Each September, more than two hundred stand-up paddle boarders take part in a 21-mile paddle on Lake Austin from Mansfield Dam to Tom Miller Dam in support of the Flatwater Foundation, a local organization that offers mental health support for people affected by cancer. In 2022 alone, TYLER’S Dam That Cancer (DTC) event raised more than $1.2 million. The proceeds provide therapy services at no cost to cancer patients and their families for as long as they need.
Chelsea Hardee, Driftwood resident and senior vice president of impact and events at the Flatwater Foundation, shared that although the roughly 10-hour paddle is a one-day event, it really is more of a season with participants fundraising and training throughout the summer. She noted, “People come back year after year and become friends.” Brought together by a common goal to support those impacted by cancer and often by a shared experience with loss, participants spend the day telling stories and paddling with each other. Mile-marker buoys inscribed with the names of family members and friends serve as tributes to lost loved ones and those who are still with us.
After retiring from a professional pole-vaulting career, Chelsea began volunteering with Flatwater, where her now-husband, Trey, a two-time Olympian, served as their first global ambassador in memory of his stepfather. In 2012, Chelsea, whose family also has a history of cancer, joined founder and executive director Mark Garza's team full-time to help the cause. During the last decade, she has driven growth in DTC contributions from $125,000 to more than $1.2 million.
With the money raised from DTC and other fundraising event opportunities, such as the New York City Marathon, the organization’s services have expanded to include a network of more than 150 paid therapists across Central Texas to whom patients and their families can be referred through either partner organizations (e.g., Texas Oncology, Wonders & Worries) or via the Flatwater Foundation's internal navigator. To date, Flatwater has provided a remarkable 56,000 hours of professional therapy.
To learn more about accessing their services, visit flatwaterfoundation.org or email help@flatwaterfoundation.org. For event updates and ways to get involved, follow the Flatwater Foundation on Instagram @flatwater.