Kare Bears’ Korner

New Board of Directors elected

As part of the Kare Bears June 21 Annual Meeting, the following eight nominees were elected to lead the organization for the next two years:

President – Teri Sellers; First Vice President – Joyce Van Ornam; Second Vice President – Gladys Mabey; Secretary – Roxie Forrest; Treasurer – Debby Dennington; Programs Chair – Linda Jo Orinski; Health and Wellness Chair – Hilary Coltman; Communications Chair – Stu Burge

The organization’s founder, Rayma Scalzo, serves as a permanent ex-officio member of the Board. All residents of PebbleCreek are members of Kare Bears and there are no membership dues. The basic function of the non-profit group is to support and assist residents who may be ill, physically challenged, recovering from hospitalization, grieving the death of a loved one or are full-time caregivers for a relative or spouse.

Thank you, generous donors

Stu Burge

Kare Bears would cease to exist without the support of PebbleCreek residents. As a non-profit charitable organization, we rely on the generosity of our friends and neighbors for everything we do. That’s why donations – both financial and in the form of medical equipment – are so important and we thank every single donor for their ongoing support.

In June we received financial donations from James Roberts, Jr., Charles and Nelda Peterman and Pat and Steve Jensen.

In addition, we received the following Memorial Gifts: Cathy and Lee Rhodes in memory of Richard Dobrin; Stephen Nathan and David Kiesling in memory of Cornelia Zuber.

One of the many services offered by Kare Bears is our program that lends durable medical equipment to residents on a short-term basis. Most items in our inventory of walkers, canes, crutches, wheelchairs and knee-scooters at the Kare Bear House are available to residents at no charge thanks to the generosity of friends and supporters. In June we received equipment donations from Delores Whitworth, Linda Buetow, Elaine Vinci and Connie Jesko.

Your gifts are deeply appreciated.

Abrazo West Hospital tour schedule

Janis Korba

Kare Bears has scheduled three tours of the Abrazo West Campus Hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center in the upcoming months. Each tour includes lunch in the board room with Chief Executive Officer Stan Holm.

The first tour is scheduled for September 21. Participation is limited to the first 16 people who sign up. Please call the Kare Bear House at 623-536-1200 to make your reservation. Your name must be on the registration list to attend. If the September tour is full, please sign up for one of the subsequent tours: October 19 or November 16.

We know you’ll enjoy this informative tour and lunch. On the day of the tour we will be meeting just before 10:00 a.m. in the lobby of the hospital’s Main Entrance located at 13677 W. McDowell Road.

Search begins for PebbleCreek’s #1 volunteer

Stu Burge

The Kare Bears organization has launched its annual nomination process to identify and honor PebbleCreek’s most active and deserving volunteer. The person who is selected will be awarded the Kare Bears prestigious Founder’s Award at the organization’s November 8 awards luncheon.

The Founder’s Award was established in 2001 to honor Kare Bears founder, Rayma Scalzo. Each year the award is presented to the resident/volunteer who has demonstrated distinctive leadership and service qualities for any PebbleCreek organization(s) and/or in the surrounding communities. Candidates need not be a Kare Bears volunteer to be eligible for nomination.

The 2017 Awards Committee, headed by Thelma Lindhorn, is inviting clubs, organizations and individual residents to nominate deserving men or women who have given their time, talent and energy to the betterment of PebbleCreek and surrounding communities. This is a unique opportunity to honor a volunteer you know and allow the entire community to pay tribute to their unselfish efforts.

The deadline for receipt of nominations is Friday, September 15.

Here are the qualifications required of nominees:

1. The individual must be a PebbleCreek resident.

2. The person must have engaged in volunteer services that benefited residents of PebbleCreek or nearby communities in the current year, with additional consideration given for past years of volunteer service.

3. The award may not be presented to the same person more than once.

The nomination process is as follows:

1. Blank nomination forms are available at both Eagle’s Nest and Tuscany Falls front desks, the Activities Office, the Kare Bears House and on the Kare Bears Website: www.KareBears.org.

2. Completed forms may be dropped off at the Kare Bears House or mailed to: Kare Bears Founders Award, 15383 W. Cheery Lynn Road, Goodyear, Arizona 85395 or mailed directly to Thelma Lindhorn at 14989 W. Catalina Drive, Goodyear, Arizona 85395. In addition, completed form can be emailed to Thelma at [email protected].

3. When completing the nomination form, please provide as much information as possible about the nominee, including type of service, nature of service, beneficiary(ies) of service, amount of time devoted to volunteering and other relevant information that provides a complete and accurate picture of the person’s ongoing volunteerism. Also be sure to include the name of the person(s), club or organization submitting the nomination.

4. Deadline for receipt of nominations is Friday, September 15.

Nominators, nominees and all PebbleCreek residents are invited to attend the gala Awards Presentation Luncheon scheduled for Wednesday, November 8 in the Tuscany Falls Ballroom. Ticket information will be available soon.