SEATTLE — When the bright orange U 440 Miss Boitano Homes hydroplane hits the water this August during Seafair, pro driver Brent Hall will climb into his cockpit, fire up his engine and speed toward a goal much greater than a checkered flag.
"I'll be a rookie this year at Seafair and if I get qualified, you know, we'll make some history,” Hall said. "If I do that, I'll be the first African American to be ever officially qualified as an unlimited hydroplane driver."
But this Bothell boat driver has already beaten a big opponent – cancer. And he wants to thank the team that helped him out.
"To the doctors and the researchers at Fred Hutch, thank you for giving me my life back. You know, I went through cancer in 2018. I had my kidney removed. And actually three months after that, I was back in the boat."
The boat Hall races today, which is owned by Sharon and Kelly Stocklin, proudly displays the 'Fred Hutch Obliteride' logo on its hull.
The Fred Hutch Obliteride is a bike ride and 5K run and walk where people come together to raise funds to help treat and find cures for cancer. Fred Hutch President and Director Dr. Thomas Lynch says Brent Hall's hydroplane is a perfect match for an event whose slogan is "Cure Cancer Faster."
"It's about speed, it's about urgency, our cancer patients, they want urgency, they want us to approach this with speed,” said Dr. Lynch.
Dr. Lynch and Brent Hall will both be participating in the Fred Hutch Obliteride on August 12th and they invite you to join them in this race where everyone can win.
"It makes me feel that the work we're doing here matters. It's one of the reasons people want to do cancer research is because it touches everyone. Cancer is not a disease you ever experienced as an individual. It's experienced by a family, by the patients, and by the community,” said Lynch. “And what Obliteride offers is the chance for all of us to get involved in that process and make a difference in the lives of our community."
Fred Hutch Obliteride is August 12, 2023 and registration is still open. Go to obliteride.org to register. 100 percent of the funds raised will go to work at Fred Hutch advancing cancer prevention, detection, treatment and cures.
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