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John Milsap's Foursome	Wave of Hope Tournament an Oakdale Sunrise Rotary Success By JAGADA CHAMBERS Staff Reporter of the Oakdale (Calif.) Leader Originally published August 23, 2206 reprinted with permission of the author It’s a beautiful Saturday in June 2000. Weather as perfect as Northern Californians expect. Little to no traffic, and soft music in the CD player. Moments later, Karen Basi’s vision is blurred. The tedious navigation to pick up her 15-year-old daughter has become too difficult. Karen has to let her daughter take over the driving, and she is just thinking that she needs to catch up on some rest. “I didn’t think anything of it at first. The following morning, I knew there was something wrong,” Basi recalls. With her left side not cooperating to the simplest of requests, Basi ruled out the symptoms being from lack of rest. “Truthfully, I thought I had a stroke,” Basi said. Only it was not a stroke. It was symptoms of a disease that over 400,000 people in the United States are living with. It was the primary reason for The Wave of Hope golf tournament. It was multiple sclerosis. With the poise of a trained tiger, Basi goes over some of the details that the non-fatal disease has inflicted on her life. She doesn’t cry and never complains. Her purpose is plain and very straight forward. “My goal is to start a support group locally,” Basi said. “People have to know there is hope.” The tournament to support MS was an idea founded by Basi and her husband Randy. Randy was the president of the Oakdale Sunrise Rotary up until June of this year when he vacated the position for Don Gayaldo to take over. The Basis worked together for a little under a year in planning the golf tournament. Randy had limited success in a golf tournament he organizes for Alzheimer's some 10 years back. The Basis did not have that problem Monday. The tournament had 144 players suited up and playing at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club at noon Monday. Players from the Oakdale community and surrounding cities flocked in by the droves. Over 30 players had to be turned away because the tournament was at the limit. “Money was due on the first of August and that is when my husband hit the pavement to get the information,” Karen said. “In a few days it was completely full.” Not only did The Wave of Hope tournament max out players, the hole sponsorships proved to be lucrative for Karen’s cause as well. For one, two, or three thousand dollars, any particular business could sponsor a hole, and there was not a shortage of advertisements at the course on Monday. Karen has a focus on what to do with the abundance of financial support this tournament has raised. “So many people with MS cannot even afford the medical expenses,” Karen said. “We are going to help reach the victims of this disease in our local area.” With the assistance of Dr. Scott Goodreau, a lot of the patients with MS got a chance to put in their own wish list on ways they could use some help. “Dr. Goodreau wrote a letter to all of the neurologists in the area, which was forwarded to all the MS patients,” Karen said. “Since then, we have been getting e-mails and phone calls non-stop.” Karen has not missed her opportunity to give back to her community, as well as to all the people who share her affliction. There is only one way to battle a disease that attacks the central nervous system and has no cure. With HOPE— Help Open People’s Eyes to MS. With so much life in her eyes, smile and limbs, Karen just wants people to know about her disease. She wants people to know that yes, she does have MS, but MS does not have her. Karen credits her husband with keeping her strong. When adversity hit home, and tears were flowing like Niagara Falls, all Randy did was get down on one knee and propose to his wife. All over again. Reassuring Karen that it indeed was through sickness and in health, Randy gave her the confidence that she needed to battle this lifelong commitment. Today, she looks as good as she feels.	*Thanks to our Great sponsors!* *Hope Sponsor* Basi Insurance Services, Inc. *Strength Sponsor* Fagundes and Son, Inc. *Perseverance* *Sponsor* Jamie & Karen Looper Oak Valley Community Bank *Hole Sponsor* Snap On Tools Haley Farms Fay's Company Horizon Business Solutions Morris Engineering and Surveying, Inc. Spray and Sons Janitorial Quality Cabinet Shop Yosemite Meat Company Burnside Body Shop Cornerstone Home Loans Advanced Auto Body Modesto Collision Center Vintage Realty Rico's Italian Pizza Navigator Development Turlock Auto Plaza I Can See Clearly Now Window Service Community Lending Conlon Supply Company, Inc. Ward Promotional Marketing Solutions, Inc. R.J. Murdoch, Inc. Jady Chiakowsky, DDS Greg Avery, Inc. Hart Floral Dunker & Aced, An Accounting Corp. L&M Coors Distributing Cemex Scott Goodreau (to honor my sister) The Fruit Yard, Inc. Steve's Chevrolet Talminder Hundal, MD Arun Duggal. MD Satnam Ludder, MD Amrick & Upinder Basi, MD Prime Shine Express AvtarinderNijjar, MD *Valley Heart Associates
Cary Temple on the Green
Mark Thomas shows off his prizes
Vicki and Jon Mutoza
Mark Thomas' foursome and volunteer girls
Randy Basi and near perfect scorecard
Don Gayaldo with a post round refreshment
Donna and Will Trip relax in the Clubhouse

Click on Camera for photo gallery

Sandy Guerra and Karen Basi

Sandy Guerra and Karen Basi

A Special Note from Karen Basi

The tournament was a huge success. Usually you lose about 10% of people that go home and skip dinner, instead we had at least 80 more show up. I have been receiving phone calls from volunteers and players saying our tournament was incredible and very classy. People also said it was the most fun tournament they have ever played in. I am so pleased. Did you see the write up in the Oakdale Leader? Tears in my eyes as I read it over and over, especially the last paragraph. My husband is the best! We are so honored to have so many friends who took time out of their busy schedules to sponsor this event. WOW is right. I had a phone call from a lady living in Oakdale for the past 4 years. She was elated that I was going to start a support group locally. She has MS and was glad to talk to someone else who has it. She said she has felt so alone and can't wait to come to first The Wave of HOPE support group. I guess I will have to get started soon as I had no idea the number of people afflicted by MS who live in our surrounding area. Please forward any names and phone numbers of MS people to me so I can start a mailing list. The lovely young lady I think you are referring to who share her testimony was Sandy Duerra, Laura Ward was the other lovely lady helping with this event. She and her husband Jay Ward helped me create the brochures and stemware. They were invaluable. Thank you Oakdale Sunrise Rotary. Talk to you soon, Karen Basi