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A PLEA FOR HELP - RIDER DOWN

2K views 0 replies 1 participant last post by  GlamisGurlie 
#1 ·
The following story and plea comes from Class 12 racer Chuck Sacks and involves someone who loves the sport of Off Road Racing and is fighting for his life and needs our help. We encourage everyone to help out at what ever level that you can. Your contributions are important and there will be a follow up event on his and his family’s behalf.

“Rider Down” is the phrase that comes to mind when tragedy strikes.

Darin Hayes has a life time of athletic accomplishments. A competitive Water Skier since he was a young boy with many Regional and National Titles. Also a speed skier and Catalina Ski Race competitor.

Darin is a family man with wife Julie and daughters Jenna, Jessica and Dalton. Known amongst there friends as the “Hayes Harem.”

An active motorcycle enthusiast most of his life, Darin and good friend Alan Baron were first introduced to the sport of off road racing at the primer of Dust To Glory in Temecula, Ca. last Fall. That’s all it took for them to realize there next passion. They were going to be involved in the SCORE Off Road racing season of 06.

The San Felipe 250 was to be the first race, with plans to race the 500 and than the Big Daddy of them all the Baja 1000. They did everything right. Entered the draw, had there bike professionally prepped, signed up with Honda Pit Support and went pre running a couple weeks before the race.

Pumped up as you can imagine Darin left for the starting line at 5:00am Saturday morning sporting number 401x. He was the fourth bike to leave the line that morning. The flag dropped and away he went, through the gears and through the dump holding it wide open as he approached the long section of whoops. Unfortunately it was over as quickly as it began. Only 100 yards into the 30 mile stretch of whoops he was pitched over the bars and sent head first it the next whoop. As he lied there conscious he was unable to move, his body was numbed from the fall and soon realized that he had no feeling in his legs. The next bike was approaching as he lay there the spectator’s crowded him and than drug him and his bike off to the side of the course. At that moment the crowd scattered as the next rider came through out of control and fell too, his bike ran over the top of Darin’s body.

The SCORE helicopter was nearby and came to his immediate aid. There was no doubt that he was in trouble. In a matter of minutes they had him on his way to the States so he could receive the care he needed.

Darin was transported to UCSD Medical Center where he underwent spinal surgery. They discovered his C-6 vertebrae was displaced and lodged into his spinal cord along with other injuries to his lower spine, broken left wrist and fractured hip. Upon reviewing the damage to C-6 the prognosis wasn’t very good. The doctors are giving him a 20% chance of regaining the use of his legs and ever walking again.

On a personal note I know what a great competitor and athlete Darin is and I believe he will beat the odds and over come this tragedy.

Please help our fallen rider recover so that he may race another day!

We have set up the Darin Hayes Recovery Foundation Trust Fund to raise money and help his family, help him get back on his feet.

Please make checks payable to the following, cards may go to the same address:

Giardinelli, Duke & Simmons Trust Account
18171 Collier Ave.
Lake Elsinore, Ca. 92530

Add Darin Hayes to the memo line

Respectfully and Sincerely,

Chuck Sacks (Score Lite)
 
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