Dive for a Cause - 2007
Date: August 25, 2007
Charity: International Vasa Previa Foundation
The charity for 2007 was the International Vasa Previa Foundation (IVPF) whose efforts are centered around preventing infant deaths.
IVPF is an organization started by parents who had experienced Vasa Previa and subsequently found out that a simple scan done during their reqularly scheduled ultrasound could have prevented their loss. The complication affects 1 in 2500 pregnancies and has no genetic links or known causes. Without diagnosis the fetal mortality rate is estimated to be over 95% percent. On the other hand, diagnosis combined with proper management (ie. early hospitalization and a cesarean section before the onset of labor) are showing a survival rate of almost 100%. They say almost as there are 2 known cases where a patient was diagnosed but their doctor dismissed the diagnosis due to a lack of information.
They have shown during the last 6 years of operation that education alone can make a life and death difference throughout the world. IVPF volunteer members attend medical conferences and provide healthcare providers with the research information they need to help raise their own awareness. Canada is lagging behind the rest of the world in terms of access to information and the IVPF has efforts under way in Canada to change that. Based on Canadian birth rates it is estimated, and validated by Canadian doctors, that approximately 132 healthy babies are lost each year to this condition.
Canada has recently recieved some media converage on this condition as well:
Dive For A Cause 2007 - The Event - Why?
While I don't imagine anyone asking why we are doing the event some weight has to be given to the reasons behind this undertaking. It is not possible to answer this question in full but I will strive to list some of the reasoning behind our efforts and hope to have your reasons part of this page by the time the event is finished.
Time and time again we have shown as divers our ability to work together on reaching a common goal. Whether it continuing to earn the priviledge of self governance for our sport in Ontario, protecting our wrecks, protecting our divers or just helping in various cleanup efforts we have a vibrant and active community ready to respond. Many of us do however recall a number of dearly missed events which used to exist but are here "no more". The few that come to mind are "Underwater Canada", "Dive For a Cure" and until recently the newly resurrected "Ice Floe Race". I'd like to take this opportunity to applaud and thank the thousands of divers and non-divers alike who volunteered for these and other similar events over that last 50+ years. It is through your effort and volunteered time that I now have a community to be a part of.
Often I hear divers voice discouragement and disappointment about where diving in Ontario is heading. "It is not like it used to be! We used to get 1000's of people turn out for these events and now only a handful." While true to a degree I think we must take a different perspective on these concerns. Priorities change, generations change and life in general changes. If we look at things objectively other aspects of our life have equally changed. We used to dive on a single regulator, our cars were made to last 20+ years, our homes were more 100 times more durable than now, our lakes and air were cleaner and we never even thought of talking back to our parents in a way our kids may be tempted to now days. It is important to adapt to this changing environment while still maintaining those core values we used to have.
With Dive For A Cause 2007 we have an opportunity to do exactly that. While through the various charities chosen over the coming years your participation will make a difference, equally importantly, we will also make a stand showing that while our sport and community may have changed our hearts have not. Let's set an example for the upcoming generations by keeping the support for this and other events strong.
Michael Krznaric
Chairperson, 2007 Dive For a Cause
Dive For A Cause 2007 - The Venue
The event location for 2007 was a drift dive down Chippawa Creek in the area of Niagara Falla, ON.
2007 Post Event Wrapup
A big thank you to all the participants, volunteers and sponsors that helped make the event happen.
We had 21 registered divers and to date we have collected approximately $2,100.00 CAD with still a few donations outstanding. All registrations and pledges have been submitted to EUC's treasury officer for verification and audit. Stay tuned for the official figure remitted to the chairty and more details on next years charity and next years activities.
All event photos are available for download in our photo album.
--M. Krznaric, Chairpeson, 2007 Dive For A Cause