Life has taught Ron Heagy to never give up.
Once a high school athlete, he broke his neck in a surfing accident the day before his 18th birthday.
The accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, but that didn’t prevent Heagy from living life to the fullest. He plans to share his ins
piring story with guests at the 51st annual YMCA Community Prayer Breakfast.
The breakfast, planned for April 22 at Comcast Arena, brings together more than 500 religious and community leaders each year. The goal of the nondenominational event is to give thanks and to seek guidance for the year, said Colleen Temple, a YMCA spokeswoman. The breakfast is held on Good Friday, the Friday before Easter marking the day when Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus.
It’s been more than 20 years since Heagy’s accident, and his experience shows how people can find something in their lives to be thankful for. His positive attitude has helped him get a master’s degree in social work, become a motivational speaker, author and painter. He paints with a brush in his mouth.
Heagy lives in Oregon with his wife and children. Through his nonprofit organization, Life Is An Attitude, he speaks to high school students, at-risk teens and others. He raises money to buy equipment for children with disabilities and for Camp Attitude, a summer camp for kids with disabilities.
The Community Prayer Breakfast started out as the Lenten Breakfast in 1960 and within a few years became a community tradition, Temple said. Breakfasts later turned into luncheons. In 1989, Jeff Kemp of the Seattle Seahwaks was the keynote speaker at the first Community Prayer Breakfast. Other past speakers included former United States Senate chaplain Lloyd John Ogilvie and NFL quarterback Tom Flick.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
Prayer breakfeast
To learn more about Ron Heagy, go to www.ronheagy.com. To see if tickets to the YMCA Community Prayer Breakfast are available, contact Lorrie Hermanson at 425-374-5712 or lhermanson@ymca-snoco.org. Tickets are $30.
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