The Spirit Behind the Purple Monkey

FRIENDS AND FAMILY HAVE SHARED STORIES OF BENJAMIN THAT HAVE HONESTLY EXPRESSED WHAT THEY FELT FROM KNOWING HIM. WE CONSIDER ALL THE STORIES SHARED AS PRECIOUS GIFTS FROM THOSE WHO KNEW AND LOVED HIM. THERE WERE SEVERAL STORIES OF THE PURPLE MONKEY, ALIAS ?KONG? THAT INSPIRED THE NAME FOR THIS RUN. WE WANTED TO EXTEND THAT SPIRIT TO YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS FUN FUNDRAISER.

FROM JEN:
MY FAVORITE MEMORY OF BEN IS WHEN WE WENT TO THE ORANGE COUNTY FAIR.WE ATE SO MUCH FOOD THAT NIGHT; CORN, FUNNEL CAKES, BEEF STICKS, PIZZA, AND STUFFED POTATOES. HE SAID THE FAIR MADE HIM FEEL LIKE HE WAS AT HOME IN TEXAS. BEN ALWAYS LOVED PLAYING THE GAMES. HE HAD SPENT SO MUCH MONEY TRYING TO WIN THAT I FINALLY SAID, "OK BEN, NO MORE GAMES". BUT EVERY TIME I TURNED AROUND, HE WAS TALKING TO GUYS TRYING TO MAKE A DEAL. I SAID AGAIN, ?NO MORE GAMES?. WELL, AFTER THAT, I TOOK A RESTROOM BREAK. WHEN I CAME BACK, BEN HAD BOUGHT 50 RINGS TO THROW AROUND COKE BOTTLES. I JUST LAUGHED AND JOINED IN ON THE FUN. AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE HE GOT IT AROUND THE ONE THAT WON THE BIGGEST PRIZE?!? BEN WANTED THAT BIG PURPLE MONKEY. HE WALKED AROUND ALL NIGHT WITH IT ON HIS SHOULDERS ASKING RANDOM PEOPLE HOW THEY WERE DOING. WE RECEIVED VARIOUS RESPONSES, AND EACH TIME BEN REPLIED, "I'M ALRIGHT EXCEPT FOR THIS MONKEY ON MY BACK!" PEOPLE WERE CRACKING UP! I HAD THE GREATEST TIME!

FROM DZ:
AFTER THE REDLANDS GAME(WE GOT OUR BUTTS KICKED), WE'RE WITH OUR COACH GETTING THE POSTGAME LECTURE. YOU KNOW HOW IT SOUNDS: YOU GUYS SUCKED OUT THERE, YOU GOT KILLED, BUT YOU?RE BETTER THAN THAT, YOU CAN DO BETTER? AND ALL THAT STUFF. I WASN'T EVEN LISTENING. WHAT I SAW IN THE BACKGROUND WAS A GLASSY-EYED, CHEESE SMILING, FREE WILLED BEN("NOT SCARED") CARRYING THE PURPLE KONG-A FIVE FOOT STUFFED PURPLE GORILLA-ON HIS SHOULDERS. BEN IS HEADING RIGHT FOR US WITH COACH RAMBLING AND BEING ALL SERIOUS. KONG POPS HIS HEAD INTO THE HUDDLE SWAYING AROUND AND EVEN HEAD-BUTTING COACH. SOME OF THE GUYS WHO LIKE TO PUT SALT AND PEPPER ON IT, TRIED TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT FACE. NOT ME. I JUST LAUGHED. IT REMINDED ME, AS BEN ALWAYS HAD, THAT THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE. NO REGRETS, LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST, AND LIKE KONG, "DON?T BE SCARED".

CLAIRE:
BEN, YOU?RE THE FUNNIEST, HAPPIEST, MOST ENTERTAINING PERSON I KNOW AS WELL AS THE MOST SUPPORTIVE AND HELPFUL FRIEND. FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, ADVICE, HAPPINESS, AND POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE, I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL. YOUR BENIZSMS WILL MAKE ME SMILE DAILY.

FROM KRISTIN:
NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I MET ANYONE WHO LIVED EVERYDAY TO THE FULLEST. BEN COULD DO ANYTHING, BUT MOSTLY MAKE PEOPLE SMILE! BEN WAS THE KIND OF PERSON THAT 300 PEOPLE WOULD CLAIM, "HE'S MY BEST FRIEND".

JR:
AS A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE, I WAS OFTEN FILLED WITH SECOND GUESSES AND HAD A DIRE NEED TO KNOW WHO THE "REAL" PEOPLE WERE. I FOUND OUT QUICKLY THAT THOSE WHO REALLY CARED WERE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. THOSE WHO KNEW BEN FOR THE PERSON HE WAS KNEW WHAT "DON'T BE SCARED MEANT". IT TRANSLATES INTO; DO YOU LIVE? DO YOU RIDE ON OTHER PEOPLE?S MEMORIES, OR DO YOU MAKE YOUR OWN? CAN YOU BE THE "GLUE" THAT BRINGS DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE TOGETHER TO CREATE FRIENDSHIPS? DO YOU REALIZE MONEY IS USELESS COMPARED TO FRIENDSHIPS? I HOPE THIS GIVES THOSE WHO READ IT SOME INSIGHT TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DOESN?T JUST TOUCH LIVES. HE TATTOOS THEM!

GINGER:
I RECALL BEN PRESSURING US TO TAKE OFF AND MAKE IT TO THE RADISSON FOR THE GRADUATION PARTY BECAUSE "WHO KNEW WHEN WE?D ALL BE TOGETHER LIKE THIS AGAIN?" THIS MEMORY SAYS SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO CAPTIVATE ME ABOUT BEN. HIS "JOIE DE VIVRE"?HE WAS DELIGHTFUL AND HAD AN UNENDING SOURCE OF JOY WITHIN HIMSELF THAT SPILLED OVER TO EVERYONE. JUST HAVING HIM AROUND ENSURED A GOOD TIME?ALL I HAVE ARE HAPPY MEMORIES OF BEN.

SUE JEAN:
IN LIFE THERE ARE VERY FEW PEOPLE WHO LIVE SO FULLY, SO RICHLY AND SO GENEROUSLY. BEN GARCIA WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THEM. HE WAS FULL OF LIFE, FULL OF FUN, FULL OF FRIENDS, AND FULL OF LOVE. HE WAS THE MASTER OF HIS OWN LANGUAGE. EVERYTHING WAS "EEZY". BEN MADE EVERYTHING EASY. IT WAS EASY FOR HIM TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH, EASY FOR HIM TO MAKE NEW FIENDS, EASY FOR HIM TO TURN ANY SITUATION INTO A WONDERFUL TIME.

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY AN "EEZY" 1K/5K/10K WALK / RUN VICTORIA, LENNY, AND DANNY GARCIA