Run for Sight 2021 - TEAM SANTI

Friday, July 30, 2021 in United States

"Close to 17 years ago, Santi and I were sharing a hospital room with a mom and her daughter. I can’t remember the specifics about why we were there, nor is that really important. However, what I do remember is having time to connect with this beautiful mother-daughter duo and sharing our stories into the early morning hours. She made me promise that I would contact the Delta Gamma Center.

Our first visit to the Delta Gamma Center was with Jo Russel Brown in 2004. She shed light and vision into our lives. She gave us hope that our Santi could see and that we could teach him to use his vision. I will never forget the very first time he tracked light in a very dark closet! I will never forget the very first time he reached for an object! These moments of triumph are treasured. Santi taught us how to present the world to him. Likewise, Jo taught us how to educate others in presenting the world to him. This was a milestone in our perspective of having a son with visual impairment. I like to compare these moments with seeing your child take the very first tiny step to walk. You want to record it and share it with everyone and encourage them to keep taking that step forward.

Our first Run For Sight included our family of four. I couldn’t record Santi’s first time seeing an object. But, I certainly could share our joy and story with our community, friends, and family. I did this in the form of a letter asking for support for the Delta Gamma Center’s Run for Sight. To my surprise, we received a lot of love on behalf of Santi and the DGC. There were hundreds of families at the Run For Sight. It was amazing to see other families just like us! We decided to stay for the awards afterwards. Sure enough, our names were called because we had won for family fundraising for DGC. At that time, my older son, Lucas, was 2.5 years old running around and having a great time and Santi was not even a year old.

Our family’s promise, on behalf of Santi, was to support the Run For Sight every year. We wanted to help DGC as much as we could. We have fun supporting the DGC and including family and friends and our community along our journey. Our letter to gain support in 2004 has evolved into themed community fundraisers on behalf of Team Santi. Our matching colored shirts have evolved into friends sporting the TEAM SANTI custom rainbow shirt and participating in the run or walk each year, our sponsors have grown and typically wait for us to contact them about the Run For Sight. Our older son, Lucas, serves a role in volunteering at most of the events and recruiting young volunteers to help.

This year the Delta Gamma Center has asked our family to be the honorary chair. We are incredibly humbled and honored and proud to help support this amazing Center."



For the love of sight,
The Icaza Family

Connect with others about this event and see who's going!

Contributors on Behalf of TEAM SANTI

Donors

  1. $2,000.00 from Anonymous - Make a Donation
  2. $500.00 from Donna and John Carruthers - Make a Donation
  3. $500.00 from Terrie Desloge - Make a Donation
  4. $500.00 from Anonymous - Make a Donation
  5. $240.00 from Eric and Vicky Lohse - Make a Donation
  6. $200.00 from Amy Barondeau - Make a Donation
  7. $100.00 from Nancy Grossnickle - Make a Donation
  8. $100.00 from Lya Icaza - Make a Donation
  9. $100.00 from Chrissie Kaplan - Make a Donation
  10. $100.00 from Morgan Fannon - Make a Donation
  11. $100.00 from Amy Slone - Make a Donation
  12. $50.00 from Deanna Maysey - Make a Donation
  13. $50.00 from Elise Bjorkman - Make a Donation
  14. $50.00 from Peggy Boes - Make a Donation
  15. $50.00 from Adam Embick - Make a Donation
  16. $50.00 from G Icaza Hunt - Make a Donation
  17. $135.00 from Jodi Tvrdik - Make a Donation
Donors total: $4,825.00

Event Participants

  1. $135.00 from Chrissie Kaplan - Virtual Events
  2. $135.00 from Jovita Oruwari - In Person Events
  3. $130.00 from Angela Sprowls - In Person Events
  4. $60.00 from Tony Lucca - Virtual Events
  5. $35.00 from Amy Barondeau - In Person Events
  6. $35.00 from Olga Serrano - Virtual Events
  7. $35.00 from Anne Davis - Virtual Events
  8. $125.00 from Lucas Icaza, Michelle Icaza, Orlando Icaza, Santi Icaza - In Person Events
  9. $105.00 from Charlize Ponder, Jack Ponder, Antonia Ponder - In Person Events
  10. $35.00 from Pamela Lomeli - Virtual Events
  11. $90.00 from Emma Icaza, Elyssa Icaza, Bernabe Icaza, Jeannette Icaza - In Person Events
  12. $30.00 from Vicky Lohse - Virtual Events
  13. $30.00 from Eric Lohse - Virtual Events
  14. $75.00 from Stephanie Eton, Mitch Eton, August Fullerton - In Person Events
Event Participants total: $1,055.00

progress
TEAM SANTI has raised $5,880.00.
TEAM SANTI has a goal of raising $2,000.00.

progress: 294.00%