2024 Recipients

Kyong Yuk

Kyong Yuk is a dedicated single mother and business owner. She has three children: Monica, who is 28 and lives in Seattle, Kenneth, who is 26 and a soon to be University of Michigan graduate, and Daniela, who is a freshman at Plymouth High School as well as a member of the swim and dive team. Kyong actively participates in Daniela’s swim career and is always finding ways to treat her team to donuts or other goodies. Kyong balances her family alongside owning her own business, Martinizing Dry Cleaning in Ypsilanti, where she has worked tirelessly seven days per week for over 20 years.

On April 20th, 2023, Kyong went to the hospital to have a colonoscopy and an upper G.I. test done. Shortly after, her doctors called her to tell her that she had been diagnosed with stomach cancer. Kyong bravely underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, and continued to drive herself to work after treatments. Simultaneously, she managed her business and supported her children. On September 27th, 2023, Kyong had surgery to remove 100% of her stomach. After the surgery, she was recommended another round of chemotherapy, but the doctors and Kyong decided that she was too weak to continue the treatments. On December 6th, 2023, Kyong was rushed to the ER due to complications arising from a stent placement in her esophagus. This prevented her from attending her daughter Monica’s wedding. Since the start of her treatment, she has had to endure painful infections to stents placed in her right kidney, is unable to eat solid foods, and has lost over 50 pounds. Despite everything she has gone through, she still has hope that things will get better.

The support from the SJ5K hopes to show the Yuk family how loved they are in this community and allow Kyong the freedom to keep showing up for her children, especially for Daniela’s swim and school events. Being a recipient will help her not have to worry about working to fulfill her next financial needs, especially through the slower months of her business. Together, we can help the Yuk family go Miles with Resilience.

Harkins Family

Amy Harkins is a loving wife and mother. Amy and her husband Jim met in college at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. They later got married, moved to Canton and started a family. Together they have four amazing children: Olivia, Abbey, Ethan and Logan.  All four of their children graduated and played soccer at Salem. While lots of their time was spent traveling for soccer, they decided to take advantage of each trip and use them as an opportunity to explore new places and try new things to make lifelong family memories. 

Jim was a very active member of the Canton community. He was President of Canton Celtic/DCFC Soccer Club and helped run the Canton Cup Soccer Tournament. He was also on the Booster Club for Salem Boys Soccer. Despite all of the work he was doing between the community and his job, he was always able to make time for his family. On April 4th, 2023, Jim was diagnosed with kidney cancer. On April 7th, doctors told them the cancer had spread to his liver, pelvis, sternum and lymph nodes. “I knew what that meant” said Amy. The cancer ate away at his pelvis and by June, Jim was wheelchair bound. Despite all these setbacks, Jim still worked and was there for his family. The cancer continued to move to his bone marrow and tragically, Jim passed away on December 24th, 2023, just eight months after his initial diagnosis. “April 4th -December 24th he fought like hell,” Amy said. “Cancer is a family disease,” Amy reflected and shared that, “you never have enough time.” While she was supporting Jim during this time, Amy was also struggling with her own medical issues. She had been diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Paroxysmal Tachycardia and Sjogren's disease, all of which can make taking care of herself a struggle some days. Amy would “put herself on the back burner” during Jim’s struggles, but admitted there were days when she had to fight to get out of bed. She wanted to be there for her kids and husband but also never knew when she was going to have a flare up. 

Before Jim’s diagnosis, if Amy had a flare-up, she always had Jim to help pick up the load and they relied on his medical insurance and income for their family. After Jim passed, the family lost all of their medical benefits. Amy has had to start searching for insurance for herself and their 4 children. “Trying to navigate your new life is terrifying” said Amy. After Jim passed there was an overwhelming amount of people who showed up for them, ready and willing to help. Members of the community, their family and their friends have shown so much love and support because of the impact Jim has made on so many. Amy reminds people to “put the phone down and be in the moment.” Together, we can help the Harkins Family go Miles with Tenacity.

Rooney Family

Steve Rooney has always had a passion for physical activity and chemistry. He often would go on hiking and biking trips, sometimes extending over 20 miles. He also enjoyed traveling; hiking in New York and Idaho to pursue the physical activity that he was fond of. In our community, he is a chemistry teacher, a former girl's lacrosse coach at Plymouth High School, the previous advisor of PCEP HOSA, and has even ran the SJ5k himself. He’s surrounded by his family: two daughters, Emily, 20, and Abbi, 17, who is currently a student at Plymouth High School. 

During the mask mandated times of Covid, Steve was climbing stairs to get to his class when breathing suddenly became very difficult. He was able to stabilize his breathing rates within three minutes, but he realized that this was abnormal especially for how active he was. Then, when biking with friends on a trip to Idaho, his twenty mile, flat-ground bike ride quickly became one of exhaustion and struggle, causing him to have to stop after just twelve miles. This series of events triggered Rooney to get checked out by a pulmonologist about a year and a half ago. Through a biopsy and blood work, Steve was diagnosed with an autoimmune respiratory disease called antisynthetase syndrome and was recommended for a double lung transplant. After a bit of critical thinking, in March of 2023, Rooney was added to the lung transplant list. While the wait for a lung transplant is typically two years, Steve was miraculously called in the middle of the night on May 25, 2023 with the news that he would be receiving the double lung transplant. Following the transplant, Steve had to be readmitted twice for dehydration. Along with this, Rooney said, “Normal activities that you usually don’t think about became impossible.” He is unable to lift greater than ten pounds or shovel snow in the winter months. Steve had a second surgery in January 2024 to clean up scar tissue from the original surgery. Steve has had to take a leave of absence from teaching for this school year to prevent rejection or infection. Since the initial surgery, his favorite past times have switched from physical activities to playing video games on his PS4. Not only is Steve himself affected, but his family as well. They are often uncertain about the state of his recovery. Steve admits that he is “pretty cavalier about surgery”, but recognizes that can be difficult for family to hear. As he continues to fight and recover, he wishes to get back on his feet through teaching and lighter physical activity.  Through this process, Steve has encouraged people to become organ donors.

The medical bills for the surgeries, continued weekly bloodwork,  prescriptions, and hospital visits are incredibly expensive, and have taken a weight on the Rooney family. With the  support from the SJ5K, the Rooney family can put greater focus on helping Steve step back into gear with his life. Together, we can help the Rooney family go Miles with Community.

Rogers Family

Toni Rogers is a loving wife and mother. She and her husband, Zach, have two children. Tyler, currently a freshman at Plymouth High School and Riley who attends East Middle School. She is deeply involved with the community. Their family spends a lot of time at the ice rink, Arctic Edge, as their kids are both involved in sports and Toni teaches figure skating there. Tyler has a love for playing hockey and Riley is a competitive figure skater. The Rogers family enjoys watching sports together, spending time on the ice, and playing with their dog, Ritz. They also love getting up North to the lake and going tubing on the boat. 

Toni is very active in the Plymouth-Canton community. She has been team manager for her son’s hockey team for eight years and is a shopper for Shipt. While she loves her job, her greatest joy is spending time with her family. On January 9th, 2024, Toni’s world was flipped upside down. She had gone to the ER after experiencing severe stomach pain, and after a CAT scan, it was discovered that she had a mass on her colon. The next day, she had to have an emergency colostomy surgery. Then, just one week later, on January 17th, she went back to the ER, undergoing another surgery to revise the initial procedure. Frequent hospital visits have become part of her routine, since her diagnosis of Stage IV colorectal cancer. Toni is just beginning to undergo chemotherapy and radiation, targeting both her liver and colon. Despite all of this, Toni stays strong and continues to show up for those around her. Her family and parents have been very supportive, especially following the loss of her brother to brain cancer just six months ago. This has been very difficult on her parents to have a second child diagnosed with cancer. 

Since her diagnosis, Toni has kept a positive attitude, but there is a tough road ahead. Cancer is difficult to navigate financially, and outstanding medical bills have yet to arrive. However, the tremendous amount of support from the community has been a beacon of hope, and they are all deeply grateful for all the care and love that has been given throughout this process. The SJ5K can help support the Rogers family on their road ahead and remind them that they are not alone. Together, we can help the Rogers family go Miles with Belief. 

Singh Family

Aakash Singh, a resilient and smiling 21-year- old has been on an extraordinary journey filled with challenges, love and the unwavering support of his family since his premature birth. Aakash's interests range from enjoying shows like Spongebob and The Fresh Beat Band, to savoring ice cream and iced-cappuccino drinks. He enjoys different flavors and textures and loves to eat the same foods as the people around him. Aakash and his family attend Meijer frequently and have started playing board games together. Aakash’s family finds joy in various other activities such as visiting parks, celebrating holidays, and riding tandem bikes. Despite Aakash’s physical limitations, technology serves as a powerful tool for communication and engagement. Aakash enjoys being involved in new activities where he can get to know people, as well as meditation while listening to music.

Aakash’s journey began with a premature birth, triggered by his mother's seizure that was caused by a brain tumor. Born through a C-section while his mother was recovering, he spent his first weeks in an incubator before finally coming home. The family grappled with a lack of answers regarding the prognosis of Aakash’s limited physical movement as he grew. Aakash was eventually diagnosed with Spastic Cerebral Palsy. His life took a tragic turn with the passing of his mother, but Aakash found solace in the care of his Aunt Sonia, who took on the responsibility of raising him. Aaskash also has an older sister, Gagan, who is currently in the Marines and stationed in San Diego. Sonia’s daughter, Hardeep, also plays a crucial role in her cousin’s life, contributing to his care and forming an inseparable bond. Together, they reside in a home that is filled with love and resilience. Aakash is in a wheelchair and his cerebral palsy makes him dependent on others in all aspects of life due to his inability to control his muscles. He requires 24- hour supervision by others who can help him in his daily living activities such as eating, hygiene, dressing, and communication. Aakash attends multiple therapies and treatments, although they are very expensive and it can be difficult to transport him to all of these. He requires assistance with maneuvering and experiencing the world. While supporting Aakash through all of his medical needs, his family has realized “how limited you become because of your disability.”

The SJ5K can be a beacon of hope and support for Aakash and his family, by offering financial support for crucial therapies and specific equipment needed to help him. As he enters adulthood, the challenges will be even more prominent. The community can help Aakash be able to travel and enjoy family activities. The SJ5K is a catalyst for breaking barriers, not just for Aakash’s life but in the community by promoting “awareness and accessibility.” Together, we can help the Singh family go Miles with Perseverance. 

Shqau Family

Jorgito Shqau, known to those around him as “J”, is a senior from Plymouth High School. J’s family includes his father, Andrea, mother, Marcella, brother, Vasilis, and younger sister, Anja, who goes to Hoben Elementary School. His family enjoys spending time at the lake and going boating. During high school, he was on the Plymouth High School football team for four years and played mainly defensive end and right guard, though he was capable of playing both offense and defense. J also enjoys weight lifting, and holds the Plymouth High School record for power cleaning at 335 lbs. 

In October of 2023, J was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that is very aggressive. Before a football game in 2022, he noticed a bump on his ankle. In 2023, during summer football practice, he injured his shin and went to the emergency room. While there, a doctor noticed the same bump on his ankle and recommended J see his primary doctor. His doctor referred them to a specialist. J and his family visited Children’s hospital, where the doctor raised the possibility of a tumor and recommended an MRI scan. They reached out to schedule his MRI in early September, but the hospital told J the earliest they appointment was in November. However, his football coach’s wife arranged for him to undergo an MRI at Beaumont Hospital on October 16th. There, the doctors delivered the news to J and his family: he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma and the recommended course of action was an amputation from the knee down. They went to The University of Michigan Hospital for a second opinion, but received the same news. Jay underwent a biopsy where it was revealed that the tumor was low grade cancer, but that it would have to be removed, along with a portion of his leg. J had his foot and a lower portion of his leg amputated on January 16th, 2024. Thankfully, on January 25th, 2024, J got the news that he is now cancer-free and chemotherapy or radiation is not needed. It will take 6-8 weeks for his body to recover from the surgery, and then he will begin extensive Occupational and Physical Therapy. 

The SJ5K will be able to help J and his family by providing financial support. His mom has taken a leave of absence from work, so only his father’s income is supporting them. Prosthetics are very expensive, and only a small fraction of the total will be covered. J has remained remarkably optimistic during his tough times. He wants to remind people to, “Stay positive. A bad mindset is what kills people. You have to have a positive outlook on life. There is always someone who is going through something worse than you.” The Shqau's have been a vital part of our community for years, and now we can show them our support during this difficult time. Together, we can help the Shqau family go Miles with Strength.