2013 Transpac Team Challenged America, Join Us To Hawaii

Join Us To Hawaii

2013 Transpac Team Challenged America

Aloha,

Challenged America will be in the Transpacific Yacht Race this July 8th, 2013.  Urban Miyares, Co-Founder and David Hopkins, Director of Vessel & Gift Donations for the charitable Challenged America program will be double handed racing on a Tripp 40 sailboat called B’Quest.  What makes their entry special is that Urban Miyares is blind, has Type 1 diabetes (and a host of other medical issues), and David Hopkins has a hearing impairment.  Both of them are disabled veterans … and well seasoned sailboat racers and they intend to win this race.

Why Are They Doing This Race to Hawaii?

Urban and David are dedicated volunteers helping those with physical and hidden impairment through therapeutic sailing and racing programs.  They have literally changed the lives of so many.  Now they are on a quest to bring attention to Challenged America and the needs of the many fellow disabled veterans, as well as to others with disabilities and their loved ones.

 

A Life of Sailing After Death

Urban Miyares’ story is well-known in the veteran community.  Army infantry platoon Sgt. Miyares was presumed dead during an operation in Viet Nam in 1968 and was placed in a (KIA) body bag when, after two days, a combat medic, assigned to toe-tag the dead soldiers, found him still breathing. From that extraordinary incident and for the next 45 years, Miyares’ has gone on to grow several businesses, become a world class Alpine skier, and has developed his sailing skills to be a competitive offshore racer.

Transpac:  The Famous Race Across the Pacific

The Transpacific Yacht Race (Transpac) is now into its second century.  This legendary race began in 1906 by the request of King David Kalakaua of the Hawaiian Islands.  He felt that this race would strengthen the islands’ economic and cultural ties with the mainland.  Clarence MacFarlane, a racing sailor from Honolulu, initiated the race with other sailors off the coast of San Pedro.  The original starting point was to be San Francisco, but due to the earthquake and fire of 1906, just 27 days prior to the intended starting date, the starting point was changed to Point Fermin in San Pedro, California.  The finish line is off the Diamond Head Lighthouse in Honolulu, Hawaii totaling 2,225 nautical miles.

The challenging race course takes competitors through a myriad of unforeseen conditions: from the cold, wet Northeastern Pacific, through doldrums, enormous seas, abundant squalls and scorching heat, to the blustery trade winds of the Molokai Channel near the finish.  With their start date of July 8th, Urban & David anticipate an arrival in Honolulu of July 19 – 20, with a podium appearance, with you (hopefully) being at the dock in Hawaii for the traditional Aloha Welcome and following ceremonies. With much media coverage assured, you will also be able to follow this race on both the Challenged America website (ChallengedAmerica.org) and on the Transpacific Yacht Club’s race website (www.TranspacRace.com).

Come With Us To Hawaii.

You can be a part of the (Sponsorship) crew with David Hopkins and Urban Miyares as they make this most-challenging and demanding crossing to Hawaii.  Your support will help expand the scope of this 36 year old therapeutic Challenged America adaptive sailing program to reach the lives of thousands of kids, adults, and veterans (wounded warriors) with disabilities.

Click on the link bellow  for the information on Sponsoring the Challenged America Program and Urban and David in the 2013 Transpac Race to Hawaii.

Team Challenged America Transpac 2013 Sponsor Program

We eagerly look forward to your support.

Mahalo,

2013 Transpac Team Challenged America Campaign Committee

Tom Jarvis, Cpt. Ken Guyer, John Dodge, Dave Myer, Chris Carstens, Philippe Gadeyne

P.S.  Challenged America is a therapeutic and rehabilitative program of the charitable and educational (501c3) Disabled Businesspersons Association, a volunteer-driven organization enhancing the lives of thousands with disabilities each year.  All support, sponsorship, gifts and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by the law.  Tax-Exempt #)33-0484461, Disabled Businesspersons Association.

P.S.S.  You can make your donation by sending a check to “Challenged America<” or by PayPal at ChallengedAmerica.org, or  talk to someone about Sponsoring Team Challenged America in the 2013 Transpac by either emailing your contact information to or call (619) 523-9318.

Make a tax deductible donation, Challenged America needs you

Enhance the Quality of Someone’s Life

Dear Friends of the Challenged America Program,

This Holiday Season you can give the gifts of Self-reliance, Independence, Self-Confidence, and enhance the Quality of someone’s life.

Your donation to Challenged America will give a disabled veteran, adult or child with a disability all of these and much more.

“Challenged America is very important to me not just because sailing is my passion, but because of what it has taught me about myself. Prior to being involved in Challenged America I thought sailing was part of my past. Something I could no longer do as a result of Muscular Dystrophy. This program has enabled me to sail again and experience feelings I hadn’t felt for a very long time – feelings like hope, empowerment, and freedom. I have learned that you can be blind and still sail as Urban the founder of the program does, or have a prosthetic leg as Kevin my sailing companion does. I learned that I could leave my disabilities at the dock, sail in a seven boat regatta and win!”
— Colin Smith, Challenged America participant

Colin is but one of hundreds of stories we experience each year at Challenged America, and after 34 years of providing free therapeutic sailing as a rehabilitation activity and tool, you’d think we’ve gotten use to such stories. But it never ceases to touch the heartstrings of all of us volunteers at Challenged America.

Your charitable gifts  go 100% to the program and providing the opportunity to both youth, from 5 years of age, to seniors in their 90’s, as well as to recently injured and disabled veterans, regardless of the disabilities or medical condition; and to their loved ones.

Each dollar you give to Challenged America is spent entirely on and in the program – No Salaries and No Hidden or Other Disguised “Program Expenses” depleting the impact of your gift.

More than 9,000 volunteer hours are “gifted-in-kind” to the charity each year, and in addition to those who generously donate their time and talents, we need your support to help them fulfill their good work in the community.

Where Does 100% of Your Gift Go?

$25
Assures that a sailor with a disability, and their companion instructor/sailor, will have sun screen, water, and sailing gloves for a safe and exciting day of sailing.

$75
Grants a child or adult with a disability the life-experience of sailing on a Martin 16 two-person, fully- adaptable sailboat for the day, with a companion sailor or instructor.

$125
Gives a youth or adult with a disability, and their entire family a day of sailing . . . or, covers 1 year of bottled-water needs.

$500
Supports 10 to 15 individuals to spend a day of Whale Watching or have an Environmental and Marine education experience aboard the motor yacht “Challenged America” . . . or allows a Challenged America exhibit booth to be at a regional trade show or event.

$1,000
Covers 1 year of costs related to providing equipment, supplies, and insurance for 25 volunteers … or covers 1 year of the office’s local and long-distance phone calls and phone Internet service.

$2,500
Sponsors a Team Challenged America sailor for 1 year . . . or launches the Companion Sailor and Sailing Instructor “Certification” program . . . or pays for crew and vessel cost on an overnight offshore racing experience . . . or gives all sailing volunteers a new Challenged America t-shirt & hat.

$7,000
Gives us delivery of a much-needed “Sip n Puff” steering-device for sailors with high-level injuries . . . or covers 1 year of dock and office supplies . . . or allows Challenged America to add spinnaker gear to 7 Martin 16 sailboats.

$10,000
Subsidizes the working capital to continue the design & development of new and innovative devices, gear and safety equipment for sailors with disabilities . . . or purchase needed mainsail and jib for all 8 Martin 16 sailboats . . . or covers the cost of replacing all standing and running rigging on the fleet of small boats in the program.

$25,000
Allows us to sponsor 5 different Summer Sailing Camps for kids, seniors, disabled veterans, and special groups supporting the disabled . . . or helps cover our minimum yearly boatyard costs of hull cleaning and bottom paint, maintenance and repairs of boats and engine repairs/maintenance.

$70,000
Pays for 1 year of rent of slips, office and storage space . . . or covers the basic operating costs for the big boat sailing program, less racing expenses.

$100,000
Covers costs for 1 year of small boat maintenance, repairs, slip fees, equipment and insurance.

$125,000
Will offer the unique opportunity for Team Challenged America to compete in the 2013 Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii.

$225,000
Will cover operating cost for the entire volunteer-driven Challenged America program (less racing) for the entire year.

$500,000
Supports the big boat program and Team Challenged America training and racing campaign for 1 year . . . or covers the costs of inviting 75 disabled veterans and their families to spend 5 days in San Diego to sail and conduct other therapeutic and educational activities with Challenged America.

$1,000,000 ($1 Million)
Launches the Challenged America Endowment Fund . . . and subsidizes 4 years of operating costs.

We are very grateful for you considering Challenged America in your gift giving this year or next year.

All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Challenged America is a charitable program of the 501(c)3 Disabled Businesspersons Association – tax-exempt (EIN) number 33-0484461.

You can make your contribution online through the Challenged America website’s PayPal account at ChallengedAmerica.org, or make your check out to “Challenged America” and mail to

Challenged America Program

2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 108
San Diego, CA 92106
Office: (619) 523-9318

Email: Ahoy@ChallengedAmerica.org

Tis the time: Challenged America Annual Christmas Party

 

Come and meet us at the Challenged America Annual Christmas Party, Dec 10 from 2pm to 6 pm.

The party will be catered by our good friend Steve Rocks from Fiddler’s Green.  there will be wine totties, beer, soda and water and a special gift for Challenged America volunteers

If you are a volunteer or want to volunteer, a participant or want to participate or just want to learn about our program, stop on by

More details to come.

RSVP here

2011 Challenged America Membership Drive

Support Challenged America in 2011 by becoming a member. It is with your donations that we can continue to provide FREE SAILING experiences to kids and adults with disabilities.

Here’s what you will receive when you become a member:

Regatta Member $50
– Free Entry to all 2011 Martin Regattas

Crew Member $100
– Free Entry to all 2011 Martin Regattas
– Waterproof Dry Sack

Skippers Club $300
– Free Entry to all 2011 Martin Regattas
– Waterproof Dry Sack
– Challenged America Shirt

Captains Club $500
– Free Entry to all 2011 Martin Regattas
– Challenged America Shirt
– Embroidered Challenged America Jacket

Admirals Club $1000
– Free Entry to all 2011 Martin Regattas
– Challenged America Shirt
– Embroidered Challenged America Jacket
– Four (4) Tickets to the WMCA Regatta Dinner

FOR CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP AND ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES
Please contact us at ahoy@challengedAmerica.org or
(619) 540-1485