THE KATIE RIDE FOR LIFE

The Katie Caples Foundation was started in 1998 by the family of Katie Caples, a young high school student from Jacksonville who became an organ and tissue donor after not surviving the trauma of an automobile accident.

The foundation hosts the Katie Ride for Life cycling fundraising event. David Caples, Katie’s father and foundation chairman says that “we host this event in memory of Katie and the wonderful legacy she left behind. Katie was an athlete, and it is fitting to her memory to host a sporting event like this in her name. She was also a generous child who gave many others a chance to live through her gifts of organ and donor tissue.”

There are more than 90,000 Americans currently on the national organ transplant waiting list, with roughly 3,000 listed at transplant centers in Florida. It is hoped that this event will not only provide donor education to the community, but also raise funds for future donor education campaigns.

Joanne Loritz

Joanne is the leader for Girl Scout Troop 56. We have 8 girls who are Brownies and 4 Daisy Girl Scouts. I’m constantly amazed at how much work it takes to be a leader now. Joanne spends hours each week on paperwork, phone calls, research and organizing. We’ve had field trips, educational speakers and camping trips. Girl Scouting isn’t just a twice a month deal with our troop — through Joanne’s efforts, these girls are thinking about scouting all the time.

Service Projects are very important to Joanne. She helps the girls complete at least one (and often several) each month. The girls wrote 191 letters to the troops and have 14 service men and women pen pals now in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Baltic Sea, and Alaska. They sold 85 boxes of cookies in their “Cookies for Troops” drive during the recent cookie sale that they will be sending with letters and pictures. At Christmas the girls decorated Christmas trees and sang at the Yountville Veteran’s Home as well as at a local hospital. Participating in the Fourth of July Parade and singing patriotic songs with residents of a nursing home; collecting warm coats, Toys for Tots, and toiletries for the local Women’s Emergency Shelter; and picking up litter in our local waterways during Coastal Clean-Up Day were some of the service projects she organized for our girls and our community.

Joanne also is the Napa Service Unit Director. She generally puts in an hour or two (or even three or four) each night when she gets home from work to help organize things for an upcoming meeting or event. In many ways, it’s a part time job immediately following her full day at the clinic. . Joanne, as a physician, has been the “Camp Doctor” at various Girl Scout overnight expeditions. In January she organized a letter exchange service unit wide with letters from girls in troops throughout California and the USA in addition to England, South Korea, and Japan.

However the biggest thing Joanne worked on this year was getting the Presidential Volunteer Award for the Napa Girl Scout leaders who put in so much time for their girls. Doing the paperwork for a hundred people to get the award was a job in itself. The Awards Ceremony was also a major event to coordinate but a great time was had by all.

Roger Uber

Roger is a member of the Boy Scouts of America and volunteers as a “Lunch Buddy,” with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, having lunch with a young boy at the grade school weekly. Active with People First, a local advocacy group, Roger helped raise money in 2005 for Relay For Life – Garrett County Hospice. Roger also serves in many roles as the official host of the Special Olympics Maryland Winter Games in Garrett County.

During the most recent Winter Games, he served as the athlete representative for the Games Evaluation Team, as an official at the Cross Country & Snowshoeing venue, a speaker at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and filled in at the awards ceremony as a general volunteer. Roger has never met a stranger. He literally loves his neighbor, is always giving of himself, and encourages others toward success. One of Roger’s Special Olympics coaches’ states, “He lives to help others. Our lives would have a great void without him.”

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is home to the Jacksonville affiliate of VSA arts, an international organization founded by Jean Kennedy Smith to provide opportunities in the arts for individuals with disabilities. The Cummer Museum and VSA arts jointly support programs for exceptional students and adults that engage the human spirit, spur the imagination, and spark the intellect. The Cummer Museum has received local, state and national recognition for its multifaceted educational programming including the 2000 ADA Compliant and Disability Friendly Award from the City of Jacksonville Mayor’s Disability Council. Annually, over 13,000 underserved special needs students and adults directly benefit from these educational initiatives, making the Cummer one of the country’s most accessible museums.

This year marks the 11th year anniversary of the VSA Arts Festival at The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. The four-day art festival provides meaningful art experiences for 2,600 children with disabilities. For many of these children it is their one opportunity to experience the beauty of original works of art and the creative power inherent in the art-making process.

Last year more than 870 volunteers devoted their time and talent to the festival. Volunteers represent every segment of the community and include corporate volunteers, university students, high school students, school system staff members, museum docents, and hundreds of other individuals.

The VSA festival has been recognized as a national model by VSA Arts International and is the ONLY such event to happen in a museum anywhere in the country. The festival is unique in that it not only involves children in making art, but they do so right in the galleries, surrounded by masterpieces of original art.

One teacher writes of her student’s experience…, “It is a rare occasion when my children are not just accepted in the community but honored as you honored them through Very Special Arts.”

Kyle Amber

Kyle Amber was six years old when his brother was diagnosed with leukemia. In response, Kyle formed Kids That Care, a nonprofit, all volunteer, student-run organization, to improve the lives of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. He has volunteered over 4,000 hours and has raised over $125,000. His efforts have benefitted thousands of children. Kyle has been working on behalf of critically ill children for over half his life, and he is only 16.

As President of Kids That Care, Kyle participates in and coordinates all of its projects, including the year-round “Ouch Box Toy Drive” (where children receive “rewards” after cancer treatments), the “Stick it to Cancer Day” fund-raiser and awareness program, the “Dream a Little Dream” contest (which grants wishes to critically ill children), the ongoing clothing drive for inner city patients, year-round bone marrow donor registration drives targeting communities of color, sibling counseling, community and corporate outreach programs, public service announcements, music therapy, and short-term financial assistance. In addition, Kyle has established the Kids That Care Music Center at Jackson Memorial Children’s Hospital.

Kyle founded Kids That Care as an outlet for Miami-Dade County students to volunteer. Since Kids That Care is an all-volunteer organization, all funds go directly to help the children. Kids That Care also supports cancer research, and has recently awarded a $20,000 grant for lymphoma research.

Kyle continues to expand the Kids That Care message to more and more schools, businesses, churches, and synagogues, while partnering with other non-profit organizations with similar goals. Through public service announcements and speaking engagements, Kyle teaches the community about the effects of cancer on the entire family.

Kyle’s volunteerism has been recognized both locally and nationally, and this National Volunteer Week, we are proud to present him with the President’s Lifetime Volunteer Award.

La Rue Reese

Although La Rue is a quiet and unassuming man, he serves as a powerful inspiration to the staff and clients of the National Ability Center in Park City. During the summer of 2005, La Rue contacted the Center about potential volunteer opportunities. The fact that the National Ability Center is located in Park City, more than 3,000 miles from his home in Pennsylvania, did not seem to matter to La Rue. Whether it required taking on a fleet of adaptive bicycles, working on canoes or fixing and maintaining the summer equipment, he faithfully asked for another task after finishing each job.

La Rue worked hard each week to ensure he maintained his personal time commitment of at least 40 hours each week. As winter approached, La Rue also began volunteering at the Center’s ski facility at Park City Mountain Resort. Here, he quickly assessed the work needing to be done on the adaptive equipment used in lessons for the diverse clientele of the Center. His efforts helped make the ski program a huge success. Now home in Pennsylvania, La Rue continues to keep in contact with the Center, keeping the Center informed about a new idea or approach to a problem he has found. His continual service and selflessness is greatly appreciated, and the National Ability Center is fortunate to be the ongoing beneficiary of his service.

William Kopplin

Bill Kopplin is retired from Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, and, although a long-time volunteer in public service during his career, since retirement he has devoted almost full-time to serving others. Among his activities, he has been particularly active in the Oklahoma Tree Bank Foundation, which plants trees on public lands and promotes the planting and care of trees statewide. He also serves as vice-chairman of its board of directors. He devotes two full days each week as a volunteer in the Tree Bank offices, composing letters and printed materials, answering telephones and giving advice to callers on species selection, placement and care of trees, and serving in all capacities where his help is needed.

Besides his two full days in the office, he gives numerous hours of service over a wide area in support of the efforts of the Foundation. He was creator of, and is the principal developer of a statewide Centennial Grove project, bringing about planting of groves of trees throughout Oklahoma, as part of Oklahoma’s Centennial of Statehood celebration. It is estimated that Bill Kopplin has given more than 3,000 volunteer hours to the Tree Bank, in addition to his public service activity at the present time; it is actually one of many of his public service projects.

He serves on the Citizens Advisory Committee to Will Rogers Park (largest public park) in Oklahoma City. He has served, as president of the Iris Society and Master Gardeners of Oklahoma, and it’s the Park Commissioner for his ward in Oklahoma City. In the past three years, Bill Kopplin, through a cooperative agreement with America the Beautiful was responsible for distributing more than a half-million flower bulb in Central Oklahoma. This came about because America the Beautiful acts as a clearinghouse for the nursery surplus from the White Flower Bulb Company, and Bill, as a volunteer for America the Beautiful, contacted several urban planners who were interested in having and using some of the bulbs.

In addition, Bill Kopplin is past president of Town Hall and the Classen High School Alumni Association in Oklahoma City. It is estimated that, since retirement as a Southwestern Bell Telephone Company executive, Bill has given more than 5,000 hours to public service.

The Junior League of Tampa, Inc.

“These women have worked for many years to improve the lives of numerous residents in the Tampa Bay community through various service projects,” said Governor Bush. “Their devotion and hard work have impacted many in their community in a positive way.”

Founded in 1926, the Junior League of Tampa, Inc. is an organization of 1,600 women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through effective action and leadership. They focus on establishing programs and community partnerships that provide children and their families with opportunities and services essential for their physical, intellectual, emotional and social well being. The JLT has raised and distributed more than $3,500,000.00 to various community projects since 1926.

Currently the JLT is involved in 12 community projects that benefit the Tampa Bay area including the Academy Prep Center of Tampa, The Children’s Cancer Center, the Children’s Literacy Project, Community Action Projects, Enabling Fund Grants, Fun Troupe, Kids’ Connection, Love Bundles Project, Mary Lee’s House, PACE Center for Girls, Treasures for Tampa and Volunteers at Large. Additionally in conjunction with an annual fundraising event, they are hosting the book drive Every Day is Literacy Day.

Benjamin Au Yang

Following the Hurricanes that ravaged Florida during 2005, Benjamin Au Yang, who is the youngest writer for the News-Sun launched “Operation Baby” and motivated students, parents and faculty members to donate supplies for needy children affected by the hurricanes. The response was great, much to the astonishment of the Director of United Way, Suzie Bishop to whom the supplies were presented for distribution.

Benjamin’s work does not stop there. In November, in Keeping with Thanksgiving, he launched “Operation Gratitude,” where students were asked to design cards, which were sent to those who were instrumental in assisting during the hurricanes. Teachers and non-academic staff at Park Elementary were given flowers, gifts of tea and candles. He has now motivated the community and his classmates to donate funds to UNICEF for the tsunami relief effort. Response to this young man’s recruitment for service has been tremendous.

Due to the action initiated by Benjamin scores of children in Avon Park received much needed supplies. The participating students felt good about themselves. Academic and non-academic members of staff were uplifted by the generosity displayed. FEMA was among the agencies to have received thank-you cards from the students at Park Elementary. They responded by saying how grateful they were to the students for showing gratitude for what is often a thankless job.

Benjamin’s actions are tremendous and have affected the community; however, the fact that he is only 10 years old is awesome. He serves others with innovative ideas while also remaining a straight “A” student. At such a young age this youth is able to motivate others to think not only of themselves, but others as well. His ability and willingness to think not only of himself but also of the well being of others and his ability to love and serve others has helped him embark on and complete three successful projects to date. He looks forward to continuing his service projects and continuing to get more in the community involved.

La Habra Branch Library Teen Tutors

Each week dozens of teens congregate at the La Habra Branch Library, not to hang out with friends or surf the Internet, but to volunteer their time to tutor younger students who struggle in school and are often below grade level. The teen volunteers offer homework help and provide academic resources and encouragement to an underserved and at-risk population of children.

The La Habra Branch Library initiated the after-school homework help program at the urging of high school student Teresa Chan who served on the library’s Teen Advisory Board and volunteered with the Families for Literacy program. Teresa noticed that there were literacy programs offered for preschoolers and adults, but nothing was available for elementary school students who gathered at the library each afternoon.

With Teresa’s help and under the direction of Teen Library Assistant, Carrie Robertson, the Homework Help Teen Tutor program was implemented in January 2003. Initially, 16 teens signed up to serve as volunteer tutors for 35 younger students. Over the past two years, the program has expanded to 130 tutors who have dedicated 2,247 hours as academic mentors and role models for more than 250 children.

To prepare for the tutoring sessions, each teen attends a four-hour training, which includes topics related to learning styles, goal setting and helping students build reading and math skills. Most of the teens volunteer at least once a week for an entire academic year and several tutors have continued with the program for two or more years.

The teens find time in their incredibly busy schedules to work with squirmy students who sometimes don’t welcome their help. They demonstrate tremendous patience and have become outstanding leaders capable of managing stressful situations, always adapting and creating solutions. The volunteers have learned to work through challenging situations with students as well as with parents. Whatever the circumstances, they stay focused on the child’s well being and on helping that child achieve success.

Each day the Homework Help Center is managed by a volunteer team captain who sets up the room, matches students with tutors, watches for the shy child or the overwhelmed tutor, and makes sure everyone has what they need to accomplish their tasks. These teens in particular have stretched their wings through this added layer of responsibility and have successfully soared new heights.

Young children who attend the library’s after-school program have a safe place where they can receive help from trained and dedicated teen tutors. Students who struggle with math or reading one week arrive the next week sharing their successes. It’s not uncommon to hear a child proudly mention that he/she received an “A” on a spelling test. One parent wrote, “My daughter’s tutor helped her to understand her homework and when she brought home her first 100 percent in math, it was the best moment for her and for me.” The parent of fourth grader shared that her child’s math test scores rose from a third- to a sixth grade level because of the Homework Help Teen Tutor program.

The La Habra Branch Library Homework Help Teen Tutors are making an important and long-lasting impact within their community. Their efforts are helping youngsters attain their dreams through academic success.