Grind
for Life Benefit
October 31,
2003
press release
All Access Sports & Event Marketing, in conjunction with the YMCA
of the Palm Beaches, Florida, announces dates, times, and location of
the first-annual "Grind for Life"
to benefit the Mike Rogers cancer recovery fund. The event, featuring
national and local skateboard professionals, will take place Saturday,
November 22, 2003 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the YMCA/Oelsner skatepark facility
located at 2085 S. Congress Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida.
The demonstration and festival-like atmosphere will highlight Mike Vallely,
along with many other professionals from around the state and country.
The event will have something for everybody and will feature live music
in the form of bands and live radio broadcasting. There will be numerous
raffles and fun contests for the skaters. The admission donation will
be a $10 minimum and will include food/drinks and a T-shirt (while supplies
last). The event is designed to assist Mike Rogers in his recovery from
a rare form of sarcoma cancer. Future events will help other kids suffering
from this disease.
Mike Rogers of MR's Skate Shop, located at the YMCA, has been an employee
of the YMCA skatepark since it opened and has touched many people's lives
with his generosity and willingness to promote skating and surfing in
and around the state. Mike recently underwent 19 hours of surgery in New
York to remove the cancer; subsequently, he has made an astonishing recovery
and is currently cancer-free. This event is designed so Mike's friends,
family, and area skaters can assist Mike in offsetting his very large
medical expenses and to get him back to doing what he does best, "promoting"
skateboarding and surfing in a positive way.
Many area businesses and national skateboard companies have contributed
to the event and sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more
information, contact Chris Conway at (561) 644-2245 or contact the YMCA/Oelsner
Skate park at (561) 963-1436. You can also email at chrisconway@4allaccess.com.
Thank you for your support!!
Dear Friends of Mike Rogers (M.R.),
Today is Tuesday September 16, 2003 and Mike was released from the hospital
yesterday. It is hard to believe that he is well enough after 12
days. That’s Mike for you! Unbelievable! The doctors
say he will be back to himself in 6-8 weeks. I’m not sure
how long it will take for the wounds to heal and for him to skateboard
safely but he is doing great physically. Luckily, he can spend a
good bit of time on the internet looking at skate info and keeping up
to speed. We also are fortunate to be able to take short walks.
For now, he is on a soft foods diet and they shaved his head but you would
definitely recognize him. He is definately concerned that his skate
shop is presently struggling financially.
On the day of the surgery, Sept. 3, we arrived at the hospital at 5:45
am. The surgery was a cranial facial with brainlift to remove the
cancer (sarcoma). The first Dr. was the cancer guy, who was being
assisted by a neurosurgeon. They finished around 3:30pm and said
it was better than they had anticipated. Next was the radiation
Dr., who put a device in his head to administer a dose during surgery
and then another at a later date. He was done around 5:00pm.
The plastic surgeon started, don’t know when, but finished at 11:30
that night. They kept him under overnight and I was able to see him awake
the next day. He stayed in neurology observation for a couple of
days. Then he went to the 17th floor, which is the head and neck
floor at the cancer center hospital.
The cancer he has is extremely uncommon which makes things even more difficult.
The same surgery has been preformed 45 times by these guys in the last
3 years. Still not positive of the type of sarcoma. The doctor
said he thinks he got it all, but won’t know until they do scans
later. Mike lost his eye, cheekbone, half of the roof of his mouth,
some side teeth. He had a trache in his neck so that has to heal
also. They removed half of his stomach muscles to replace the removed
parts of his face. His face skin is still the same, but it looks
like his eye is sewn shut. He does have wounds that need to heal
from the 240 stitches and staples they used. They already removed
the staples and the stitches come out next Wed. Then, maybe some
follow-up visits.
The experience at the hospital was the best it could be. It all
is working out and many deserve big thanks for helping Mike through this.
Mike also makes this recovery process easier for himself and others by
remaining calm, following direction, and positive thoughts.,
It has taken a lot out of him, but he will get it back. I can tell
by the good wishes and prayers that he has touched many lives.
The Mike Rogers “Grind For Life” benefit will be held
at the YMCA in WPB on Nov. 22, 2003.You can contact :
Abby Gresko at (561)254-5153 agresko1@yahoo.com
or
Chris Conway at (561)644-2245 chrisconway@4allaccess.com
To help in any way with the benefit/ skate demo. It’s hard
when you’re broke . Mike is still waiting for social security
disability to begin. Neither of us has had any income for
a while and the retirement funds are spent. If anyone is able to
help us now instead of waiting for the benefit date, that would be wonderful.
Don’t get me wrong, we have a comfortable place to stay and food
to eat, but the stuff back home is not being taken care of right now.
We did have fun for a few weeks before the surgery. They postponed
it by 2 weeks. On the 1st trip to NY, we went to Owl’s head
in Brooklyn and Riverside in Manhattan, Then we went back to Florida,
skated Olliewood, then flew to HB, Calif. for the Soul Bowl contest that
Mike competed in. Back to FL. And back to NY, by car. When we got
back, went to FDR in Philly, Skatopia in Ohio, and Mt Trashmore in Virginia
Bch. Then Mike skated in the 3rd contest of the Deathbox series
in St Mary’s county Maryland and got 2nd that day. We planned
the trip around staying with family and friends to budget and have more
fun. It was impossible for Mike to sit and wait 2 weeks for the
surgery and not skate. We have a bunch of footage for a video up
here.
Thanks for all the prayers! They are working.
Sincerely,
Jill Gresko
..
You can email Mike at mrskateshop@aol.com
Website: mr1skateshop.net
Phone (561)252-3839
Address
Mike Rogers
37 Mews Lane
South Orange, NJ 07079
C/O Aimee Meyers
You can email me at: jill626@netscape.net
(561)346-6549