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Dear Friends & Family,
As some of you know, my aunt and godmother Dianne Kalal was a quadriplegic for the last 30 years of her life, the result of a broken neck sustained in a car crash when she was 22 years old. Dianne had an indomitable spirit and the warmest heart. After her accident, she moved to Tucson, Arizona, to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Arizona in rehabilitation counseling. Dianne began working at St. Mary’s Hospital nearby when she graduated in 1982, helping others down paths similar to the one she had taken just a few years before.
Dianne lived by herself in Tucson for the rest of her life, save for a cohort of service “underdogs”: strays she would rescue from the shelter and often nurse back to health, only for them to invariably flunk out of the training academy for bad behavior. With time and lots of hard work, Dianne regained some use of her right hand, allowing her to write, grasp a fork, and rescue the bees that would fall into her dogs’ bowls. An exceedingly long straw allowed her to enjoy water with lemon and the occasional margarita.
I only ever knew Auntie Di in her electric wheelchair, which served as the perfect tow for a small boy on a skateboard. I have her to thank for exposing me to Lord of the Rings (I still have her copies) and Queen, and for taking my side when we would talk politics with my grandfather. But as I get older, these things recede as I’m more able to appreciate the quiet courage and resilience Auntie Di showed in the face of life-changing adversity. Not once did I hear her complain, despair, or utter an unkind word. Instead, she devoted herself to helping others, no matter the species, no matter how badly behaved.
The Dianne Kalal Scholarship Endowment
After my aunt died in 2007, my grandparents set up a scholarship in her name at the University of Arizona, administered by the Disability Resource Center and awarded each year to a physically disabled student. In honor of Dianne, and to help others benefit from a U of A education as she did, I’m using my participation in the Montauk Mightyman triathlon this fall to raise funds for the scholarship. If you don’t join me in the 70.3 miles of racing, I hope you’ll join me in supporting this good cause. I’ve already reached one-third of my fundraising goal of $10,545, or $150 for each mile of racing. Any donation you make now will be matched 1:1 up until this goal is achieved.
Thank you in advance for your generosity,
Peter
