They Call Me Galvez

8/14/10 Pinckney, MI – Hell Survivors Paintball Field. Despite a humid midwestern summer day, >150 people came out to support the 2nd Annual Tumors Suck Paintball Benefit.  The inagural event, the first of it’s kind last year, was cursed by severe thunderstorms but it was energized by the enthusiasm and dedication of Team FUBAR.  This year there were no thunderstorms, and the expectations were raised with a year of experience in planning the event.  The 2010 event was highlighted by a few new wrinkles,  a logo was created specifically for the event by Enuf Marketing and Design, a bounce house for kids was introduced, and many new faces participated in the event.  A lot of newbie paintballers got their first taste of paintball play and Team FUBAR once again put on their “mentoring mask” for all the new players.  This year there were more female players, and the enthusiasm for the event increased by at least 10 fold!  The event t-shirt featured the slogan “this ain’t no pity party” that expressed the sentiment underlying the purpose of playing paintball as a benefit for cancer and brain tumor advocacy. There are many similarities between paintball and a new tumor diagnosis. One needs to be cautious, yet stay on the “offensive”.  Much like a medical situation, it is also important that all teammates (medical team +family) are working in a coordinated effort towards accomplishing the mission (beating the tumor mass.)  In a new intimidating situation, one can choose to:

• survive – weather an “attack”,
• dive - give up hope,
• or thrive – continue to do what you need to do and fight back

The paintball benefit is an event where both survivors and non-survivors can thrive by uniting to show support combating all tumors.  mAss Kickers Foundation (MKF) looks to provide support and motivation to all newly-diagnosed patients, family, and friends affected by tumors or cancer.  MKF serves this mission through its website, fund-raising, and select events (such as paintball) throughout the year.  MKF uses two campaigns in the war on both malignant and nonmalignant tumors.  TUMORS SUCK! is a public awareness campaign. It is meant to unify all those touched by a tumor or cancer with a pugilistic, rebellious attitude. Basically, people just wear the logo or post the logo somewhere people can see it to show support for someone under going treatment for a tumor mass… malignant or “non-malignant”. USE THE K.U.R.E. is an action campaign for the newly diagnosed patient and their loved ones to combat any intimidating diagnosis. K.U.R.E. stands for Use Knowledge, Promote Unity, Support Research, and EMPOWER YOURSELF. It’s an excellent strategy to combat an intimidating tumor mass diagnosis not only on an individual level but also on a larger community level.

Many of the participants this year expressed how much fun they had.  They look forward to next year’s event.  The highlight of the event was “the gauntlet”.  Members of Team FUBAR again volunteered to be moving targets as a unique way to raise funds for mAss Kickers Foundation and the National Brain Tumor Society.   As a “sniper” in the gauntlet, I couldn’t help but laugh at the way Team FUBAR hammed up the gauntlet .

The 2010 paintball benefit was a huge success and doubled funds raised from last year under the leadership of Angel Bureau and Andrew Wlodyga.  With another successful event under our belt, we expect an even bigger event next year.  I can’t wait to see the new wrinkles in the 2011 paintball benefit.

Last weekend I went to SeaWorld again.  This time was different.  Usually when I go with my friends, we stop at the Anheuser-Busch Building for free samples then I try to impress them with my “short term knowledge” of aquatic life. They are always impressed with my knowledge of orcas, penguins, and flamingos.  The past couple times I have gone, I have gone with my friends and their kids.  Still really fun, but in a different way.  I went to places I’ve never been:  The Sesame Street Bay of Play and the show, Blue Horizons.  In the Bay of Play, so many kids were running around, jumping off stuff, screaming… pure energy.  There were rides there for kids, Oscar’s Rockin’ Eel, Elmo’s Flying Fish, etc.  I bet hyperactive kids would like to spend the whole afternoon there. I know I would have!   Blue Horizons was not what I expected.  Lots of acrobats.  Personally, I’m more into seeing the animals do tricks.  I’m still amazed at what they can do, but the animals were always the big draw.  The pure size speed and strengths of orcas, makes them the top predators.  The fact that they can be trained fascinates me.  These things are killers.  One of my favorite attractions is the Shark Encounter.  These things are “primitive” predators that have been around for millions of years.  Dude, they are so efficient that they didn’t need to evolve much!  Animals that scare me fascinate me…  hahaha!

I did take my mobility scooter (the mAss Kicker Mobile) with me to SeaWorld.  I have fun riding it with kids.  They crack me up!  They like playing with the horn.  We always turn heads (or annoy people) because we are having too much fun!  When I was in the wheelchair I felt self-conscious having someone push me in the wheelchair because I couldn’t control where I was going and I always felt like a burden to people pushing the wheelchair.  I’m curious by nature and I’m always exploring my surrounding so I never liked feeling bottled up and displayed in a wheelchair.  I guess you can say with the “mAss Kicker Mobile” I can SEA-THE-WORLD!  whah-whah-whah… you are now allowed to punch me in the face!