Be like Ironman Mike

03/24/2022

When a local mom of 3 boys lost her husband Jon in Feb 2020, she wanted to honor her husband with a golf tournament that would benefit another local widow with children.
This year she chose the Kreza family. Proceeds will go directly to the Kreza girls in their college fund.

Here is the info:

Fundraising Events:
Dine-In and Silent Auction
Saturday, March 26th, 2022 – All Day
Daily’s Sports Grill Rancho Santa Margarita ‐ 29881 Aventura, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Silent auction on premises from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Iron Man Mike Golf Tournament hosted by Watson Nation:
Monday, March 28th, 2022
Dove Canyon Golf Club ‐ 22682 Golf Club Dr, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Register here:
https://www.getthereathletics.com/store

Questions or would like to donate to our cause?  Contact us at: [email protected]

03/24/2022

Join us this Saturday, March 26th at Daily’s Sports Grill in Rancho Santa Margarita for our kickoff dine-in fundraising event in honor of Jonathan Watson, benefiting Ironman Mike Kreza’s family.

🎶 Live music by Matt Koerner 🎶

Watch the 🏀 Elite Eight 🏀 and support a local family by bidding amazing auction items.

Swipe ➡️ for a sample of SOME of our items up for grabs, all of which have been generously donated by our community members, and local businesses alike.

Silent auction on premises from 4PM - 8PM.

All auction and dine-in proceeds benefitting the Kreza family.

Thank you for your support.

“No act of generosity, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
-AESOP

10/30/2020

Last summer 50 of us traveled with Mike’s ashes to NYC and fulfilled his wish to always be running calls with one of the busiest fire truck companies with FDNY. Here is a message from my friend that carries his ashes in his helmet so that Mike is always running calls!

“Just wanna let you know Mike’s still taking runs in and still putting out fires .That’s me and Mike. I had the nozzle that night, heading in to fight the Red Devils.”

I love the brotherhood in the fire department. Mike was a lucky man to be honored in this way. 😭😍

Thank you FDNY And Mark Anaya for still honoring . This made me cry! 😭🙏🏻🙌🏻

Next week we will have lived two years without him. So unimaginable 💔

04/26/2020

Good morning and happy Sunday! ❤️ I wanted to share Kaylie Kreza’s testimony. She just turned 13 on Friday. She is wise beyond her years and has used her to pain to help others. Mike would be so proud of her!! ...here is a link to Kaylie’s testimony. I am absolutely blown away by her. 😭 the last 18 months have been filled with the deepest darkest pain and yet there is still HOPE. I didn’t think this was possible. I pray her story reaches anyone that is struggling or hurting...especially anyone struggling with any kind of loss or a teen that might be struggling with depression during this quarantine. Please reach out to people and talk about your heartache, feelings, and your struggles. Don’t keep it to yourself!
Thank you Jesus, for giving this girl a voice. She inspires me 🙏🏻
Thank you for watching...
❤️, Shanna (She speaks at minute 9:30)

I’ll link in my profile as well or head to Facebook and click the link.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UxGjsM4lagk

01/12/2020

I haven’t been able to drive by Mission hospital since November 5, 2018. I can’t do it. I will take any route to avoid it. Too much trauma. It’s where we watched my sister suffer and Mike die. It’s where so many of our dreams for the future were destroyed... Well this last week I had an appointment down Crown Valley, I had never been to my destination and wasn’t paying attention. I looked up and realized I was cruising down crown valley. It was too late. I turned my face away and an image filled my memory. The recollection so vivid I had to shake my head to clear my view.

When we left the hospital in the procession to the coroner it was odd. Our sorrow naked and exposed to onlookers...people holding up phones to photograph. The blare of Helicopters circling filling our ears. But as we exited Mission Hospital a man at the light across from us had stepped out of his car and into the street and was standing at attention saluting Mike as we passed. I could still see him standing there. Honoring Mike. In the moment it had taken my breath away. And this time the tears streamed down my face. I was told that that’s how trauma works. It takes you back to that very moment as if you’re living it again. I can’t even begin to imagine how many triggers like this that my sister faces daily. 😩💔 Continue to keep the girls close to your hearts.

It’s been harder to post here recently and we have so many wonderful things that people still continue to do for the Krezas. Some really incredible gestures and so many wonderful things we never even posted from last year. It’s these acts of kindness - like the kindness of that man, saluting Mike as we passed that are seared into our hearts and help us move forward and passed the places we don’t want to go. ❤️ Brooke.

12/16/2019

We have received countless blessings over the last 13.5 months. One of the most thoughtful gifts the girls received was from Kaylie’s 6th grade teacher last Christmas. had mailed a letter to Kaylie a few days before he died that she would receive at 6th grade camp. Her teacher took his letter and had his handwriting transferred into this feather ornament. Kaylie keeps hers hanging in her room all year round. This is such a special gift idea. ❤️ seeing his handwriting still takes my breath away 💔
~Shanna

11/21/2019

Brrrr it’s cold! I’ve been getting a ton of requests for sweatshirts. I’ll be placing an order next week. Please message me to order. If you previously placed an order and paid for it - please message me to arrange pick up. All unpaid orders were sold at the 5k. ❤️ Brooke

11/19/2019

Did you know Mike made custom gear to represent the inspiration he drew from the girls and ultimately his devotion to his family? He printed SKLA (Shanna Kaylie Layla Audrey) on all his race gear. He also attached a family picture to the back of his bib for the entire race, removed it at the end- kissed it and held it up to the sky as he completed his Ironman. His lost love and devotion to the girls is one of the hardest things to reconcile I suppose...especially for my sweet sweet nieces. I hope they can always feel his love and devotion. He was just such a great person. Sigh ❤️ Brooke

11/04/2019

BROTHERHOOD. I haven’t posted much about Mike’s brothers because it does feel somewhat invasive and I’m a bit of a spectator on the subject but I feel like the time is right. Our friend is a trauma therapist and she suggested I take photographs at the hospital. It would help me to feel useful in a helpless situation and perhaps help the Kreza kids when they are older. My Timehop is attached to my photo stream and it’s just 💔😭💔😭. However, there is a universal theme. Brotherhood goes beyond blood. These men stood up and honored Mike in such incredible ways and I feel it necessary to publicly thank them. Many never left the hospital. There were uniformed men at his door at all times. I’d come walking down the halls in the middle of the night and the Chief (who I’m fairly certain never slept) and his guys would be meeting in the hall. I have photos of them sleeping on floors, holding my sister, and overall honoring their brother with so much integrity while shielding us from their own grief. They never left his side. They carried him out. I mean 💔😭. They also stood in line outside my sisters house as she told the girls daddy wasn’t coming home, then came in and loved on them after. 💔😭. Thank you CMFD and beyond. My personal gratitude is never ending. Mike would be so proud. ❤️ Brooke

10/26/2019

❤️

Mike Kreza's death during triathlon training brings unfathomable grief, an outpouring of kindness, and a remarkable effort to make the streets safer.

10/23/2019

One year ago today - we got to send Uncle Mike a video text. I didn’t remember this so when it came into my Timehop and I pressed play it made me 😭😭😭💔