The Saga of the Shark Hat started simply.......
Pam found the pattern; I offered to exchange some shark awareness on the Hatliners blog for promoting Halos of Hope on my annual great white shark dive trip to Isla Guadalupe, Mexico. We hoped to raise a bit of money for an organization which can do miraculous things with $20.00. What happened next was never imagined.

Early on we asked ourselves what cancer and great white shark cage diving have in common. The answer was easy – both are a journey of courage. Nine out of ten people I tell about my shark adventures tell me they could never, ever, under any circumstance willingly get in the water with a shark. Those of us who find the courage to make the journey and spend time in the water with these perfect and misunderstood creatures are forever changed. Cancer is also a journey of courage. It takes a strength most of us don’t know we have to go back for appointment after appointment, to suffer the pain and nausea and hair loss without losing your humor or your hope. Cancer will touch all of us. Regardless what kind you face, if you are, or a loved one is, fighting through chemotherapy and could use the comfort of a cap made with love by a caring volunteer, Halos of Hope is there.

As the shark hat took shape, it also took on a personality. The hat had to be tough to survive not only the cages of Isla Guadalupe but the arduous journey to and fro. It had to be cool enough to capture people’s attention and badass enough not to care what people thought of it. Pam spent a lot of time selecting the right materials and even had to “frog the shark” at one point. She was tempted to name the hat but held back, choosing to give that honor to those of us on the dive trip. Pam said good-bye to her first shark hat and sent him to me in Salt Lake City.

When my shark-diving friend, Danny, lost his pit bull, Helmüt on the same weekend the shark hat arrived I knew immediately what I was supposed to name him. Helmüt is a strong name, perfect for a pit bull or a shark. Plus I knew Danny had missed a shark dive several years earlier to be with his mom as she fought brain cancer. My Dad also died of a brain tumor; taking the newly-named Helmüt the Shark Hat to Guadalupe would be an honor on many levels.

Helmüt was on hand (or on my head) a lot during the trip and he gained quite a few fans. Everyone has been touched by cancer and when I would find a quiet moment to talk with one of the divers about Halos of Hope, I would invariably find that person knew someone who had gone through chemotherapy. Pam said it best in Helmut’s Voyage when she spoke about my friend, the fearless leader of my Guadalupe trips, “Sharkman” Lawrence Groth.

Helmüt’s journey was for people like Lawrence Groth, a champion among shark enthusiasts, who embraces courage every time a Solmar expedition sets forth. Someone who encourages others to achieve the great white experience, and, yet, has to be courageous as cancer comes too close.”
Isla Guadalupe 2010 (Helmut worn by Dean Karr) 
The trip itself was epic. We saw 14 different great whites over the course of three days, including the infamous Cal Rip Fin and females Bella, Lucy and Arden Grace. There were up to five sharks in the water at one time and you could witness great action from the deck of the boat or inside the cages. We chose not to put Helmüt in the cage out of fear the salt water would ruin him, but did get photos of Helmüt (and me, of course) on top of the cage in the crystal clear Guadalupe water. And yes, there are sharks in that water. 

After the dive, Danny started a Twitter campaign on behalf of Halos of Hope Danny happens to be a very cool guy – music producer, guitarist for Nine Inch Nails, and he even has a movie credit under his belt – and his friends and fans responded enthusiastically. As of October 25, 2010, the Helmüt the Shark Hat campaign raised over $4,000. That’s enough to cover the shipping of over 12,000 chemo caps to be sent to courageous warriors across the country.

Just as important, Helmüt has raised awareness a hundredfold.  Hits on the Halos of Hope website reached a record high of 1,814 in a single day.   People who may have previously looked at Halos of Hope as a charity for knitters/crocheters are seeing it as something more, something bigger than just making the hats.  Cancer will affect you whether you are a rock star, a shark junkie, a tattoo artist or a soccer mom.  Providing comfort for those in need is something we can ALL do.

So what’s next in the Saga of the Shark Hat? PLENTY! A few new hats are gestating. Helmüt siblings will be popping up soon in some unexpected places.
Steve Sims, tattoo artist in Chicago, painted an amazing watercolor of Helmüt-and-Helmüt which is on our donation page. You’ll be seeing more of this as well. Halos of Hope is always accepting donations to help cover shipping costs; please continue to honor Helmüt by including a comment in the donation note.
Halos of Hope cap drop-off locations will continue to grow across the country.

And finally, what would a shark (hat) saga be without a sequel? Planning for the 2011 Great White Shark Dive trip is underway. Lucy can't wait to see everyone again in 2011!
Helmüt’s journey has affected me in ways I can’t explain and I thank everyone who has shown an interest in our story. Cancer is a journey of courage. I hope Pam, Danny, Helmüt and I were able to comfort you along the way.

Nikki Sevy www.sharksafe.com & www.seesharks.com

Copyright notice:  All photographs are courtesy of NB Sevy and Ian Lauder and have been used with permission.  Helmut watercolor courtesy of Steven Sims; used with permission.