Mother’s Crusade to Honor Daughter, 17, Felled by Deadly Disease Comes to Santa Barbara October 19 and 20

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A dedicated mother of a young woman who succumbed to a deadly form of cancer will take her story to attendees of the Adrenaline Lacrosse Santa Barbara Showdown at the Polo and Racquet Club in Carpinteria this weekend October 19-20. Some 4,000 athletes, coaches and family members are expected to attend the event sponsored by the Claire Marie Foundation where they will learn that young people going through puberty and pregnancy are more prone to melanoma — the number one cause of cancer among women 25-30. Admission is free.

Claire Marie Foundation was founded by former ABC News anchor Marianne Banister after her own 17-year-old daughter, a competitive lacrosse player, developed the deadly disease that claimed her life 10 years ago on October 16, 2014. In the ensuing decade, Banister has dedicated her life to the nonprofit, which was named after her daughter, to increase public awareness of the deadly disease and that young people of all races and ethnicities are vulnerable.

“It wasn’t until after my daughter was diagnosed that I learned melanoma is the #2 cancer in adolescents and the #1 cancer in young adults under 30,” she says. “Most alarming is that diagnoses in this age group is up 253 percent. I hope that I can spread this message to as many young people as possible because we all have daughters, sons, cousins, friends and other loved ones who fall into this demographic. Prevention is key and that’s what we want to promote.

”For more information, visit www.clairemariefoundation.org

CMF BACKGROUNDER: Banister formed the Claire Marie Foundation in honor of her daughter who had been an exceptionally healthy athlete who touched many lives in her short life. She has worked closely with Johns Hopkins, Mercy Medical Center and Children’s Cancer Foundation, Castle Biosciences and L’Oreal / LaRoche Posay as well as esteemed private dermatologists. CMF’s strategic partners include Teen Cancer America, Melanoma Research Alliance, Melanoma Research Foundation and USA Lacrosse.