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From Charlie's friend, Joe:
Charlie Stockley passed away from complications of Cystic Fibrosis and subsequent lack of a timely organ donorship on the night of December 24th, 2006. We fervently believe that Charlie's courageous battle with Cystic Fibrosis has inspired countless people to register as the organ donors that someday might save the lives of others in his situation. Although Charlie didn't receive the lungs he so desperately needed, we know he would be happy if only one person was helped by his struggle. Charlie's family wishes to express their most sincere gratitude for the love, prayers and support that sustained them during their difficult ordeal and demonstrated how many lives were touched by this remarkable man. Please honor Charlie's memory either by registering as an organ donor or making a contribution to any chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
see these and more charlie photos
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| CHARLIE In Memoriam - More UPCOMING Events and Happenings | |||||||||
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Charlie's mom, Allison Stockley, will be talking about Charlie briefly in the upcoming documentary "The Power of Two" due for release sometime in 2011!
A note from Anabel Stenzel to Allison:
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| CHARLIE In Memoriam - PAST Events and Happenings | |||||||||
What a beautiful day, such a special group of friends and family of Charlie and of each other. The Charlie-shirted pack strolled from the East end of Crissy Field down to the "Hopper's Hands" at Fort Point and back. Quite a walk! We were famished on our return! We had a blast talking and catching up. We mingled and walked with lots of happy tourists and locals - and doggies! - enjoying our spectacular city and view. The waters of Fort Point were teeming with surfers which we could have watched for hours. It's hard to believe it's been five years since we've seen Charlie with our own eyes and hugged him in the flesh and talked with him in person.. but he's always in our hearts and here in spirit. Always and forever. Great Strides ARE being made towards a cure for Cystic Fibrosis but much more still needs to be done. Please support and/or continue to support this incredibly important cause by signing up to be an organ donor and coming out for these wonderful fundraising events. You can find lots more information here, too.
Click HERE for pictures from this year's event! It's on Shutterfly and there's an area to sign in/up but you don't have to, just click on the "view album" button.
Hope to see everyone next year! A sweet story from Joe Lee, Charlie's best childhood friend: 19 Mile Trail Run Success! Lake Chabot 17.1 Mile Trail Run, November 6th, 2010 Success!!! I finished my first trail run race! 17.1 miles, 1840 feet of climbing. Not only did I finish the race, I went sub 3 hours with an official time of 2:51:32 (10:02/mile). Needless to say, I am both surprised and very happy with my performance yesterday. Thanks to everyone that sent me the good vibes and wishes. They worked! The results are already out! Wow, I came in 9th out of 24! I have attached a picture of my finish, to prove I actually did it! I am tired today, as expected... As I mentioned to many of you, I was quite nervous about this event. The longest footrace I had done before this event was 13 miles. That is 13 road miles, not trail miles. Trail running is a different beast. Similar to the difference between road cycling and mountain biking. The training runs I did for this event were rough. The knee strain injury I received while in the Cinque Terra was causing me pain. Climbing was difficult, descending was even harder . My pace was between 12 and 13 minutes per mile. So I figured I would set 3:15:00 as my goal for the 17 mile trail run. The weather forecasts for the race varied, so I prepared myself mentally for the possibility of running the event in the rain. 07:00, Saturday November 6. I pull into the parking lot of the Lake Chabot marina. It is still quite dark but more importantly, it is dry! The people at the tent are using flashlights to check people in. As the sky brightens up, a relatively small group of people gather near the starting line. There are four different distances being offered at the event, 5, 9, 17 and 26 (marathon) mile races. There are 24 people in the 17 mile race I am competing in. The clock strikes 08:00, the gun sounds and we are off. It is overcast and in the mid 50's. Perfect running weather. I tuck myself behind someone running a bit slower than I want. This is strategic as I tend to start races too fast. Today it is especially important to pace myself as this will be the longest run of my life! At the 2 mile mark we hit longest and steepest hill of the race. I set a pace for the hill and clean it while passing a few people in the process. The first aide station was just after the hill @ 3.1 miles. I top off the two water bottles I am carrying and continue on. This is the time to really settle into the run. During this stretch I encounter first set of short descents. These
descents are what I am the most concerned about because of my knee.
When I train I usually do what I call the "knee preservation stride"
when I'm going downhill. The idea is to minimize the impact on my knees
by taking short, very controlled strides while keeping my speed low..
Unfortunately this technique is slow and may possibly be contributing
to my knee/IT band pain. So I did something that one should not do....
try something new on race day. Content with my new downhill stride technique I was really able to get into the zone. Trail running can be very peaceful. There were times that I could see no one else around me. In and out of the trees, sun peeking out from between the fingers of fog now and then. In the distance another runner appears. I increase my pace a bit to start closing the gap. Small grassroots running events like these are great! The 2nd aide station is at the 8 mile mark. I refill my bottles and set off. The aide station volunteer tells me to make sure to take a right around the outhouse. Unfortunately, he didn't mention that I had to take an immediate left just after passing the outhouse! So I headed off in the wrong direction, doh! Even worse, two of the marathon runners followed me. After a short while we started questioning if we were going in the correct direction. A trail marker showed we were on the right trail but what about the direction? I had a map with me so the three of checked out the map and decided to go back. When it was all said and done, the marathoner's gps said that we had gone two miles out of our way. I felt bad and apologized to the marathoners for leading them astray. They both were very cool about it. As one of the marathoners told me, "trail runners are pretty chill". Long distance running is all about managing one's body and one's mind. After the "detour" I found myself a bit disappointed because my hope for finishing in sub 3:15:00 was probably dashed. My mind then switched to my friend Charlie who died of cystic fibrosis a few years ago (the orange shirt I wear during races is my "Team Charlie" shirt). I thought to myself, hey, Charlie was kind of a joker. Charlie, was that you that tricked me into the extra 2 miles? With a laugh and a burst of newfound energy I started up my favorite part of the trail, single track! Parts of the single track section were steep. I actually had to slow to a walk for a couple of the really steep sections. I was greeted by some fog at the top of the ridge. Some fog, some clouds, some sun... still, perfect running weather. Around the 12.5 mile aide station (14.5 miles for me!) I caught up with several other 17 mile runners. This inspired me to push even harder for the last five miles. I wanted to at least finish in the middle of the pack. Soon I was flying down the hills. I had no idea how far I had gone or how far I had to go (runner's brain). I just kept pushing. Then I rounded a corner and saw the flags from the marina in the distance. I can see the finish, I've been out for ~2:45. I can make sub 3 hours! I tried to push even harder but the body started really pushing back. I was very tired. Keep pushing Joe, you can do it. My running form was falling apart but I kept going. I round the last bend and see the finishing chute. The most beautiful sight ever. I muster up the last bit of energy I have and attempt the best sprint I could across the line. 2 hours, 51 minutes, 32 seconds. I did it. Sub 3 hours! (10:02 / mile). Ah but wait, I actually did an extra 2 miles and some extra climbing. So unofficially that is 19 miles in 171.5 minutes: 9:01 / mile pace! Probably around 2000 feet of climbing total. Yes - Success!! The sun broke through soon after I crossed the finish. I hung out at the finish, eating soup, and cheering on runners as the came in. Another advantage of the nice weather is that more people hung out after the race. I got a chance to talk to experienced trail runners and the race organizers. The consensus was that my new "heel strike" downhill technique was not a good one. They described a good downhill running technique to be kind of like snowboarding. I'll have to look more into this. I hung around long enough to cheer on the two marathoners that I had "led astray" as they crossed the finish line. What an awesome experience. I will be competing in more trail runs. I may be hooked. Thanks Costal Trail Runs! Today, Sunday November 7, it is raining hard. Had the race been today it would have been a very different experience, especially because I would not have been able to bomb down the hills like I did. I also would not have hung out at the finish which for me was another fun part of the event. I'm still tired, though I'm still smiling. I'll be recovering from this event for a while. Cheers,
From Joe: "Please allow me to update you on all the fun runs that Charlie, Molly and I have done together this year: Jan 31, 2010 - Key West Half Marathon Sunday, October 3rd, 2010 ~ San Jose Rock & Roll Half Marathon What a great time had by all. Stay tuned for photos! A whopping 14 people ran in the orange Charlie shirts, Lisa Stanford carrying a pair of Charlie's drumsticks as always. Very very sweet, keeping Charlie's spirit alive and continuing to raise awareness for organ donation and Cystic Fibrosis. From Lisa Stanford: "Congratulations to Team Charlie! We took second place in the Get Fit Challenge. We had a couple of last minute add ons on race day, Brenna, Ashley and Patrick, but they were not official. Hopefully next year we can get everyone on board and do it again! Great race everyone! The Beat goes on!!! Lisa" Saturday, May 1, 2010 Fourth Annual CHARLIE REUNION at the Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides, Crissy Field, San Francisco
see here for more photos! Please also view The Power of Two documentary team's blog about their time filming at this Great Strides event. Amazing! From Marc Smolowitz, director of the film. Sunday, October 4th, 2009 San Jose Rock and Roll Half Marathon.
From Allison Stockley: and From Joe: Sunday, May 2, 2009 Third Annual Charlie Stockley Memorial Walk at Crissy Field (walk to
Golden Gate Bridge and back, about 2 miles) This is not a fundraiser (memorial donation has already been made for the entire Charlie Team). We just want to see you all, walk with your friends and have a great lunch at Crissy Field. Questions? Call Allison, 925-443-4510, or Kelly, Charlie's sister, 925-443-9319. Love to all of you wonderful people who have been so supportive and caring. The beat certainly does go on...and on...and on... Remember, if you haven't already, please become an organ donor (www.donatelife.net) and raise money for Cystic Fibrosis, www.cff.org (note, Allison Stockley, Charlie's mother, will be made aware of all donations to CFF in honor of Charlie Stockley). If you have any plans and/or ideas for future charlie/organ donor awareness/CF awareness events, GO FOR IT... TAKE IT UP A NOTCH!... and we'll post about it here so we keep it going.
October 5, 2008 The annual San Jose Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon was a great success! More info and photos to come. "It was a pleasure to run for Team Charlie. I enjoyed being a
part of it and look forward to doing it again next year!" " Hey Team Charlie Members, Great job everyone! It was great
to see the orange and navy out there for a second year in a row!! I
know Allison was pleased to see everyone sporting their shirts remembering
her terrific son! I will let you all know as soon as I hear if we won
any of the Get Fit awards. Keep your fingers crossed! The beat goes
on....." "Hi Capt. Lisa and Team Charlie members, Congratulations from Organs 'R' Us and thanks for supporting Charlie, Allison and 98,000 Americans waiting for organ donors. Your efforts increase awareness about the need for donors and will save a life. Wishing you good health, The Organs 'R' Us Gang" May 3, 2008 TEAM CHARLIE at the Great
Strides walk at Crissy Field in San Francisco!
From Greg Rosenberg, Director of Event for Great Strides: Hello Great Strides Team Leaders - October 14, 2007 TEAM CHARLIE at the San Jose Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon (www.rnrsj.com) Thank you so much for your participation, encouragement, thoughts, support and inspiration. Thanks to all of you, all of us, thanks to Charlie for moving us in countless ways. It's exciting to think about the next event. What's next?!
Words of Gratitude and Love I have started this letter several times and not been able to find words to express the deep gratitude of Charlie's family, soulmate Margie and friends to all of you who have kept his beat going on and on with your support and love, sharing of your energy and partipation in "Charlie events," such as the half marathon on Oct. 14th, the Organs R Us Relay and the CF Great Strides walk in May. Every time I see any of you, I see a part of Charlie. Each one of you carries your own special memories of Charlie in your heart Your continuing love for him, as he always loved you, has certainly made my life more livable. Days are still not not easy now, and I realize that it will not get better...unless he walks into my living room and says, "Hi Mom I'm here to pick up Murphy-lu and goes home with his wife Margie." But I am working hard to learn to deal with it better, and we are all being comforted and uplifted by your friendship and your kindnesses to us since our unfathomable loss. So I will just say thank you, Charlie people. Charlie's family, including Margie, and friends thank you. And I know that Charlie is basking in the sunlight of your love and compassion for his family and for him. You are all my heroes. Every time I see any of you, the burden is a little bit lighter, the day is a little better, and life is a little easier. And we are very, very thankful for you. All of you. Love, * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * From Isabel Stenzel Byrnes Thank you Lisa, for organizing this, and for Allison and Kelly for their courage to remember Charlie in this way. I was so inspired by all the love and care Charlie has now and in the past! You are all a reflection of the great man he was, and a true testimony that Charlie was who he was because of friends like you. Thank you for inspiring me, emotionally and spiritually, to push myself physically across the finish line. It was especially meaningful for me to find Renee, run alongside her, chat, and feel Charlie closer than ever. That was so uplifting, to hold hands and cross the finish line in only 2 hrs 41 minutes! My best time ever. Each time I got tired, I breathed deeply and thought of my lung donor and of Charlie, which kept me going. Each time I felt tired and saw a rock band, I felt the beat, thought of how 'the beat goes on', and I kept on. What a celebration of life this is. Although I still wonder why I can do this and Charlie never got this chance, I have learned to accept that we each have our own story. Charlie's story continues even after his physical body is gone. I am probably the only person on the team who used my CF medical supplies to pop my blisters:)...eeeewwwww. Charlie would do that but not tell anyone. Haha! May 5th, 2007 TEAM CHARLIE at the Great Strides walk at Crissy Field in San Francisco! It was a gorgeous day at Chrissie Field in San Francisco when Charlie fans got together to walk or run for Charlie & remember our fabulous friend/brother/son, raise awareness and funds for Cystic Fibrosis, and encourage organ donorship. The event was Great Strides, and it's the largest event for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Over $6K was raised in Charlie's name! A special Thanks to Electronic Arts for it's considerable contribution. To find out about future Great Strides events, go to www.cff.org/Great_Strides. Here are some photos from the event:
Click here to see even more photos of the Great Strides event! May 6th, 2007
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| CHARLIE In Memoriam - ONGOING Events and Happenings | |||||||||
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Submit your photo today for Bob Bendz' project of love and hope: "..the love for my daughter Maggie-Faye who was born with Cystic Fibrosis, and the hope that a cure for Cystic Fibrosis will be found in her lifetime. With photography being a passion of mine, it seemed appropriate that this be the medium in which I contribute to awareness of Cystic Fibrosis, and donations to Cystic Fibrosis Research, Inc. (CFRI). Located in Mountain View, California, CFRI exists to fund research, to provide educational and personal support, and to spread awareness of Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease. The goal is to collect photographs of 6500 people: sixty-five different categories, 100 people per category. Categories include: Brothers, Sisters, Families, Friends, Sports Fans, Artists, etc. Each image will represent a thoughtful donation given by people who also want to see a cure for this life-threatening disease that affects 25,000 to 30,000 people in the United States. Below is my inspiration behind photographing 6,500 roses together with the people who care..." Charlie's family has submitted photos for this project and encourage you to, too!
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a poem written
by a dear friend of Charlie's on Christmas morning, 2006:
I watch the rain fall out my window, A note from Margie, Charlie's fiance, December 20th, 2006: "This love story began when the moon, stars and planets all aligned in perfect formation for the two of us to meet. Our spirits soared, our eyes connected, and our hearts filled with love. When you meet the love of your life, you are grateful for each moment, but want the moments forever. This is a connection made once in a lifetime - please help us get the forever."
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contact: info@charliestockley.com