A nonprofit has sailed to Gloucester’s shores, called in by the community.
Sail Beyond Cancer USA, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to honor those challenged by cancer by harnessing the healing powers of wind, water and sail, is opening up a chapter in Gloucester, sailing the York River.
Founder of Sail Beyond Cancer USA, Suzanne Snyder, was a single mother of three when she found out she had breast cancer. “You think it’s hard and then you get a lump on your chest and everything goes upside down,” said Snyder.
Snyder grew up sailing Long Island Sound and continued sailing all of her life, so when she got her diagnosis, she turned to the water. “As I was going through treatment, I would go out on Lake Champlain, which is a pretty big body of water [in Vermont], and go sail with friends,” she said. She knew first-hand the importance of leaving everything ashore for a while, taking a deep breath, and letting Mother Nature do her thing.
After her treatment, Snyder worked...