From left: Kare Bears volunteers who received 10 year pins at the Spring Fling volunteer event: Rod Suttles, Carolyn Suttles, Ellen Stergulz, Patti Hodge, Grace Cooper, Jackie Belonax and Sue Chute
Sue White
The Kare Bears Board of Directors held its annual Spring Fling event to honor all Kare Bears volunteers on Wednesday, April 13, 2016, at the Eagle’s Nest Ballroom. The theme of this year’s event was Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Many of the 135 attendees wore their favorite baseball team’s clothing.
Each table was decorated with glass bowls filled with shelled peanuts, pennants and baseballs. Babe Ruth candy bars and a Cracker Jack box were given to all. Attendees enjoyed a brunch of scrambled eggs, sausage, fresh fruit and bagels.
After the brunch, Tom Meek, second vice president, recognized the following volunteers for their 10 years of service to Kare Bears: Jackie Belonax, Sue Chute, Grace Cooper, Patti Hodge, Ellen Stergulz, Carolyn Suttles and Rod Suttles. Each received a 10 year pin.
At the 7th inning stretch, seven baseball players from Showtime’s Damn Yankees production sang You Gotta Have Heart. Joe Chimera then led the group with the song Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
Rod Grabau gave instructions on how to play the game Left Field-Center Field-Right Field with play money given to the attendees at registration. One lucky winner at each table won a $25 gift card. In addition, all attendees were given five raffle tickets. Three lucky folks won baseball tickets for four people to a Diamondback game and two others received either a $50 Visa card or a $50 PebbleCreek gift card.
Eighty-one office volunteers worked at the Kare Bears house for 1,845 hours this last year. They handled 590 equipment loans and arranged 374 non-emergency medical appointments. Our 46 volunteer drivers drove 10,535 miles to appointments. Currently we have six Kare Bears CATS, 104 assigned Kare Bears coordinators and 12 roving coordinators who work in their units and throughout the community helping neighbors in time of illness or loss of a loved one. We also have a variety of special volunteers who support Kare Bears.
Kare Bears is very grateful for all of our dedicated volunteers who give so generously of their time and talents to make the Kare Bears a smooth running organization.
We would like to thank the following individuals for their help in making this event very special for all who attended: Chairman Rod Grabau, (raffle prizes); Grace Cooper (decorations and invitations); Corrine Adams (menu and room set-up); Tom Meek (volunteer recognition and 10 year pins) and Joe Chimera and his teammates (7th Inning Stretch).
Volunteers register to receive their raffle tickets and play money for the game, “Left Field – Center Field -Right Field”.