Updates from the KBF

As an event organizer, I rely heavily on volunteers to get the job done. I appreciate each and every one of them and can’t do it without them! From the people who put the signs out along the course in the wee hours of the morning to those who fill the coffee makers throughout the day and to all the cheerleaders, registration takers, water stop suppliers, etc. my thanks go out to them.

So it’s great to hear that the event was fun and gratifying for the volunteers as well. Here’s an email I received after the 2011 ride from a first-time volunteer who travelled from Connecticut with his family to volunteer – they were a tremendous help and it looks like they enjoyed it too!

Hi Betsy:
I just wanted to send you a quick note to say how much I enjoyed the day and meeting so many enthusiastic people. I can’t ever recall having so many people say “thank-you” to me…it’s a good thing. You put on a great event and it is clear that it took tons of effort to organize and take care of all the details. We are looking forward to next year!!!
Regards,
Craig

If you are interested in volunteering for the 2012 Kelly Brush Century Ride, make the decision and make the commitment – you won’t regret it!  You can email me at betsycabrera@kellybrushfoundation.org to volunteer.

The ride is set for Saturday, September 8, 2012 in Middlebury, Vermont.

{ 0 comments }

Dear Kelly Brush Foundation,

I am sending this to you as a formal thank you for the grant that was provided in order for me to get a brand new Top End Force handcycle.  As you may recall in my application, I had informed you that I did have a handcycle, but that it was more of a recreational bike, rather than one that I could compete on.  When I did my very first full marathon on January 9, 2011 at Walt Disney World, I finished in 3:21:00.  Not having any prior races to compare with, I felt that my finish time was good.  As I continued to train, and competed in three more marathons last year, my finish times were not getting much better.  Most of the races I had been entering, I either came in last place, or very close to it.  From what I was being told from other racers, if I really wanted to compete, I would need a bike designed for racing.    As a quadriplegic, I was in a totally different class of athletes than the para’s I was racing against, and I came to the conclusion that I should just focus on racing against myself.

I received the new Force just before Christmas, and had about four weeks to train for the ING Miami Marathon on January 29, 2012.  Since this was my first time on this course, but I knew there were going to be a few bridges involved, I set a finish time goal of 3:00:00. I am excited to announce to you that I had a finish time of 2:40:53.  I beat my goal time by twenty minutes, and that’s forty minutes faster than my first race.  Probably the thing that was even more exciting than my finish time was that around mile 18, I passed a para!  This new bike has opened up a totally new perspective on racing for me.  I no longer feel that I am in a class by myself, but I can now race against other athletes.

In my application letter, I had also mentioned about “paying it forward” in regards to my old bike.  I had gotten involved with the South Florida chapter of Achilles International, and after much thought and prayer in what direction I should go in starting my own organization, I felt God wanted me to start an Achilles chapter in my area.  On January 26, I was notified that I was accepted to be the director of the Achilles International, Treasure Coast chapter.

I have already been able to loan my other bike out to “Kristi”.  She is a forty year old para that has been paralyzed since she was an infant due to cancer.  It was very exciting to be there to witness her reaction when she got on the bike for the first time.  This wasn’t just the first time on a handcycle, it was her first time ON A BIKE!

Thank you again for helping to make this dream a reality, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your help.

Sincerely,
Jason Dugmore
2011 KBF Grant Recipient

{ 0 comments }

Jason Dugmore, a recent KBF grant recipient, competed in the ING Miami Marathon last month in Florida.  Jason rode on his new handcyle funded by the Kelly Brush Foundation and finished with a terrific time of 2:40:53!  Congratulations, Jason.  We are so proud of you and happy to know that the Kelly Brush Foundation funds are being put to such great use.  Good luck in your next race!!

{ 0 comments }

Ben Hulin was awarded a mono-ski by the Kelly Brush Foundation in 2010.  Little did we suspect at the time that Ben and his mono-ski would be featured in a Casio Mobile Phone commercial!  Check it out here:

{ 0 comments }

The legacy and work of the Kelly Brush Foundation goes way beyond the initial funding of a monoski or handcycle.  By funding these pieces of equipment for individuals living with a spinal cord injury the Foundation is enhancing their lives in a way that most people take for granted.  This is evident when we hear back from past year grant recipients and hear how they are still enjoying their equipment and their lives even more because of it.  We recently received such a note from Faylis Ward, a 76-year old monoskier who received her grant last year from the Kelly Brush Foundation.  Faylis writes:

Just wanted to thank you once again for helping me to acquire a monoski.  I am now 76 years on this planet.  Last ski season I was able to ski 39 times with the help of my family.  After the lifts closed my son brought me up to the 12,000 foot Independence Pass just out of Aspen, Colorado.  Pushed me up the snowy slope so I could ski down.  Once on June 30th and once on July 5th.  It’s hard to believe the happy feeling I experience on each ski day.  My senior years are so much fun.  Thank you.  Thank you.

Waiting for ski season,
Faylis Ward

We say, “Thank you, Faylis!” for sharing with us how the grant you received from the Kelly Brush Foundation has impacted your life.  We hope to see you on the slopes some day!

{ 0 comments }