The project...

 
Founder, Chuck Smith                     Rita  Smith           

The DMAD project was conceived as a result of the personal experiences of  Founder, Director, and Master diver Chuck Smith of Barrington, Illinois:

"My mother, Rita Smith, was diagnosed with lymphedema in 2003. She underwent clinical trials at a cancer research facility and ultimately lost her battle with cancer in late 2004. Over the next two years, I would learn that two more of my family members would also be diagnosed with cancer. Today, both of them are cancer-free due to the continuing research conducted with funding which is largely derived from the private sector."

" I wanted to give something back to the facility which treated my mother in 2004, and one day when asked to sponsor a walkathon for cancer, the thought occurred to me: divers could also raise funds in a similar way."

After consulting with fellow divers and the Executive Director of the treatment facility at which his mother attended years earlier, the decision to proceed was made, planning began... and now the First Annual Dive Drive is underway!

The Dive Drive team will execute their dives in Cozumel during the week of May 17-23, 2009.  

Much like traditional walkathons, pledging donors may:    

a) pledge a flat rate to the cause, (example- $25)

b) pledge $(x) per dive, (example - $1 per dive)

     or - for more fun - 

c) pledge at $.0(x) cents per foot of depth dived.  The team plans to execute a total of no more than 25 dives during the event with a maximum depth of 100 feet per dive (example - the maximum combined depth possible would be 25 dives x 100 feet, or 2500 feet: at $0.01 pledged per foot of depth dived,  the total maximum donation would be 2500 feet x $0.01, or $25.00.  The actual total depth dived will be determined from the combined readings of each team member's dive computer.)

Please join us in supporting this worthwhile foundation which provides invaluable services to cancer patients and their families!

MAY 2009 Pledge Drive Needs:
How You Can Help

The DMAD dive event will be held in Cozumel, Mexico.  Pepe Scuba will be the host dive operator for the drive.   

Press releases will be issued to the major dive magazines informing the general public and dive community of our goal and sponsoring parties.

D-ring tags for attachment to BCDs to show support will be sold through authorized sponsoring dive shops for $5 each (see Contacts page for a list of authorized shops). Purchasers will be entered into a raffle for prizes.  

We are currently in the process of procuring sponsors and donors for the Dive Drive which will occur through March, April and May of 2009.  Please pledge or donate... no amount is too small.  ANY amount will help us achieve our goal and would be greatly appreciated!

We are seeking a tag manufacturer to donate these tags, or a sponsor to provide them for us.  If you have a resource for round plastic keytags which can be printed with our logo, please contact us.  If you are a business or individual who would like to donate the tags or funds to purchase them, that would be of GREAT help! (Tags canceled for this year due to lack of sponsorship.)

We are seeking dive shops to purchase the tags (in lots of 10) for resale to their clients, and to provide donations for the raffle prizes.  A prize raffle is a great additional motivation for people to purchase tags. We plan to sell only 200 tags, so the odds of winning something are pretty good!  If you would like to sell these tags, and/or donate prizes for the raffle - please contact us!!!  (Tags canceled for this year due to lack of sponsorship.)