Page 79 - HCPVitalityChronicles

Grant Uba, MD, Brings Together Community to Walk and Raise

Awareness for Local Boys and Girls Club

Grant Uba, MD, HCP Spring Street, with 60 patients, friends, Naples. “I am proud that more than half of the participants
family and fellow board members of the Boys and Girls Club were my patients,” Dr. Uba said. Although the pouring rain
of Long Beach, sported raincoats and umbrellas on January deterred a number of patients, the fact that there was still a
11, 2015, at a walk for the non- good turnout was heartwarming.
profit organization that Dr. Uba has
supported for many years. “One of my patients pushed his
grandson in a stroller, despite just
“This was the fourth fundraising having had surgery to remove his
walk I have organized for the Boys appendix and gallstones the week
and Girls Club of Long Beach, but before. He was determined to
one of the most come, to express his support for me
rewarding,” Dr. Uba said. “It al- and for the healthcare he had re-
lowed me to demonstrate to my pa- ceived,” Dr. Uba said.
tients that I had fully recovered
from the hip resurfacing surgery HCP Spring Street office teammates
that I had in March, and to walk Shelley Eclarino, Care Team Mem-
alongside my patients and experi- ber 2, and Karen Allsup, MD, also
ence the joy that comes from giv- participated in the event.
ing.”
Walkers this year received t-shirts
Four years ago, Dr. Uba set out on and enjoyed a taco lunch at the
his first 50-mile, one-day journey to home of Barbie Barker, Boys and
raise funds for the Boys and Girls Girls Club Board President. One of
Club. Several patients and his col- Dr. Uba’s patients donated cases of
league Dr. Marvin Zamost joined water with custom 2015 BOARD
him for stretches along the coastal WALK labels. The walk was a family
journey from San Onofre State Dr. Grant Uba and his wife Debbie. affair—Dr. Uba’s son and daughter
Beach to the Long Beach Aquarium. raffled off Boys and Girls Club hats,
“It began in the dark at 4 a.m., with just my son, and ended sweatshirts, t-shirts and fleece jackets, as well as gift cards
at 6:30 p.m. with 35 tired walkers,” Dr. Uba recalled. That donated by patients and the Ubas. His wife Debbie also
event raised more than $13,000 for the organization. Since joined the walk and was soaked while setting up pop-up
then, Dr. Uba has organized annual shorter group walks tents to shield walkers from the rain during their lunch stop.
around the Naples Islands of Long Beach, raising $6,000 to
$8,000 each year. Patients who did not attend still sent in donations to the
Boys and Girls Club—to date, $8,500 was raised in all.
This year, the walk was a 2.5-mile circuit along the canals of Continued on next page