My Fundraising Goal:
$1,250.00 |
Money Raised to Date:
$2,450.00 |
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If you are unable to donate online, please print out a donation form. |
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| Challenged Athletes Foundation | | Join Blaze and Hoku in supporting CAF!
| Our daddy and his friends, Mati and Brenda are taking on the challenge of a lifetime and we are writing today to ask for your help. You see, by donating to their fundraising effort and helping them reach their goal, you will help people with physical challenges realize their dreams. Your donation will go to the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), an incredible 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides funding and inspiration to hundreds of physically challenged athletes each year so they can participate, complete and live life to the fullest.
After our daddy’s accident in 2003, he was told he would never walk again, his life was over and to just deal with it! Well, he dealt with it by deciding to sign up for Hawaii Revisited to raise funds for CAF. This would never have happened without the help of his friends and family (ohana) here in Hawaii. With the support of his friends, they were able to help our daddy deal with his disabilities and live an active lifestyle. They took incredible patience as he used his walker to enter the ocean, and then swam by his side, even if it meant that they had to endure his extremely slow swim pace.
After our daddy was released from the hospital, he never thought he would be able to participate in triathlons again, and enjoy the comrade and social aspects during the training sessions. But a friend of his, (Christian Friis) had mentioned our daddy to CAF and his interest in participating in triathlons again, but that he didn’t know how a person with a disability would accomplish this. CAF was very helpful to our daddy by providing him a grant to participate in the 2003 San Diego Triathlon (Half Ironman distance race) as a swimmer on a relay team. (I believe he was the first person to receive a CAF grant from Hawaii) We weren’t born yet, but he has told us many stories of athletes with different disabilities finding ways to enjoy participating in triathlons as well as living a healthy lifestyle. Armed with this information he gathered from the San Diego Triathlon, he returned to Hawaii, and with the help of his friends, he was able to not only complete his first triathlon, but continue on and not only qualify, but participate in the 2007 ITU Triathlon World Championships in Germany!
Now its time for our daddy to help CAF raise funds to help other challenged athletes to live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy participating in sports by providing whatever they need to make it happen. High-tech running prosthetics are very expensive. Learning to swim when you lack a limb (or limbs) requires special coaching. And handcycles can cost upwards of $2,500. But with our help, challenged athletes can bridge the financial gap and overcome funding obstacles blocking their path to athletic achievement. That is why we are challenging him to make a difference in their lives. Please partner with him by making a donation through his web site link below. Join Hoku, Blaze and our daddy in making dreams come true for challenged athletes. Give the gift of sports and help get challenged athletes off the sidelines – and into the game.
P.S. He understands with the way the economy is, sometimes we just don’t have the extra funds to donate. That’s totally understandable. But if you can or can not donate, on August 9th at 7am, you can still show your support and come out to Kaimana Beach and support Team Hawaii (Mike, Mati, Brenda) as they start their journey.
Our daddy has a special request. If there is anyone out there who would like to accompany him during his “doggy paddling style” swim from Kaimana Beach to Hilton Hawaiian Village (Waikiki Rough water course), he would be delighted with your company. He loves people who can kick, make lots of bubbles and can swim straight! Our daddy is half blind without his glasses, so we might have to play a game of “Marco Polo” during our swim. And, of course! Smiley faces on the bottom of your feet is required! :O)
Mahalo and thank you for your supporting our daddy,
Hoku and Blaze
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