Golf tournament to help Hurlburt Field boy

 CRESTVIEW - Cody Reckart's seemingly boundless energy is misleading. The happy, enthusiastic 9-year-old has probably never had a shy day in his life.
    
But the child's wheelchair in the corner of the living room belies the truth.
    
"He'd love to ride a bike, but he can't," said Cody's father, Dennis Reckart. "He'd like to run and jump and do what other boys do. His legs won't allow him."
    
Cody was diagnosed 2½ years ago with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder that weakens the muscles, heart and lungs. There is no cure for the disease and few make it past their early 20s.
    
But Cody insists he's doing well. "I'm taking steroids," he said matter-of -factly.
    
"He thinks he's Hercules," Dennis said. "But he still can't run, can't jump, can't climb - "
    
"Until they find a cure," Cody piped in.
    
The Reckarts are holding the Golf Classic for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy on Friday at the Fort Walton Beach Golf Club to raise funds to find a cure.
    
Last year, Cody's mother, Brenda, put together the tournament only to be disappointed when storms and tornadoes in the area canceled it. This year, Brenda, a captain with the 1st Special Operations Contracting Squadron at Hurlburt Field, is deployed in Iraq. Her coworkers are helping to raise funds, including a team of four who ran in the Run for our Sons Marathon last year.
    
Tina Kneip, who works with Brenda at Hurlburt, said she became involved after meeting Dennis and Cody. She said she was moved by "anyone who ever loses a child or to know it's in your future."
    
But with Brenda's absence, Dennis is juggling the tournament, Cody's doctors' appointments and other duties himself. He's hoping for better weather this year and more people.
    
"We need at least 17 teams because we need 75 people," Dennis said. "And I think we have a total of eight teams. Even if we go on with the tournament - like if we got 60 people - we still have to pay (for) the other 15 people."
    
Until there's a cure, Cody tries to live as normal a life as possible.
    
Although he is home schooled, he attends Walker Elementary School in Crestview for physical education classes and enjoys being a Webelos Cub Scout with Pack 30. He is looking forward to a campout with the Cub Scouts.
    
"We're going to get Eucheefied," he said, referring to the camp site Euchee Springs. 
   
"That's where they're dirty, stinky, sweaty," Dennis said.
    
Cody said he misses his mom but is quick to add, "She sends me (video) games."
    
"Mommy buys him anything he wants," Dennis said.
    
Donations for the Run for Our Sons marathon in January to benefit Duchenne muscular dystrophy research can be made online at www.parentprojectmd.org/ goto/teamcody or mailed to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, 158 Linwood Plaza, Suite 220, Linwood, NJ 07024.
    
Be sure to indicate Team Cody I in the memo area of the check. Last year, four Hurlburt airmen ran the marathon.