Our friend and teammate Mike “Skid” Aquino needs a kidney transplant. He is currently in the hospital due to kidney failure, likely a complication of his diabetes. If you have Type O blood, please consider being a live donor.

Currently, the wait time for a donor is 3-6 years, depending on blood type. Until a compatible donor is found, Skid will need to undergo dialysis three times a week.

This from the UCSF website: “Most kidneys for transplant are from people who have died and whose families give permission for organ donation. However, there are not enough of these organs for everyone who needs one. Nationally, more than 70,000 patients are on the kidney transplant waiting list, and more are added each year. Because of the organ shortage, living donor kidney transplants are an important option. They’re possible because we’re born with two kidneys. When surgeons remove one of the donor’s kidneys, the remaining kidney grows slightly to compensate for the loss of the other and the kidney can function normally.”

Who pays for expenses?
Expenses, including the required testing to see if you are a good match, will be paid by Skid’s insurance.

What is it like to donate a kidney?
Another member of our team donated a kidney to a friend. If you have questions about what the experience is like, we’ll put you in touch with Seth.

You can also help by putting the word out. We’ll post updates here. Contact us with questions at info@desertdingo.com

Updated: Robert is fine. He called this morning. His house is surrounded by strawberry fields. He helped a neighbor evacuate and the two of them had fire on both sides when they were leaving the house.

Richard and I took 1101 to Watsonville yesterday to take part in a diabetes health fair put on by the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust at the farmer’s market in downtown Watsonville. We talked with a lot of great people, gave away loads of crayons and hero cards (and donated the rest to the Diabetes Health Center) and ate some great food.

On the way over, I skirted the edge of the Trabing Fire, set intentionally or unintentionally by some motorist on Highway 1. The fire blew smoke over Watsonville and dropped ash in the plaza. I’ll be calling Robert with 1110, who I spoke with briefly and who said the fire was near his place. We’re hoping for the best.

Here’s a shot of one of the many kids who spent time in the car.

We’re taking 1101 to Watsonville tomorrow to be part of a diabetes health fair sponsored by the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust. We’ll have some of the World Diabetes Day crayons to give out and hero cards, naturally.

The Diabetes Fair will be part of the Watsonville farmer’s market on the plaza in downtown. We’ll be on site from 3-7 p.m. If you’re in the area, drop by and say “howdy”.

Ruth with CPMG sent me a link to her Flickr photo set shot as we were setting everything up for the June 8 public event with the International Diabetes Federation at The Cannery on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf.

You can check out the shots here. Lane and Mitch, who were shooting for the IDF, should have some shots online shortly.

More news to come…

I picked up the hero cards that Roxanne designed from Business With Pleasure today and the response has been great. Pretty much the first thing everyone says is “Coooooooool.” Then I get to say “As a matter of fact, I am a race car driver.”

We’ve got 5,000 and will be autographing them this Sunday at the International Diabetes Federation public event at The Cannery on Fisherman’s Wharf from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you’re in the area, come on by.

Check out the PDF version of the back of the card.

What can I say? Jeff Luhn rocked it. If you saw the video, you can appreciate the time he put in to get this shot. We’ll be printing 5,000 copies on hero cards that will have the warning signs of diabetes on the back.

And check out these bad asses.

Thank you very much Jeff.

P.S. Click on either image for larger versions.

We did the photo shoot today. Like any photo shoot, you need a lot of stuff.

First, you need a car.

Second, you need talent. That would be Charlie.

You need “below the line people” like Skid and Shawn, who showed up fashionably late on Saturday after I already had 2.5 wheels bolted on the car. They did however, cinch 1101 onto Skid’s trailer for the trip to Felton, so that’s cool. Shawn did fix the muffler and Skid did something that made a lot of noise that probably perturbed the neighbors, however.

Then you need the guy who can pretty much do anything, like “Hey, this tow bar won’t fit. How can we get the car up to the airport?” And he says “My Sawz-All will take care of that.” That would be Richard.

Then, when you’re on site, there’s everyone who makes it happen. Jeff Luhn, Brooks Institute photographer, Max Davis, who created our brand identity, Roxanne, who handled catering (in the video). Rich and Elvon Hoogner who gave us access to the runway. And Larry, of Larry Electric, who’s the guy you want in your corner who pretty much can do anything when all you need to do is ask. (He’s in the video). Larry provided the boom truck.

Here’s a video of the morning.

Max Davis, who’s designed for Nike, Intel, Eli Thomas and the SF 49ers, among others, contacted us to offer his services. His father has Type 2 diabetes and when he heard about us, he dropped me a note. (I’m partial to the World Diabetes Day blue circle logos integrated into the wheels). We’re already investigating t-shirts. Max has also helped me put together a sponsorship proposal and is coming out to the photo shoot this Sunday.

Everything’s coming together and I should have news on an event in San Francisco on June 8 pretty quickly.

Scott is a freelance mechanical engineer, prototype machinist and fabricator. Primarily employed in the design of medical devices, motorcycles have been a lifelong hobby. He’s built two bikes of his own design and maintains a stable of about 10 others. He cannot be left unsupervised with anything mechanical, lest he take it apart and put it back together. Forty years of wrenching, 30 years racing dirt bikes and 20 years racing GP road race machines have addled his mind sufficiently for the Baja event to look appealing.

Scott is a mechanic and driver for the team.

Cary McHugh” Owner, driver, fabricator, self-described “Big Dog”
Cary’s love of motorized sports was born early. From trikes and boyhood dreams of the races to years as a weekend mechanic with World Speed Motor Sports, a Formula Mazda Pro Series team, Cary’s race career has careened forward at breakneck speed. Now that rent is paid, he’s willing to blow some beer money on this race car and call it “a dream come true.”

“Joining this team gives me an excuse to buy more tools,” he was recently heard saying.

Cary, aka Big Dog, is responsible for wielding the largest hammer and pounding on metal to call attention to himself.