All-Star Basketball Charity Game

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: Charity ActivityTagged: , ,

There’s nothing like the excitement of attending a live basketball game with your favorite star athletes. What if you could attend a game while also supporting a great cause?

TJ Kidd, the son of Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, hosted the first annual Classic Celebrity All-Star Game at Santa Monica College (SMC) on August 20. The event benefited the HelpCureHD foundation.

Growing up with an NBA legend father, TJ Kidd attended many all-star basketball games. He had always dreamed of organizing his own one day – but with proceeds going toward charity. His childhood dream was realized this month when he collaborated with his friends, sports reporter Allie LaForce and her husband, MLB pitcher Joe Smith, to raise money for their foundation, HelpCureHD. The foundation provides grants for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) for those suffering from Huntington’s Disease. Joe Smith felt compelled to establish the charity after his mother was diagnosed with the hereditary brain disorder in 2012, along with over 30,000 others in the US alone who suffer from the disease.

The TJ Kidd Classic featured famed athletes, including WBC World Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder, four-time NBA Champion Jon Salley, three-time NBA Champion Bryon Scott, and many more celebrities. The game was thrilling, and both the players and spectators had loads of fun. After the game, TJ Kidd expressed his satisfaction with the turnout, and said he hoped to host the event again and to keep it at SMC.

A Walk to Remember

Posted on
By DouglasPosted In: Charity Activity, Family, HealthTagged: ,

Losing a loved one is never easy, no matter what the cause. Many find comfort and meaning by raising awareness or funds in memory of those who have passed. When family or friends pass tragically or after battling illness, the drive to take action to help others often kicks in even stronger.

Mary Hersch, a 61-year-old Wisconsin native, embarked last September on a 1,439-mile walking journey from central Wisconsin to the Texas coast. Her mission was to raise awareness about pulmonary fibrosis, the lung disease that took her mother’s life 25 years ago. When her mother passed away, Hersch’s father requested that half of his ashes would join with her mother’s ashes in the gulf at Port Arkansas, when the time would come.

Since walking has always been a passion of Hersch’s and her mother loved the beach, the chosen route seemed most fitting. She partnered with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation who managed the fundraising and helped her map out her voyage.

Along the way, Hersch often had some company. A couple of her friends accompanied her, driving along slowly in their motor home, as she walked. Many drivers stopped along the road to check if all was OK, if she needed water, and learned about Hersch’s undertaking at the same time. The poster of her mother’s picture hung on her friends’ RV sparked curiosity from passerby, triggering conversation and bonding among people.

On the 89th day of her journey, Hersch received word that her father had died of a heart attack. While she took the news very hard and had considered delaying her projected end date, she gained strength knowing he was rooting for her and felt his presence along each step. She experienced a newfound push to pull through, and had planned to have family meet her half a mile before the coast with her father’s ashes.

Hersch arrived at Port Arkansas on December 30. She scattered her father’s ashes into the sea, and her parents were reunited. She walked for 107 days and raised over $34,000 for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

Firefighter Challenge 2022

Posted on
By M. MarksPosted In: Charity Activity, Family

This year’s annual Firefighter Challenge event took place over the weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The fundraiser began with a relay on Friday night, and continued with individual competitions on Saturday, attracting over 250 people. Team competitions were scheduled for Sunday. Over $85,000 has already been raised for the Grand Rapids Fire Department Fire Prevention Foundation, which will go toward smoke detectors and other safety measures to keep locals safe.

The event brought in firefighters from over 1,300 miles away. Organizers reported that the Firefighter Challenge is also an opportunity for people to learn more about the work firefighters do, and even recruit interest. By the end of Saturday, over a dozen attendees were considering the line of work.

What do the competitions at the event actually look like? The purpose is to simulate real life scenarios. In one timed course, the participants carried a bunch of heavy hoses while climbing up five flights of stairs. They then returned downstairs to the street, broke through a door, and lugged a water hose through the doorway, spraying at the target. In the last stage, the firefighters simulated the rescue of a trapped person, pulling a 175-pound man to the finish line 100 feet away.

In addition to the competitions aimed at firefighters, the Firefighter Challenge is also designed to attract families. There are a variety of fun activities for children, such as the Kid’s Challenge Course and others which promote fire safety. An array of dining options are offered, including food trucks and a beer tent.

If you missed this year’s Firefighter Challenge, be sure to check back in a few months to see where next year’s event will be held!