Surfing fans finally got what they were waiting for as Kelly Slater made his highly-anticipated appearance on the waves during the final day of the Slater Brothers Surfing Invitational in Cocoa Beach, FL.  Slater teamed up with Saturday’s shortboard champion, C.J. Hobgood, to win the “Surfing with the Stars” competition. Slater and Hobgood teamed up with Corey Howell and Sam Duggan, two local youths who were the top fundraisers to for the World Skin Cancer Foundation.

“The event went really well this year,” Slater said. “The waves might not have been great quality, but the surf was definitely bigger than we’ve had for this event in the past. The crowd seemed really stoked, and I was glad that we were able to bring a lot of big names to the event for them. It’s good to be home in front of all of these local fans, and I always enjoy catching up with my friends in the area.”

Slater’s upcoming plans include a trip to France along with skateboarding legend Tony Hawk for a Quiksilver four-year celebration. After that, he will spend most of the winter in Hawaii.

Two of the fundraiser winners, Frankie Naumann and Sam Duggan, were thrilled to compete alongside their favorite surfers.

“It was a really fun experience,” said Naumann. “They are cool guys. We’re not great surfers, but they let us play around in the waves and have a good time.”

Duggan added, “It was really cool getting to meet the stars. The waves were tough, but it was fun once I found a good one.”

As the Surfing with the Stars event wrapped up, Benji Weatherly, Todd Holland, Sean Slater, and several others joined Kelly Slater in the water for an “Expression Session.” The session was a non-competitive event in which the stars were able to put on one last show for the spectators.

2001 ASP World Champion Hobgood, a Melbourne resident, enjoyed his time at the event.

“The event is a competition, but there’s no real pressure,” said Hobgood. “This is all for charity, and all of my winnings will go right back to charity as well. The Surfing with the Stars competition is a great idea, it’s a nice chance for these kids to surf with us and just hang out. This is a vacation for me, and it has been great to be home and see my family.”

Sean Slater was thrilled with the results from this year’s event.

“We want to keep building this event each year, especially the Surfing with the Stars, since it turned out to be such a great fundraiser and a fun time for the kids. Every year, I want to try to surprise people with something big that they haven’t seen before, and I will aim for that again next year.”

On Saturday, May 30^th,  The World Skin Cancer Foundation had a day of fun and world class surfing on its agenda to be held at the San Clemente Pier in Southern California. By 10 am, we knew that surfing would be out of the question and crowds of any size would be a blessing due to the terrible weather.

With the weather being horrible, we worried the public would not be able to take advantage of the free skin cancer screenings we had scheduled for the afternoon at the beach. As the Doctor’s arrived, the lines began to form and they never stopped for the entire three hours that the screenings were performed. Those three hours gave relief to many and might have turned out to be a lifesaver for others.

142 people from the community were seen by the Doctor’s that were gracious and caring enough to spend their Saturday afternoon with us conducting the free skin cancer screenings. While a private screening was offered to everyone via pipe and drape and a tent, a proper diagnosis was obviously impossible. The Doctor’s could only give their educated opinion on what they were seeing. Out of the 142 community members checked that day, many were thought to have basil cell or squamous cell and 7 were thought to have probable melanoma. Please keep all of those community members in your hearts and your prayers.

Later that night, the event adjourned to a night of cocktails and friendships, (new and old) at the Surfing Heritage Foundation in San Clemente. It was a night of celebration and fun for all. Whether it was the food, music or people admiring the incredible art by Mark Longenecker and Drew Brophy, everyone had a fantastic time.

On May 30^th, 2009, The World Skin Cancer Foundation became an organization that reached from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Our next stop will be Hawaii and then Australia. Skin cancer is growing out of control and we plan to reach as many people as we possibly can, all around the world.

Millville, N.J. (May 1, 2009) — May is “National Skin Cancer Awareness Month” and GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing is doing its part to help the World Skin Cancer Foundation (WSCF) bring some fast attention to the increasingly prevalent form of cancer.

The team’s familiar No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley will display the logo of the World Skin Cancer Foundation at each of this month’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series races, beginning with this weekend’s Verizon Wireless 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park and the May 15 – 17 Verizon Festival of Speed presented by SPEEDCOM Communications at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Skin cancer is one of the fastest growing types of cancers in the United States and the WSCF’s mission is to build awareness for the disease while educating the public on how to enjoy a sun-safe outdoor lifestyle. The organization conducts several recreational and sports special events each year, all designed to educate people about the causes and prevention of skin cancer while safely enjoying the outdoors. Most WSCF events also offer free skin cancer screenings for all participants and attendees.

“All of us at the World Skin Cancer Foundation are grateful to GAINSCO and Bob and Linda Stallings for providing literally the ultimate promotional vehicle to launch our National Skin Cancer Awareness Month activities in May,” said World Skin Cancer Foundation President Drew Filliben. “Building awareness for skin cancer and its prevention is our simple yet massive mission and we are honored that GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing made our job a little bit easier this month.”

The WSCF promotes the slogan Slip, Slap and Slop – Slip on a shirt, Slap on a hat and sunglasses and Slop on approved sunscreen of at least 30 SPF – and encourages an active fun-in-the-sun lifestyle as long as these precautionary measures are followed. Additional information about the World Skin Cancer Foundation can be found and donations can be made to the organization through its official web site at http://www.worldskincancerfoundation.com/.

While GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing will help the WSCF kick-off National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, May will come to a close with the World Skin Cancer Foundation Sean and Skippy Slater Invitational presented by Ocean Potion surf contest, May 30 at the San Clemente Pier in San Clemente, Calif. In addition to world-class surfers, the weekend event will feature an auction dinner party with live music Saturday night at the Surfing Heritage Foundation in San Clemente.

About GAINSCO Auto Insurance

The primary sponsor of the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Daytona Prototype is GAINSCO Auto Insurance (Amex:GAN), a Dallas, Texas-based auto insurer that distributes policies through a network of thousands of independent agents across Sunbelt states. GAINSCO uses its “Are You Driven?®” motorsports sponsorship and marketing campaign to build brand awareness and advance its distribution strategies. For more information, visit www.GAINSCO.com.

About GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing

GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing has been committed to excellence in road racing since its formation in 2001. The team, lead drivers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, and the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototype won the 2007 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Championships and finished second in the same championships last year. The team is supported by GAINSCO Auto Insurance, powered by Pontiac and partnered with GM Racing, Riley Technologies and Puma. For more information, visit www.GAINSCOracing.com.

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (October 1, 2008) — The official expansion of the World Skin Cancer Foundation (WSCF) to the Western United States was formally introduced Wednesday, October 1, in Aliso Viejo, California where more than 120 people gathered at the Carl Nolet Senior Hospitality Center at the headquarters of Ketel One Vodka to celebrate the milestone event.

The World Skin Cancer Foundation began in Cocoa Beach on Florida ’s East Coast less than four years ago but interest in building awareness for the causes and prevention of skin cancer nationally has created the need for Foundation operations on the West Coast as well.  The expansion was made possible due to the efforts of several prominent West Coast business leaders from the sports and health care industries and the Foundation’s Florida-based Board of Directors.

After a welcome and introduction from Ketel One Vodka Vice President of Corporate Events & Public Relations Jim Riley, West Coast Advisory Board member Vicki Dallas addressed the gathering along with World Skin Cancer Foundation President Drew Filliben and Foundation Board Member Rusty Buchanan.

“When I learned of the World Skin Cancer Foundation after a trip to Florida, I was struck by the special nature of the organization and immediately realized an expansion was needed to the West Coast, and Southern California in particular,” said Dallas, who was one of the main leaders in bringing the West Coast expansion to reality.  “We have very similar active outdoor lifestyles in California like our friends in Florida and that brings with it the need to deliver the message about sun safe precautions and awareness.  We are honored to now be in a position to help the World Skin Cancer Foundation continue its mission of awareness and prevention, here in California and throughout the West Coast.”

The World Skin Cancer Foundation West Coast Advisory Board includes Dallas (Partner, Rutan & Tucker LLP), John Chamberlin (Director, Deutsche Bank), Mark Jurczynski (President, Blue Bear Medical Ventures, LLC), Frank Kaufman (Partner, Moss Adams LLP), John Moody (Financial Services, the Busch Firm), Scott Pantel (President, Life Science Intelligence), Carol Stewart (Vice President, Wells Fargo Commercial Bank), Sean C. Walker (Director, McGladrey Capital Markets, LLC), Jennifer Armstrong (John A Burns School of Medicine) and Filliben.

The event at the Nolet center was sponsored by Rutan & Tucker LLP, Moss Adams LLP, Life Science Intelligence, Wells Fargo Commercial Bank, McGladrey Capital Markets LLC, Blue Bear Medical Ventures, LLC, Deutsche Bank and The Busch Firm.  In addition to providing the first-class venue, Ketel One Vodka also provided its products and other quality beverages for guests to enjoy.

Over one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year and over 10,000 people die from skin cancer annually.  The most important benefit of supporting the World Skin Cancer Foundation and one of its many events is helping the organization’s efforts to raise awareness for skin cancer through education, prevention, detection and informational public signage while supporting sun-safe outdoor recreation.  Learn more at www.worldskincancerfoundation.com.

With a unanimous vote, the Cocoa Beach City Council in Florida gave The World Skin Cancer Foundation the go ahead to start placing our sun safety sings up. All beach access boardwalks, city parks, boat ramps, golf courses and the sports complex have been cleared for us to proceed with our signage program. This was a historical vote because there have never been sun safety signs put up throughout a city in the United States.

Please contact us so we can start getting these very important signs up in your area. It will take the help of your local government so be prepared to approach them. There is no cost to them because we use sponsorship money to pay for them. Sponsors logo will be placed in the bottom left corner directly across from The World Skin Cancer Foundation logo.

Click on the link below if you have not seen the signs as of yet.

http://www.ggandm.com/ssssign3.jpg

This great Q&A answers a lot of basic skin cancer questions.
http://www.revolutionhealth.com/conditions/cancer/skin-cancer-melanoma/expert-insights