A celebration of life will be held Saturday, May 29, in memory of Gene Evans at The Club Treasure Island.
But this celebration is a little different than most, as this event features the activity Gene loved to do most, paddleboarding. The event starts at 9:30 a.m., with a "Paddle Out" in the Marina, leading to a three-mile paddle from 9:45 to 11 a.m. Following the paddle, there will be a poolside celebration at the club until 1 p.m.
Evans, who died on December 10, 2020, survived 11 years with stage four kidney cancer, and turned his misfortune into a tremendous fundraising effort for Moffitt Cancer Center by starting Paddle Against Cancer in 2011. In Evans' book, "Die Living or Live Dying," Evans said he wanted to give back to Moffitt to express gratitude for saving his life.
"We wanted people to know that just because you get diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer doesn't mean you're going to die tomorrow," Evans said in his book.
In all, Paddle for Cancer raised more than $300,000 for Moffitt Cancer Center.
This event is open to all to honor the memory of a wonderful man!
Photo: Business Observer Florida