Special Request for a Friend

I recently learned that Scott Werney, former co-chair of the Surfrider Oahu Chapter has been diagnosed with Parkinson Disease. As many of you know, Scott has been one of our strongest allies and was instrumental in organizing the state-wide Groundhog Day Beach Access Rally last year.

Scott is truly one of the good guys. When things like this happen, you can't help but feel life is unfair. However, he isn't asking for anything for himself.

What he would appreciate though is if you consider making a donation in his name to help fund research on Parkinson Disease. One of his friends, Tim Tybuszewski, is going to do an Ironman type event on Feb. 28 in Malaysia to raise funds and awareness.

Here's the link to Tim's blog and details about his mission:

Over the years Scott Werny (former Co-Chair of the Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter) has tirelessly worked for a very noble cause... protecting Hawaii's Ocean and Beaches.

Scott has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD). As you may or may not know PD is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs motor skills, speech, and other functions.

After careful consideration I had decided to raise money for PD research in Scott's honor. I wasn't sure if he would want the world to know about such a personal aspect of his life, however he stated that if this money can benefit the many other people afflicted by this condition, then he was willing to participate.

This Scott, is for you and all that you stand for, my humble gift to you. Although it is a very small token, I hope it touches the hearts of the surfing community as you have touched ours.

With great respect and admiration,
Tim Tybuszewski

What I am going to do...

On February 28, 2009 I will travel to Malaysia to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a marathon (26.2 miles) an Ironman distance triathlon. You may be familiar with the most popular of the Ironman events, the Ironman World Championship held in Hawaii. I am not quite at the calibur of athlete to be able to compete in that race (of which you have to qualify) but maybe someday. As for now I will just try to survive my first Ironman distance triathlon.

What you can do...

1. Make a donation in honor of Scott by pledging any amount of money you see fit to the National Parkinson Foundation for every mile I complete of the event. So for instance if you want to donate one dollar per mile, if I complete the race (I hope I do) then you will have donated 140 dollars and 60 cents (there are a total of 140.6 miles covered in the race) to help find a cure for Scott and the many others around the world.

2. Send the donation directly to the organization to ensure that they receive it (www.parkinson.org).

3. Contact this blog so that you can post your well wishes to Scott and the amount you are donating to help keep a running tally of what is raised.

Oh... and one more thing you can do... wish me luck... I'm gonna need it :)

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Please take a moment to visit Tim's blog, post your good wishes, and make a small contribution in Scott's honor. Below is a photo of Scott (on right) and myself at the Fourth of July Kailua parade, where he helped us put together our "Save Beach Access" float.