mexico).  Knowing Lance as well as I do* he did mention that he had some sort of a cycling tour planned for July that’s taking him overseas I think.  I think he said something about studying cobblestones in France and then training for some little social ride in Colorado, so I can’t promise you that he’ll be there… but you never know!  In the event that Lance doesn’t show up to meet you, we would be happy to show you one of our favorite cycling loops while you’re in town.

Last question now… are there any other rules?

Whatever mumbo-jumbo legal rules apply to your state/country etc. apply.  If you’re under 18, don’t steal your parents credit card and donate without their permission.  In fact, you probably shouldn’t steal anyone’s credit card and donate without their permission.  This is simply us trying to raise money for a good cause in a fun and simple way… if you have any questions, let us know and we’ll do our best to answer them…. but otherwise, be cool and let’s all have some fun with this.

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*aaaaaaand for the record, I’m joking.  I don’t think Lance is coming to ride with you in Maine… but donate some money anyways!  It’s a good cause!!

My sister’s improved health has been the result of tenacious determination, an indefatigable spirit, a talented team of caregivers… and most importantly, the selfless, incredible gift from her anonymous bone marrow donor.

Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to actually meet my sister’s bone marrow donor.  Her donor’s name is Tammy, she’s about my sister’s age, and we had dinner together along with her fabulous husband Chris just before I flew out for another photo shoot.  Meeting Tammy and Chris was one of the most surreal moments of my life.  I was giddy with excitement, bubbling over with emotion (READ: tears)… and challenged to fully express my sense of gratitude for her sacrifice, and for the lifetime of pain she had spared Lea and everyone in our family.  As much as I wanted to know all about her and Chris, she wanted to know all about Lea and the process from the patient’s side.  We talked for hours sharing our experiences.

With The Heroes: Chris and Tammy on the left (and me)

I spent most of the night thanking them both for their efforts, for their selfless gifts, and for THEIR determination to see this process through.  Tammy and Chris had a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to help someone that they didn’t even know… and they took it.

Some call it Providence, some call it karma… others call it dumb luck.  Whatever it was, we were very fortunate to find a donor at all… never mind someone like Tammy who was a perfect match, and who was so willing to give so much.

As we left the restaurant that night, I told (yelled at) every person we saw that “This woman saved my sister’s life.”  I know it embarrassed Tammy, but it is the absolute truth… and it’s something not only to celebrate, but also aspire to.  What if we ALL stepped up to the plate for someone we didn’t know?  What if we were all willing to give of ourselves so that someone else may live?  If you had the opportunity, would you?

VIDEO: How to register / get tested

Getting tested for bone marrow is easy… it literally just involves swabbing your cheek with a Q-Tip and it’s FREE (optional donation to cover costs accepted but not required).  Here’s how to sign up:

http://www.dkmsamericas.org/category/marrow-donors/become-donor

You might never be a match, but if you are… wow, you’re in the position to save someone’s life!!  You’re not donating a kidney or a lung now… so get that whole gory, life altering concept out of your head right off the bat.  The act of bone marrow donation can take on one of two different forms, but 70% of all donations are taken in a procedure very similar to the simple act of donating blood.  The cold hard truth though is that every year 35,000 people need a donor and only 3800 will find one.  Bottom line: we need more people involved and you could be that one!

A great video that explains what the actual donation process is here:

Our lives are forever changed by Tammy’s gift.  Her generosity has inspired so many… and I hope it inspires YOU and those around you.  Thank you Tammy!!!

If you would like to thank Tammy for her donation in the comments section below, have at it!

If she inspires you to register, or get friends/family registered let us know… and by all means pass this blog post on!

“Be the change you want to see in this world.”  -Gandhi

Gandhi said and did many wonderful things, but those words specifically have inspired with me for years and years since I first read them.  Though we’re far from perfect, my wife Malia and I have tried hard to build an environmentally and socially responsible company.  We often chat with clients who are surprised to hear the lengths that we’ve gone to stick to our core values… and to support those non profits who are promoting positive change in this world.

At the repeated request of more than a few of our clients and our colleagues, we thought we would share a bit about what we’ve been up to… why we’re actively supporting certain organizations… maybe even inspire a few folks to join us… and to remind everyone out there who is doing good in cyberland that you’re not alone, and you don’t have to be perfect to make a difference.  These “tough times” are hitting charitable organizations harder than any other sector of the economy, so they need our help!

Here’s our most recent attempts to be that change we wish to see… with our time, with our money, our expertise and with our actions.

Last year we donated over 10% of our profits to charities and non-profits.  Some call that tithing, others call it corporate responsibility, we just call it contributing to the common good.  We have committed in writing through a group called 1% For The Planet to make that same level of contribution every year.  They review our end of year tax documents, and they independently hold us accountable to our agreement.  The third party system of authentication is very important to us… we want folks to know that we’re committed to improving the world we live in, and not just exploiting a cause because it’s fashionable.

We operate our business out of a sustainably built (LEED Design) boathouse studio that’s a passive solar, super-insulated, reclaimed/recycled material based space, that is a joy to work out of and to meet clients at.  We’re very proud of the end result because of it’s low impact on the environment, it’s beauty and the fact that we built it ourselves with the help of our friend Bevan Harris.

We also donate over two weeks of professional photography services to non-profits who would otherwise be unable to afford such a  high level of creative investment.  It’s been an absolute joy to get to know these local, national and international non profits… and to “tell their story” in ways that help them further their mission.

Everyone always wants to know… where specifically did all that money go??  Who is benefitting and why?  Here’s the short answer for the past 12 months:

The Lance Armstrong Foundation:  Most folks know by now that our family has endured the hell that is cancer for the past three years as my sister, Lea, was diagnosed with leukemia.  Our support has ZERO to do with Lance Armstrong as an individual or as a celebrity (though I ran the Boston Marathon on his team, and he did seem like a nice guy)… it has EVERYTHING to do with the aggressive actions of the non profit to motivate/support research for survivors in their time of need.  We think cancer sucks, it infuriates us that it devastates so many people’s lives and we believe that there is power if we unite to destroy it.  We believe that cancer should be eradicated across the board… so we don’t fund individual types of cancer research nor age groups of cancer… though we have a special hatred reserved for breast cancer which took my aunt’s life, and leukemia which my sister battled with a bone marrow transplant and knocked back into whatever hole it emerged from.  My anger towards cancer is another reminder that I’m not Gandhi, but when channelled that frustration has been very helpful as we raised over $11,000 in 2008 alone.

The Surfrider Foundation:  I grew up near once-filthy Boston Harbor… so I’ll first say that many of our coastlines are cleaner now than they’ve been in a long time.  But we live on the edge of the ocean, our studio is on the ocean, we play and harvest food from the ocean… and the Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.

The View From Our Boathouse Studio…

Cancer Community Center of Maine:  This is a great organization that was available to us when we dealt with cancer.  The Cancer Community Center provides a warm and friendly place where adults living with cancer, their families and friends can come together in a comfortable, caring setting to build social and emotional support as a complement to their regular medical care. 

The Jane Goodall Institute:  I grew up in a household of strong women who broke through social barriers and did things that they “weren’t supposed to do.” For example, my sister and wife were ridiculed as the first girls that played boys baseball in their respective hometowns, my mom was a weirdo in the 1960′s who consistently did things that were typically reserved only for men.  They did things before their time, and so did Jane Goodall.  Besides inspiring girls to live their dreams, the Jane Goodall Institute “advances the power of individuals to take informed and compassionate action to improve the environment for all living things”… how can you argue with a mission statement like that?

The United Way:  The United Way funds so many different community based organizations it’s amazing.  My direct connection: I learned to sail at a Boy’s and Girl’s Club in Boston.  The experience changed my life forever.

The Leave No Trace Center For Outdoor Ethics:  We’ve been around the world to some incredibly special places, and can’t help but notice that we are sometimes loving our environment to death.  Low impact wilderness travel is an essential skill that is often forgotten or ignored as we tromp through the our favorite backcountry spot.  The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide.

Red Rocks, Nevada

The Access Fund:  The Access Fund is the national advocacy organization that keeps U.S. climbing areas open and conserves the climbing environment.  They’ve done wonders for climbers over many years in spite of a relatively tiny budget and staff.  

Pro Peninsula: Pro Peninsula strengthens individual and community efforts to protect the natural environment throughout the Baja California, Mexico Peninsula.  One of the world’s last truly wild places, the Baja California peninsula is a unique yet threatened environment. Strong environmental organizations are needed to promote social awareness and participation in order to counter the relentless threats to the region’s environment, while at the same time promoting sustainable development alternatives.

The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation: Kokua in Hawaiian means “help,” and the Kokua Foundation supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawai’i.  My wife, Malia, was born and raised on Oahu… and it’s still our home away from home.  The Kokua foundation’s mission is to provide students with experiences that will enhance their appreciation for and understanding of their environment so they will be lifelong stewards of the earth.

“Our hometown beach”  Lanikai, Hawai’i.

Though we continue to assist other organizations like the Nature Conservancy, National Public Radio, The Portland Museum of Art and The American Lung Association in smaller ways, the organizations above have been the focus of our major efforts in the past year.  Thanks to everyone who has harassed us for so long to share the extent of our involvement… we hope it helps, and we appreciate the support of numerous clients who encourage our efforts.

We’re all in this together, we’ve been inspired by other 1% For The Planet Companies who have made certifiable commitments.  Our hope is that others out there might read this and be inspired to act in a way that contributes to the greater good.  The downturn in our economy means that our efforts are even more important, and we have a unique opportunity to step up and support the causes we believe in.

   Our traveling exhibition “STRANDED: The Sea Turtles and Fishermen of Baja California Sur, Mexico” is back in New England!!  Our good friends at the Patagonia Clothing Company are hosting the latest version of our exhibition in the Freeport, Maine store.  If you’re anywhere near Portland or Freeport, go check it out… learn a few things about the environment, buy some great quality / sustainably constructed clothing/gear and have fun.

    In addition to the exhibition, we will be delivering a few more of our famous slide talks on the “behind the scenes” of our assignment in Baja in the coming months.  The slide talks are always a blast and we promise you’ll learn something, laugh a lot and go home wanting to help make our world an even better place.  As always, our talks are either free or 100% in support of a charity we believe in.  We’ll post the exact dates when they get finalized.

    We’ve posted a link to the Patagonia Store directions here, and in the meantime, you can preview the exhibition online at www.brianwedge.com/stranded.  We’re proud to partner with Patagonia because we share many of the same core values that are rooted in an absolute commitment to quality, sustainability and responsibility.  Patagonia, like Brian Wedge Photography is also a fellow member of 1% For The Planet… putting their ethics to action and making a significant impact toward improving the world we live in.

Links:

The background story on the assignment in Baja

Patagonia, Freeport, ME Directions

STRANDED Exhibition link

The gasp of a loggerhead sea turtle fighting for the surface…

But thanks to my amazing wife Christine, I have also learned that I am a perfectionist… and sometimes the timing is never ideal.  With that said… everyone keeps asking to see some of the images from Mexico.  I wanted to hold off because there’s an important story here that even I didn’t fully comprehend until I was there… seeing the effort, the waste, smelling the smells and witnessing the hope of some incredibly dedicated researchers.

After wrestling the turtle aboard, it is weighed.

Turtle skull on shell… and sadly there’s hundreds more in every direction.

With the important disclaimer that there IS an amazing story and many more interesting images “in the vault” that will be released as soon as I come up for air, I offer up a little taste of what’s to come.  Stay tuned.  And to Hoyt and the team down in Baja… thank you for the opportunity… more is on the way.

Hauling the remains off the beach.

Another stranded turtle is discovered.

Note: wild sea turtles are not happy when caught, and despite the tranquility of this scene… that turtle was mad, and has it’s mouth open to defend itself against foolish photographers who dare come too close.

Once caught, scientists weigh, tag, measure and take blood samples.

About to be released…

The turtle cemetery.  The Mexican government didn’t quite believe researchers when shown evidence that turtles were being killed at such an incredibly high rate.  Mass graves are used to document the numbers of turtles killed.  All these turtles died during my one week visit.

Who says biologists can’t tear it up?

Shark fins drying at a subsistence fishing village.

Those wonderful Mexican smiles…

After 12 hours out on the boat… the fishermen clean their catch for 4 more hours.  Everyday.  (everyday).

Local girl.

“Rodeo” is the act of cruising in a boat at 10 knots until a turtle is spotted, and then jumped on before being wrestled onto the boat for study.  Here’s Hoyt showing All Star Rodeo form.

The release.

The Mexican Press Pool… covering the Governor’s crowning of the Turtle Beauty Queen.  Had to take it!

A Sea Turtle Assignment in Costa Rica a few years back…

    The Loggerhead sea turtles (or caguamas in Spanish) stop in Baja during their migration from Japan and Hawaii to a specific series of “hotspots” in the Mexico. During their time in Baja California Sur, thousands are killed every year accidentally by shark and halibut gill-netting fishermen. The local fishermen are not intentionally killing the turtles but their nets consistently produce a “bykill” of caguamas every year.

I’ll be bobbing around in a small boat about 35km off of Baja California Sur…

    My old college friend, Hoyt Peckham is a PhD candidate studying these populations, and has spearheaded an incredible campaign to educate, inspire and engage local communities to protect these turtles.  Watch Hoyt’s FANTASTIC (and entertaining) short video to get a sense of the problems facing the caguamas and the communities that are rallying to protect them.  Much more to come!

    In addition to making consistent financial contributions to the environmental organizations and community groups we believe in, we also commit one week a year to photographing for the causes that are making a positive difference in this world. If you’re part of an organization, you believe in a cause or you know of a worthy story that could use our help, let us know!

  Very soon, you’ll be seeing another logo displayed near ours… one that indicates our recent membership in a fantastic organization called 1% For The Planet.  We’re one of the very first companies in Maine, and the very first photographer in this state to make this commitment.  By joining, we’re dedicating 1% of our entire sales before ANY deductions are taken (not just 1% of our profit), to be donated to organizations who are helping protect and improve our natural environment.

  I was so happy to hear that my Alma Mater, Bowdoin College, is awarding an honorary degree today to Yvon Chouinard… an icon of responsible businesses, the founder of Patagonia Clothing Company and one of the creators of 1% for the planet.  I’m very proud of Bowdoin and their commitment to The Common Good.

  Here’s a great short video on Chouinard and 1% for the planet: 

  We’re proud to be looking beyond the photos we create to support the people and causes we believe in.  And we’re just getting started.  We hope other companies will follow our lead, and learn as we have that making commitments to the common good are a necessary and responsible business decision!

  Contributing to our community is one of our most important core values… and though our clients love the beautiful images we create, we also know that it “matters” HOW we do business.  I’m just thrilled that our business is growing by leaps and bounds every month… and that we’re staying committed to the causes that mean so much to us.

  What goes around comes around.  Thanks for YOUR support!