The Village of Palmetto Bay recently recognized the outstanding commitment of Palmer Trinity student Tyler Kalbac, graduate in the Class of 2010 and a Silver Knight Award winner in the field of athletics.
Mayor Eugene P. Flinn Jr., together with the village council, recognized Kalbac by designating July 12, 2010, as “Tyler Kalbac Day.” Kalbac’s parents, Dan and Beth, and his sister, Ashley, attended the event.
In the proclamation, Tyler Kalbac’s life accomplishments are described as follows: “While Tyler’s noteworthy athleticism won him various positions on four varsity teams, he met his greatest challenge when he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in his sophomore year and, although his severe symptoms eventually led to ileostomy surgery, Tyler Kalbac recovered and came back strong in sports as the captain of his baseball team, kicker and safety for football, and goalkeeper for the soccer team, not to mention having a near perfect grade point average.”
Kalbac continues to excel in his desire to reach out to others. He has demonstrated an outstanding record of service to the community. A few months ago he organized a rock-climbing fundraising event, titled “Climb-4-Colitis,” that raised $9,000 for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis research. Additionally, he participated in the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Team Challenge halfmarathon fundraising event in Miami, where he was acknowledged as an “Honored Hero” and chosen as the keynote speaker at the pre-event dinner.
Mayor Flinn closed the presentation ceremony by saying, “I urge all residents and citizens to join with me in honoring this outstanding young man. He is an example to us all and we wish him continued success.”
Kalbac will be attending the University of Virginia in the fall majoring in biology, and plans to attend medical school to specialize in gastroenterology or colorectal surgery.
