Row for recovery

Local surfer and Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital surgical technician Joe Griskonis will paddle today from Newport Beach to Catalina and back on a paddleboard to raise funds and awareness for Matt Oka’s rehab and recovery.

Oka, 21, broke his neck when he hit a sandbar diving into the ocean at Newport Beach on the Fourth of July.

Griskonis assisted in Oka’s surgery that day, and the two have since become close friends.

Oka receives help from a physical, occupational and recreational therapy program at the Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center in Downey.

Griskonis is fundraising for a dual purpose.

“I organized a way to help Matt with his transition from rehab to home care,” he said, adding that donations will go to a nonprofit for Oka’s medical expenses.

Griskonis is also donating funds to the Hoag Hospital Foundation for the Neurosciences, hoping to establish a rehab center for patients with injured spinal cords at the hospital in the near future.

A tent and reception area will be set up for Griskonis’ return, scheduled between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the 20th Street Pier in Newport Beach.

The Hilton Waterfront Resort in Huntington Beach is donating a room for the Oka family for the weekend, as well as providing a room for Griskonis on Sunday night.

Griskonis met with Aaron Rhodes, assistant front office manager for the hotel, shared Oka’s story and asked if the hotel could help the family by providing a place for them to stay over the weekend.

“His story hit really close to home ” said Hilton General Manager J.D. Shafer, “ living in a beach community.”

Rhodes said what Griskonis was asking for was something the hotel could provide — an opportunity to do something good for someone in their community.

Duke’s Huntington Beach restaurant will host a fundraiser for Oka beginning at 8 p.m. Oka, along with friends and family, will be on the beach when Griskonis paddles in.

For more information, call Joe Griskonis at (714) 454-1805 or e-mail [email protected].

SUE THOENSEN may be reached at (714) 966-4627 or at [email protected].