As many of you probably know, Kelly Kai is facing one of his biggest challenges right now...On Thursday, January 24, He suffered extensive injuries during a training run of the Hole Shoot Tour at Copper Mountain and was airlifted to St. Anthony's in Denver where he is being treated for a broken right femur, dislocated and fractured left hip, and broken back. The biggest concern right now is foot drop and lack of motor movement in left foot. As one of his nurses who is also a skier told him, "you will be skiing next year!!" If full recovery comes from ATTITUDE, then Kelly Kai will turn this challenge into a blessing and yet another accomplishment and WILL BE LIVING HIS DREAM AND THEN SOME!!
As I could certainly fill up this page with all that Kelly Kai has accomplished and the lives of the youth of Big Bear he has influenced, here is just a re-cap of the past 13 years:
KK has raced for Snow Summit Race Team since he was in the second grade and in that time was a Junior Olympian for five years; he returned to BigBear this winter break as a coach. He is currently on the WSCU mountain sports team and was competing for the university when the accident happened.
Kelly Kai also played four years for BBHS football team, winning the Scholar Athlete Award with the highest GPA of 3.8 on the varsity football team his senior year. Kelly Kai was also recognized with many other scholarships including the Realtor's of big Bear, Snow Summit, Big bear Trail Riders, as well as the Bear Valley Education Association scholarship. Kelly Kai is attending WSCU on an academic scholarship and plans on completing this semester!!!He has spent his summers working at North Shore Marina in Big Bear Lake.

Tracy is at his side and will be for some time as his recovery and rehabilitation will take time, energy and a whole lot of patience and love ♥ Tracy is well-known and WELL-LOVED as a teacher AND FRIEND at Big Bear Middle School for 15 years where she has also coached so many of our Big Bear kids in cross country for the past ten years.As a single parent who has raised two extraordinary kids-Cassidy who is studying abroad this semester at University of Cape Town, Africa and Kelly Kai,
"I Can't" and "I don't know" and "I don't care" are not words that are used by this extraordinary family! If there has been a need in big bear, Tracy has been a dedicated friend and constant source of love and strength.

In an attempt to PAY IT FORWARD, there are financial concerns and challenges for the Tokunagas that we, TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND A FAMILY, can relieve...


Perhaps I shall attempt to set up a PAYPAL account, but for now please contact us by phone or text if you can contribute even ten dollars. As those of us from Big Bear know, the IT TAKES A VILLAGE concept has forever changed the lives and destinies by how we can come together in LOVE and simply CARE...

Thank you for your time and good thoughts and PLEASE SHARE THIS ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE! (I swear, Tracy has friends all over the world!!!)