Geo Foundation 1st Annual Golf Tournament

79 Two Bridges Road,Lincoln Park NJ 07035

18 October, 2022

Description

Join us for a day of golfing and competition in honor of George Batikha. The Geo Foundation serves in honor of George, who passed away at the age of 28 after suffering from 2017 to 2022 with acute myeloid leukemia. Growing up, George was a tremendous and natural athlete. At the peak of his health he was 215 lbs. of pure muscle, towering at 6'5", and could run at speeds and lift weights at an unbelievable level. He was an all-star football player and received a scholarship to play DII football at American International College in Massachusetts. At the. time, George was just getting started. He had big dreams, and everyone around him knew he had the potential to achieve them. Unfortunately, unexpected tragedy came into his life. After suffering injuries from 2 severe car accidents in 2015 and 2016, his football and college career was cut short. Among all that was important to George was his love for helping people. As he searched for a new path beyond his identity as a football player, he began exploring potential careers paths in personal training, teaching, and even the idea of becoming a fire fighter. Cancer had other plans for him though. He eventually was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia which he bravely fought for 5 years from 2017 to 2022. Despite the disease he was fighting, George had his inner passions that he continued to pursue and push towards. He loved creative expression. George loved fashion and was always impeccably dressed. These two things, along with the fact that his father has run his own jewelry business since 1989, combined - leading George to take on the profession of jewelry-making. He eventually was introduced to the opportunity to make custom jewelry for well-known people in the music industry, and was in touch with various individuals seeking his work. Despite the disease raging inside him, he was able to design and manufacture an amazing piece for Jaden Smith. George loved meeting unique people, whether they were rich, poor or famous-- it didn’t matter to him. He sought in people the desire to make a positive change. This is why he liked Jaden so much, and why he was proud to make a jewelry piece for him. George had a deep ability to understand a person at their core just by speaking with them once. He could get a sense for what someone was all about, and it determined his faith in them. George didn’t understand selfish motives. He was immensely humble. This why our world often often didn't make sense to him. Despite his size and strength in the peak of his health, George was sensitive on the inside. He was in many ways a gentle giant - tender in many ways on the inside, yet with a sleeping fire inside him that would erupt from time to time. Although he could be just as stubborn as the rest of his family, he learned from his parents, like his siblings did, to care more about others than himself. He rarely lamented about his condition, and what could be viewed as a lost future. Undoubtedly, he suffered with the utmost grace, rarely bringing attention to himself despite the unimaginable pain he endured. Far more than feeling bad about his situation, he’d often talk about how there is so much more suffering in the world. He would often talk about how there are many children in the same, or even worse situations than him. George desperately searched for answers to understand why such a thing could happen to him and others. After years of research, he came to believe and understand that what is at fault is simply the world that humankind has created here on earth. We all know that the world humankind has created brings about wealth and prosperity. We all enjoy high standards of living which we are thankful for. At the same time though, in its wake, the world we’ve designed leaves people who are sick and dying. This might seem like a harsh, and unrealistic statement. It is undeniable though, that cancer has a cause. It’s doesn’t just show up from nowhere. There is something about life that creates it. It is a well-known fact that smoking is the #1 cause of lung cancer. At the same time, the world seems unwilling, or perhaps not motivated enough to understand what causes other kinds of cancers. An important question that George surely would ask us all to reflect on is, if we know lung cancer is caused by something specific, doesn’t it stand to reason that other cancers are also caused by something specific as well? George's research helped him come up with answers. Among them he came to believe and understand that the massive levels of pollution brought into our planet can cause diseased like AML. Worst of all is the world's reliance on fossil fuels, which George came to take a stance against most. While not everyone gets sick from these issues, those who are most vulnerable and fragile, like our gentle giant George, are the ones that suffer. Throughout George's fight, it became clear that mental health is of vital importance to someone's ability to live a good life. With George, and likely with many suffering from tragic illnesses, it was a struggle to find the right resources and to understand how to get him the right help. Looking back at George's Journey, The Geo Foundation aims to bring bring positivity in ways that represent George's life. We'll aim to provide resources to fund youth sports, mental health, and the transition towards sustainable and clean energy for all. A sad truth about life is that the people who need the most help often get the least support. The Geo Foundation aims to honor George by helping those in need, in ways that we believe would have meant the most to him.