There are times throughout all our lives that open our eyes to what is truly important and what we cherish most. I learned this lesson as I walked into a Wal-Mart for an eye exam and left heading for the emergency room. In my mind, I went from being a perfectly healthy and "invincible" young man to facing dialysis and needing a kidney transplant. The next two years presented many challenging times. Luckily for me, I did not have to go through this alone. Many family and friends were by my side through it all. Eventually we found out that my brother was a perfect match! Without any hesitation, Justin stepped up and donated his kidney. Without Justin's unselfishness and heroism, I would not be here today.

The one thing that got me through all of this is simply family and friends.

We spent nine days in the hospital finding out what was going on with my health. In a strange way, the time spent in the hospital was wonderful. It was a chance to share stories and great memories with family and friends. It was an opportunity to reminisce about old times and look forward to what I wanted to accomplish with the rest of my life. This experience has confirmed what is most important and what I cherish most. I am so lucky to have the people around me that I do. I am also fortunate to have the memories and stories that I can share.

What we set out to do, with your help, is provide this experience to those who may be less fortunate. The Hacker partnered with Make-A-Wish for the 1st Hacker in 2014 and made its first donation just 2 weeks prior to our transplant. Since then, the Hacker Classic has raised $200,000 and been able to grant roughly 19 wishes for children facing life threatening medical challenges. Our hope is that this experience will help kids in our local community realize what is most important and maintain a positive attitude throughout whatever adversity they are facing.

Due to all of the support for the Hacker over the years, our committee has now started a second event aimed to provide two scholarships annually. These scholarships will be awarded to local students that have faced a medical challenge themselves or helped someone preserve through their medical adversity. The 1st Fairway Frenzy will be held on Feb. 22nd at the Avalon Grand Resort!

Thank you for all of your support of the Hacker over the years, and we look forward to seeing you at the Frenzy!