Carefree Truth
Issue #606, December 2, 2017
M.C. Ted Dimon said that the Sonoran Art League (SAL) is a non profit volunteer based art service organization dedicated to actively advancing art, artists and artists' education. Began in 1975 as an informal gathering of local artists, it has today grown to just under 800 members consisting of artists and art enthusiasts. SAL produces several events such as the annual Hidden in the Hills artists' studios tour, and is a sponsor for the Foothills Food Bank "Empty Bowls" fundraising event. The newest outreach component of SAL is the veteran's programs providing free art workshops to the veteran community. The newly opened SAL Center for the Arts is located in Stagecoach Village and is home to the Veteran's Art Program and the Youth Art Program. Ted turned the podium over to Pat Bell Demurs, the SAL executive director.
Pat said it was an honor and a privilege to be here. She related that within one month, her family was stricken with her breast cancer diagnosis and her brother, Michael, was shipped off to Afghanistan. During her chemo, Michael gathered some of his buddies. They all shaved their heads in support of her, and Michael emailed the photo, which she had with her to show. She called them "Patty's soldiers". Their selfless act helped carry her throughout the treatments. A month after the photo was taken, 2 of them lost their lives in a firefight, but she said they would always be with her. She is so appreciative of all acts, large and small.
When she came on board as the SAL executive director, the first programs were the Youth Art Program and the free Veteran's Art Program. The workshops are held twice a month, and the veterans can bring a significant other. They will be held once a week starting in January. When the free Veteran's Art Program began in 2010, Pat got her brother involved as a guinea pig although he claimed he couldn't draw a stick figure. He recently submitted a drawing to a contest held by the Phoenix VA and won Best in Show. Pat feels it is an honor and a privilege to give back to the community through the arts.
https://vimeo.com/243039903
Ted introduced the next speaker, Lt. Col. Victor Connor, state president and former chapter president of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA). He is a graduate of the University of Texas, El Paso, and of the Army Officer Candidate School. After 28 years that included 2 tours in Vietnam flying helicopters, he retired from the Army in 1985 and went to work for McDonnell Douglas in Mesa, where he supported the Apache Helicopter project. He retired for a second time in 2003.
Ted passed the podium over to Lt. Col. Victor, who began by saluting veterans and their families in the audience. ASAU is made up of Army active duty veterans, retired veterans, and concerned citizens, many of whom have never had anything to do with the military but care about soldiers and their families.
AUSA helps soldiers and their families through various means. At the national level, they lobby in Congress for maintaining benefits for every branch of service, for improving pay allowances, and so forth. At the local level all are volunteers. The only money that is spent is for a Post Office box.
Soldiers and their families are supported through educational programs. They work with high school and college ROTC programs. The Armed Forces Career Officers Day brings in 30+ ROTC program high school students, feeds them lunch, and gives them the opportunity to talk to service & ROTC colleges to encourage them to continue their military careers. The national branch sends representatives to the Valley each February to inform and support families of the Guard and Reserve soldiers. There are over 800 members in Arizona. They are always looking for new members, so he encouraged people to stop by their display table or visit their website, www.AUSA.org.
https://vimeo.com/243044164
Former Private First Class, U. S. Marine Corps, Don Knowles grew up on the east side of Indianapolis. At the age of 17, he joined the Marine Corp. While at Parris Island, South Carolina, Don shattered his rotator cuff during battalion recon training, resulting in a medical discharge.
Don began a career in construction as a plumbing contractor. He moved to Phoenix 17 years ago and was part of a team that supervised large construction projects such as the Tempe Marketplace and the Phoenix Convention Center.
Life as he knew it would soon change. On October 26, 2014, Don experienced appendicitis and went in for routine surgery. His surgery was everything but routine. An artery was mistakenly severed during the surgery. After bleeding out and suffering a stroke, Don was placed on life support in the ICU. When he awoke four days later, he couldn’t see anything. Don had become permanently blind.
Don sought help from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. He was sent to a rehabilitation school at the Tucson hospital for two months. There he learned how to get around with a cane, how to cross the street, how to use technology, how to read brail. This liberating experience at the rehabilitation school impacted Don so greatly that he decided to dedicate his future to helping the blind, their families, and their support systems.
Don joined the Desert Foothills Family YMCA and goes to the Y every day. He feels a sense of accomplishment when he is there. Building a stronger community is a focus of the Desert Foothills YMCA. The Y wants to give back to those who dedicate themselves to serving our country. Don, a remarkable and inspirational man, shared with us what the YMCA offers veterans.
Don began, "Semper Fi to my fellow Marines out there!" "My story may sound like a tough deal, but in the end I came out happier and more fulfilled in my life than I've ever been before." "The Desert Foothills YMCA has enabled me to strengthen my body, mind, and spirit." The great people there kept him coming every day. Exercising helps people keep their health as the get older. The Y offers a wide variety of organized programs, including aerobics, a pool, and strength training. "The people are fantastic." When he first joined, he didn't think they would want a blind guy stumbling around but he quickly learned his way around with the help of the people there, and he achieved a sense of accomplishment. He encouraged people to donate to the Y because they help veterans, their families, and the community at large.
Veterans hear, "Thank you for your service", but Don wanted to say thank you to the families and spouses for their support. He learned in the Marine Corps that when you get knocked down, you get back up. But sometimes you need help to get back up, as he did. He's back up now, feeling good and looking forward to his college graduation on December 15th. He's going on to Western Michigan for a degree in blind rehabilitation. He has a job with the VA as a crisis intervention manager for the newly blind coming home from Iraq, and will teach them technology.
Don can see a bright future. Although he is completely blind and will never see the people in the audience or sunsets, he knows he can move forward with the Y and others like them, such as the community attending the Carefree Veteran's Day event. "Thank you very much."
https://vimeo.com/243111786
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list.
Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.
Issue #606, December 2, 2017
M.C. Ted Dimon said that the Sonoran Art League (SAL) is a non profit volunteer based art service organization dedicated to actively advancing art, artists and artists' education. Began in 1975 as an informal gathering of local artists, it has today grown to just under 800 members consisting of artists and art enthusiasts. SAL produces several events such as the annual Hidden in the Hills artists' studios tour, and is a sponsor for the Foothills Food Bank "Empty Bowls" fundraising event. The newest outreach component of SAL is the veteran's programs providing free art workshops to the veteran community. The newly opened SAL Center for the Arts is located in Stagecoach Village and is home to the Veteran's Art Program and the Youth Art Program. Ted turned the podium over to Pat Bell Demurs, the SAL executive director.
Pat said it was an honor and a privilege to be here. She related that within one month, her family was stricken with her breast cancer diagnosis and her brother, Michael, was shipped off to Afghanistan. During her chemo, Michael gathered some of his buddies. They all shaved their heads in support of her, and Michael emailed the photo, which she had with her to show. She called them "Patty's soldiers". Their selfless act helped carry her throughout the treatments. A month after the photo was taken, 2 of them lost their lives in a firefight, but she said they would always be with her. She is so appreciative of all acts, large and small.
When she came on board as the SAL executive director, the first programs were the Youth Art Program and the free Veteran's Art Program. The workshops are held twice a month, and the veterans can bring a significant other. They will be held once a week starting in January. When the free Veteran's Art Program began in 2010, Pat got her brother involved as a guinea pig although he claimed he couldn't draw a stick figure. He recently submitted a drawing to a contest held by the Phoenix VA and won Best in Show. Pat feels it is an honor and a privilege to give back to the community through the arts.
https://vimeo.com/243039903
Ted introduced the next speaker, Lt. Col. Victor Connor, state president and former chapter president of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA). He is a graduate of the University of Texas, El Paso, and of the Army Officer Candidate School. After 28 years that included 2 tours in Vietnam flying helicopters, he retired from the Army in 1985 and went to work for McDonnell Douglas in Mesa, where he supported the Apache Helicopter project. He retired for a second time in 2003.
Ted passed the podium over to Lt. Col. Victor, who began by saluting veterans and their families in the audience. ASAU is made up of Army active duty veterans, retired veterans, and concerned citizens, many of whom have never had anything to do with the military but care about soldiers and their families.
AUSA helps soldiers and their families through various means. At the national level, they lobby in Congress for maintaining benefits for every branch of service, for improving pay allowances, and so forth. At the local level all are volunteers. The only money that is spent is for a Post Office box.
Soldiers and their families are supported through educational programs. They work with high school and college ROTC programs. The Armed Forces Career Officers Day brings in 30+ ROTC program high school students, feeds them lunch, and gives them the opportunity to talk to service & ROTC colleges to encourage them to continue their military careers. The national branch sends representatives to the Valley each February to inform and support families of the Guard and Reserve soldiers. There are over 800 members in Arizona. They are always looking for new members, so he encouraged people to stop by their display table or visit their website, www.AUSA.org.
https://vimeo.com/243044164
Former Private First Class, U. S. Marine Corps, Don Knowles grew up on the east side of Indianapolis. At the age of 17, he joined the Marine Corp. While at Parris Island, South Carolina, Don shattered his rotator cuff during battalion recon training, resulting in a medical discharge.
Don began a career in construction as a plumbing contractor. He moved to Phoenix 17 years ago and was part of a team that supervised large construction projects such as the Tempe Marketplace and the Phoenix Convention Center.
Life as he knew it would soon change. On October 26, 2014, Don experienced appendicitis and went in for routine surgery. His surgery was everything but routine. An artery was mistakenly severed during the surgery. After bleeding out and suffering a stroke, Don was placed on life support in the ICU. When he awoke four days later, he couldn’t see anything. Don had become permanently blind.
Don sought help from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. He was sent to a rehabilitation school at the Tucson hospital for two months. There he learned how to get around with a cane, how to cross the street, how to use technology, how to read brail. This liberating experience at the rehabilitation school impacted Don so greatly that he decided to dedicate his future to helping the blind, their families, and their support systems.
Don joined the Desert Foothills Family YMCA and goes to the Y every day. He feels a sense of accomplishment when he is there. Building a stronger community is a focus of the Desert Foothills YMCA. The Y wants to give back to those who dedicate themselves to serving our country. Don, a remarkable and inspirational man, shared with us what the YMCA offers veterans.
Don began, "Semper Fi to my fellow Marines out there!" "My story may sound like a tough deal, but in the end I came out happier and more fulfilled in my life than I've ever been before." "The Desert Foothills YMCA has enabled me to strengthen my body, mind, and spirit." The great people there kept him coming every day. Exercising helps people keep their health as the get older. The Y offers a wide variety of organized programs, including aerobics, a pool, and strength training. "The people are fantastic." When he first joined, he didn't think they would want a blind guy stumbling around but he quickly learned his way around with the help of the people there, and he achieved a sense of accomplishment. He encouraged people to donate to the Y because they help veterans, their families, and the community at large.
Veterans hear, "Thank you for your service", but Don wanted to say thank you to the families and spouses for their support. He learned in the Marine Corps that when you get knocked down, you get back up. But sometimes you need help to get back up, as he did. He's back up now, feeling good and looking forward to his college graduation on December 15th. He's going on to Western Michigan for a degree in blind rehabilitation. He has a job with the VA as a crisis intervention manager for the newly blind coming home from Iraq, and will teach them technology.
Don can see a bright future. Although he is completely blind and will never see the people in the audience or sunsets, he knows he can move forward with the Y and others like them, such as the community attending the Carefree Veteran's Day event. "Thank you very much."
https://vimeo.com/243111786
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list.
Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.