Team LUNA Chix
Amateur athletes make a difference
By Erin Prather
Published: July 10th, 2006 | 7:59pm
A noticeable group has been appearing on Austin, Texas' popular cycling circuits. Clad in the LUNA emblem, nine riders are leading an all-women group towards a challenging hill. Words of encouragement can be heard, along with laughter and the occasional grunt of determination. Although each woman, including the leaders, has different athletic abilities, they are bonded by a love for being active. Somewhere in a different city, a similar scene is unfolding.
In 2002, Clif Bar Inc.'s LUNA established the company's Team LUNA Chix program. The first "ambassador" team emerged in the Bay Area, with a second group forming in Boulder, Colorado one year later. Both initial teams focused solely on mountain biking and how to support women interested in the sport. Clinics were organized along with weekly rides for those wishing to participate.
Kim Rider, Boulder's team leader, says the program continues to successful because women are teaching women.
"Women tend to be very nurturing towards each other, very encouraging. You can see that at every workout or clinic. Each year we have women returning to ride with us and attend the clinics. It's rewarding to watch them improve their skills and become more confident. We even have gals who hope to become mountain bike competitors, and some of us have mentored them into the racing community."
Last year, LUNA expanded its program from mountain biking to the sports of running, walking, road cycling, and triathlon. Additional teams were formed, including those in Austin, San Francisco, Phoenix and Seattle. 17 chapters exist, spreading nationwide from Los Angeles to Boston.
In addition to assisting those interested in their respective sports, the LUNA Chix teams embraced Clif Bar Inc.'s mission to support the Breast Cancer Fund. Each chapter organizes at least one annual fundraiser for the national nonprofit.
Inger Norman, who manages the Team LUNA Chix program nationally, says supporting the Breast Cancer Fund and other women's causes is a priority for Clif Bar Inc. She points out most people know someone with or personally has/had breast cancer. This year, the Breast Cancer Fund reports one in every eight women in the United States will develop the disease in her lifetime.
The organization focuses primarily on prevention of the disease. It strives to identify environmental links to breast cancer while educating the public on reducing exposure to cancer-causing agents. The Breast Cancer Fund was started in 1992 by Andrea Ravinett Martin who lost her battle with the disease a decade later.
"Our motto is rise, rally, reclaim, and I believe we've empowered women to do all those things," she said in a 2001 Q&A. "We've raised awareness and inspired action very publicly. We've helped transform the rhetoric of the disease from grief and sorrow to anger and action."
Action is the key word to understanding the relationship between Team LUNA Chix and the Breast Cancer Fund. "This program has offered us the opportunity to make a difference in other women's lives while doing something we love. Folks interested in becoming LUNA Chix must be enthusiastic about its mission. There has to be a drive to do it and a commitment to raising awareness and money for the breast cancer," explains Rider.
Team LUNA Chix is not the only program LUNA sponsors. The company created LUNAFEST, a national film festival that showcases short films by, for, and about women. The films range from documentaries to animated shorts to dance narratives, and cover topics such as women's health, body image, sexuality, spirituality, sports, relationships, cultural diversity, breaking barriers, and the environment.
All festival proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Fund and the local nonprofit organization that hosts it. Team LUNA Chix members are asked to support LUNAFEST screenings in their respective cities.
With regard to other women starting a team, Rider offers this final piece of advice.
"You do not have to be a professional athlete to become a member of or start a Team LUNA Chix program. It's more of an impact if women see someone like them out there and trying. They'll think 'I'm just like her. If she can do it, I can do it.' It's a great way to meet other women, have some incredible experiences, and I urge women to just be active and do it."
For more information about existing Team LUNA Chix teams or how to start a team, visit lunabar.com. To read about the Breast Cancer Fund, go to breastcancerfund.org.
Issue #35
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