Firecracker 5K by Randy

July 4, 2015 I ran my 4th 5K at the Reston VA Firecracker Run.  Running was always something that I did before my stroke and it is my recovery as well.

Four and a half years ago I had a massive stroke.  I also have Aphasia, which is a language disability.  This 5K run is to prove to people that this is about recovery.

The flag has always been used on the 4th of July.  It's about America so the run was fun.  This run was a little different this year.  It rained like crazy at this 5K.  I mean it rained.  Everyone was soaked. 

There were probably 2000 people running and walking the 5K.  It is always very interesting to me to see all of these people who are involved with the 5K. Of course it was the Fourth of July.  Many people also had clothing for the celebration.

 

This is about my recovery from my stroke.  Many of these runners and walkers do not have a disability, but I do.  All of these people were at the 5K.  Do not ever give up!!

Kalikie Classic by Christie 'Kalikie' Arnold

I had a massive stroke when I was only 30 years old which affected my ability to effectively communicate.  In the early days of my recovery, I felt hopeless and alone when I was in the hospital.  After I went home, I started my recovery. It was slow and daunting. I felt like I had a choice: fight back or give up. I chose to fight. I found an amazing place called the Stroke Comeback Center in Vienna, VA, for stroke survivors just like me. My stroke was 8½ years ago and it was a long hard road but I believed in myself and found a way to regain my life back even if there are some quirks; but it suits me just fine. My ability to fight keeps me occupied and I will never give up as long as I live!

After I had my stroke, I wanted to give back to a charity to enrich the lives of stroke survivors. The founding fathers and I started a golf tournament called the Kalikie Classic. It's my name in Hawaiian. This year the event will be held at Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club in Leesburg, VA. The date is September 16, 2015. If you are interested, you can email me at kalikieclassic@gmail.com.

Part of my work is to get sponsors and donated items for the goody bags.  We have many different sponsorship packages to choose from. You can visit our website at http://www.planmygolfevent.com/28050-8thAnnualKalikieClassic. All of the proceeds go towards the Stroke Comeback Center Scholarship Fund for survivors who can't afford to pay the full amount for groups.

We have been operating for 8 years and will continue to help survivors for many years to come.