Cal-Berkeley breaststroker Chuck Katis is an All-American in the pool, and was a big part of Cal’s NCAA title run last winter.
But out of the pool, he’s the heart of the nonprofit “The Magic of Miracles,” which seeks to improve the lives of hospital patients by performing magic.
The program is based on the “concept of astonishment.” In Katis’s own words:
“[Magician Paul Harris’s] concept of astonishment essentially says that the moment of disbelief (or astonishment) one experiences when observing the impossible leads to an incredible presence – the past and future no longer exist and your conception of the world changes, if only for a second,” he says. “I know, a little deep. But not too far from what any swimmer often experiences during a lifetime best swim.
“Anyway, the exploration of these ideas led me to believe that if I could provide this experience to these young, incredible patients to help them forget about the countless tests, pain, and fear, that could change something, even if briefly, about how they perceive their situation. In no way can I speak for these patients, but it has certainly changed me.”
Katis & co. are planning another hospital visit in the coming weeks – the children’s center at the National Institute of Health – and you can help them out! How? The group is in a fundraising push, and your donation can help them buy books, magic tricks and magic sets to leave behind with patients after the performances.
Two ways you can donate:
- The group’s website, which you can find here
- Adding “The Magic of Miracles” on Amazon Smile here – this lets Amazon donate a portion of your online shopping payments straight to the non-profit
You can learn more about Katis and the program at their website, themagicofmiracles.com and can find them on Twitter at @MOMnonprofit.
Thank you for being you, Chuck. Keep up the good work.
Really love what he is doing.