Sail Beyond Cancer VT

Provides TRANQUILITY to cancer patients

“This is a life-extending opportunity.” These are the words of South Burlington resident Steve Milizia, a cancer warrior whose current treatments are so toxic and radioactive that he must remain isolated for 48 hours following each session.

The restorative moments that perpetually lift up Milizia and his family are memories of sailing with Sail Beyond Cancer VT (SBC VT), whose community-based mission on Lake Champlain honors those challenged by cancer by harnessing the healing powers of wind, water, and sail.

‘MAGICAL’ MOMENTS

Local resident and cancer survivor, Captain Suzanne Snyder, founded the organization. This season, Sail Beyond Cancer has acquired a dedicated vessel, Tranquility, a 42-foot 1996 Catalina that is led by local volunteer captains and crews. Anyone undergoing treatment for cancer has the opportunity to sail with up to six members of their family and/or friends for a three-hour sail on Lake Champlain.

“It’s the silence… that moment when the engine goes off. t s magical, said Vincent ampson, of olchester, Vermont, a cancer survivor who has undergone more than 5 chemo treatments.

Tran uility is the perfect boat for our organi ation. he sails steady and beautifully even in strong winds, said B VT board member Richard chattman. he has a huge cockpit and an entrance in her stern for easy access. The community has welcomed and rallied around her.

The perfectly named Tran uility resides on a slip at the Boathouse Marina, ust below cho on the waterfront in Burlington.

Setting Sail

To sign up for a sail, go to the the ail Beyond ancer VT s website and nominate someone who is undergoing treatment. The organi ation will reach out to set up a time and date. nd yes, you can nominate yourself e have over 150 nominations this season. Our goal is to reali e each and every one of them. Because we know, based upon the responses of those who have sailed, that we are making a difference in the lives of those who need and seek revitali ing and empowering e periences, nyder said. e know that to step away from the dock and feel a 0-ton boat being pulled forward by the elements, to put the helm in hand and feel the tension and power as the vessel holds course, to sit in the middle of the broad part of the lake as the sun sets with family and friends, away from all the financial and medical complications associated with living with cancer, is healing, she said.

For the past two years, B VT also added memorial sails to celebrate and honor the lives of those who have passed away from cancer.

Community Care

hen you think of Vermont, perhaps your mind immediately goes to mountains, skiing, maple syrup, cheese, and maybe local breweries. But at Best of Burlington, when we think of Vermont, the first word that comes to mind is community. These are the people who come together and think beyond themselves in the service of others.

ail Beyond ancer VT is a perfect e ample of the sailing community of ake hamplain uniting to provide transformative and memorable e periences for those who need a respite that creates resilience and fosters inner strength for the ourney ahead. f you would like to nominate yourself or another individual and or become a member of the B VT volunteer crew, visit the website today.