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2013 Transpac Team Challenged America, Join Us To Hawaii

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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.

Urban’s Corner

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It seems like most people don’t really pay attention to a disease or disability until it strikes them or someone they love. Yet, many who are not (yet) disabled dot suppor and donate to organizations and programs that support the disabled, for various reasons, but fully committing themselves and their resources to a cause tends not to appear the norm . . . until that dreaded illness or injury hits.

Believe me, everyone in the charitable sector appreciates all – and in any amount – that contributors provide, be it resources, talent, assets, time, and/or cash and regardless of their reason behind the gift – whether personal, tax mitigation, emotional, or another self-serving intention. Such gifts are (mostly) welcome and most needed by all trying to do a charitable good in the community and for society.

We’re now at that “Holiday Gift Giving Time” and we’re all getting bombarded with emotionally-driven appeals to support a charity or cause, and you’ll be getting such a message from us at Challenged America and the Disabled Businesspersons Association (DBA) as well. This is the time of year most make donations and gifts; and the time which most charities, like us, do rely on to support the coming months of operations and plan expanded services and programs.

So when you receive our request for financial and other support, along with the flood of other pleas for help, we hope our message hits your heartstrings and you will consider Challenged America and the DBA too.

We also hope you will investigate the organizations, programs and causes you plan to give to, making sure they are really using your generosity to fulfill their mission and serve those they are authorized by the IRS to help … and your generous gift is being spent or allocated where you want it to go.

I recently called a donor and asked why he and his wife decided to make a donation to the DBA? His response was:

“We want to make sure our gift goes for the right purpose, and we do this by first asking how much in salary and benefits the Executive Director, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board make.

“From the response, we can quickly narrow the field of those we will donate to, as it gives us a measurement of where funds are being prioritized and allocated. ”

It’s surprising how many charities don’t directly answer our question, and of those who do, the majority only refer us to their latest tax return, and how to get it online. At the DBA, your response was quick and to the point … and that’s why we sent you our check.”

Thank You,
Urban Miyares
Challenged America, co-founder
Disabled Businesspersons Association, volunteer president