Volume 3, Issue 2

12 February 2008

Compiled & Edited by:

Leslie Gray

Serving 6,000 active-duty junior-enlisted

military service members and their families
each month with over 40 free programs!

Welcome!
January brought us a quiet new year
after the “storm” of the holiday season.
However, the ASY managed to pull off
another successful Annual Dinner, recap
additional holiday events, and even find Starbucks’ Coffee for the Troops provided 3,000 pounds
time to hang out with some funky kids of ground and whole bean coffee for shipment to our
local service members overseas. The photo above shows
during Mom & Tots and Playgroup. that many of the bags included personal messages.

2008 Board of Management Annual Dinner

This year’s annual

dinner hosted
170 guests
including board
members, staff,
fabulous
volunteers, local
military, and
notable
community
supporters.
 Page 2
More Holiday Programs
Starbucks’ Coffee for the Troops

A huge thank you to the local

Starbucks franchises for collecting and
donating the 3,000 pounds of coffee
that was shipped overseas!

Sony DVD Taping

For the second year in a row,

Sony sponsored and provided
the recording equipment for a
military family & friends DVD
taping. The event took place at
the Hall of Champions in Balboa
Park and hosted approximately
200 family members, friends,
and co-workers of local service
members deployed or stationed
overseas during the holidays.

Military Family Party @ Harley Davidson

We would like to also thank ASYMCA
volunteers from National Charity League
and New Generations Rotary for their
invaluable assistance!

Thank you to San Diego Harley and the

Yellow Ribbon Team for a fantastic Military
Family Holiday Party! San Diego Harley
donated $60,000 worth of merchandise to
participants at the event.
 Page 3

Youth & Community Outreach

Mom & Tots
Kids at the NTC Mom &
Tots class (Thursdays at
the NTC Housing
Community Center)
have a fun time dancing
around and pretending
to be bugs. Check out
their googly eyes and
antennae!

Naval Medical Center News Playgroup

2007 Summary of Support for Wounded
Warriors at Naval Medical Center

Hotel Motel Association made a

pledge to wounded warriors that “combat
wounded, along with their families, would
never pay for a room night in San Diego
while in active treatment at Naval Medical
Center”. Since March of 2007, Armed
Services YMCA made 118 hotel Playgroup kids (Wednesday
reservations on behalf of 75 patients and mornings at the Gateway
21 participating hotels provided 613 room housing playground) have fun
nights at a cost saving of $85,820. with facilitator Karena Vigliotti.
Above: She plays animal limbo
To assist with travel needs of with the kids. At right: Karena
wounded warriors in active treatment at practices crab walking with one
Naval Medical Center, the Warrior of the boys.
Foundation donated $120,000 and Atlas
Hotels pledged $50,000. These generous
gifts allowed patients to be reunited with
their families during a time of healing and
grief. Throughout the year Armed
Services YMCA scheduled 198 flights for
89 patients and 80 family members at a February
cost of $126,000. 14th - Valentine’s Party for Spouses of Deployed
Finally, the Warrior Foundation, 27th - Computers 2 SD Kids Giveaway
Atlas Hotel, and the Hotel Motel 29th - 2nd Annual Father-Daughter Dance
Association provided much more than
travel and lodging, they sent a message of March
care and appreciation to military members 18th - KUSI Shopping Spree
who have been hurt defending our nation. 21st - USO/ASY Golf Classic at Admiral Baker
We can’t thank you enough! 28th - Computers 2 SD Kids Giveaway
 Page 4

Thank you for your support…

Other notable donors:

Anderson Children’s Foundation
Integrated Sports Marketing
KSON 97.3 FM
House of Blues
FOCUS - Friends of Children United Society
Printed Treasures
American Sewing Guild - San Diego Chapter
Nice Guys
Clark Realty & Construction
Samuel & Katherine French Fund
McCarthy Family Foundation
USA Discounters
San Diego Harley
Starbucks Coffee
SONY Electronics
TJX Foundation
Union Bank of California
Thursday Club Foundation
Art Institute of California
Avant Garde
From the Desk of Executive Director Paul Steffens:
Our Annual Board of Management meeting on 25 January 2008 recognized a number
of individuals who contributed significantly to our programs in 2007. Individuals
recognized included Burton Houseman (Program Volunteer of the Year), a volunteer
who is crucial to our MedEvac Family Support Program at the Naval Medical Center;
SK2 Marcella Kenniston (Military Volunteer of the Year) who continues to provide
many hours volunteering with our Holiday Toy Program, by taking days of leave to
assist; Rhoda Keegan (Civilian Volunteer of the Year) who spends hundreds of hours
each month hand-cutting fabric and creating the kits for Operation Kid Comfort. We
also recognized members of the American Sewing Guild for providing 5,000 volunteer
hours in 2007 and completing over 600 personalized Operation Kid Comfort quilts for
military children. We also recognized the Anti-Submarine Warfare Center Military
Training Command, Naval Air Station North Island Military Training Command, and the
USS CLEVELAND for contributing over 5,000 combined hours to numerous Military
Volunteer Program opportunities during 2007. Special recognition was given to the
Mr. Terry Brown (Atlas Hotel), Mr. Duke Sobek (Town & Country Hotel) and Mrs.
Namara Mercer (Executive Director, Hotel Motel Association) for providing over 613
room nights at no cost for the families of Wounded Warriors. A special appreciation
was also extended to Integrated Sports Marketing, Saks Fifth Avenue, and the Friends
of Children United Society (FOCUS) for their terrific and ongoing support of ASYMCA
programs. Our long-time Board Member and Treasurer, Ms. Bobby Allen, was
presented the Susan Davidson Award and bestowed with Life Membership. Finally,
we were proud to present the Vice Admiral St. George Award to TriWest Corporation
for their long-time and continuing support.
Keep chargin! Paul

For more information on how YOU

can make a difference…

info@asymcasd.org
858.751.5755
www.militaryymca.org