Mike Starko must have been smiling down on the Beach Grove Golf Club last Saturday night.
It was back in April when the lifetime Tsawwassen resident was tragically killed in a cycling accident doing his regular weekly ride on his hometown roads. The 57-year-old father of three was not only an avid triathlete, but gave up his time volunteering in a number of local organizations over the years.
Months later, a couple of Starko’s former South Delta Secondary classmates approached the family about doing something in his memory.
The Mike Starko Challenge was launched that saw participants begin a month-long challenge of recording km of any activity that creates trackable distances. Pledges were collected and donated to his favourite charity - Right to Play, a non-profit organization which educates and empowers children around the world to overcome adversity through the power of play.
The campaign went better than anyone expected, reflecting just how much Starko meant to so many.
Fifty-two individuals or teams participated, combining to travel nearly 9,000 kilometers and generating more than 250 donations, adding up to $28,000.
A sold out gala at Beach Grove culminated the 30-day event. With proceeds from a silent auction, another $9,000, generated, adding up to more than $37,000 being donated to Right to Play.
“I am really overwhelmed at the support we’ve received and the enthusiasm we had throughout this whole campaign. It really just feels like the perfect way to continue my dad’s legacy and on top of honouring him, we have had the opportunity to be involved and help an amazing organization,” said his daughter Emma.
“It’s also been really cool to see how many people have gotten active and had a positive change in their own personal life since this started and have really been inspired by my dad, which is really amazing to see in action. We had so many activities varying from swimming, running, biking, handstand walking, water skiing, you name it people were very creative and had some awesome outfits/challenges in the process.”
To learn more about the Mike Starko Challenge visit www.mikestarkochallenge.com.
