By Russ George
Members of the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley held their June membership meeting Wednesday, June 11, at Oak Street Restaurant, 945 Oak Street, in North Aurora.
Chuck Nelson, vice president of programs, introduced guest speaker, Rita Pennington, Illinois State coordinator, for Quilts of Valor Foundation, stating, “Rita Pennington has been quilting for Quilts of Valor, since 2004”.
Rita, spoke briefly about Quilts of Valor founder, Catherine Roberts’ dream, which began in 2003, while her son Nat was deployed in Iraq. According to Catherine, the dream was as vivid as real life. She saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. She could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional gutter. Then, as if viewing a movie, she saw him in the next scene wrapped in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. The quilt had made this dramatic change. The message of her dream was: Quilts = Healing!
The presentation of the Quilts of Valor began with Rita Pennington, assisted by her husband Gary, a Navy veteran, Donna Bohr and her veteran husband Jim.
The following veterans were called up and wrapped in their handmade Quilt of Valor: Otis Clay, Bill Fornal, Richard Hawks, Ernie Jones, and Ron Urbealis.
Upon completion of the Quilts of Valor presentation, Russ George, president of the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley, presented a check for $1,000 to Rita Pennington, State Coordinator, for QOV, to be used to purchase materials for more quilts. Quilts of Valor has quilted and presented 413,000 hand-made quilts since their beginning.
The Diabetes Club of Fox Valley gained two new members at this month’s membership meeting: Karen Kemp, a friend of Ann McBride and Ricardo Sanchez, a friend of Chuck Nelson.
Saturday, June 14, members of our club attended HorsePower Therapeutic Riding’s annual “Rockin’ at the Ranch” fundraiser, held at Honey Bridge Ranch, 6N917 IL Route 25, in St. Charles.
Arriving a little early, gave us an opportunity to present a check for $500 to Barb O’Neil, executive director and president, of HorsePower Therapeutic Riding, to purchase sugar-free treats, for the horses with Cushing’s Disease, which is similar to diabetes in humans.
We also had an opportunity to look over the viewing platform, under construction by volunteers of HorsePower TR. The viewing platform will allow parents to watch their children during their riding lessons without distractions. Last year the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley donated $5,280 for the materials to build the platform, provide sugar-free treats for a year, and purchase small storage containers, to be placed along Sensory trail, to store first aid and other materials needed for safety and instruction.
We enjoyed the music, food trucks, games, raffles, and especially the horse meet and greets, along with visiting with their therapeutic animals, and watching children during their riding exercise program.
Animal therapy allows children and adults with disabilities, including diabetes, to bond together with an animal by using frequency methods. Students coming to HorsePower have a variety of challenges: social, emotional, cognitive, and physical. HorsePower rearranges their program to fit each individual student’s needs.
Members of the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley are looking forward to participating in Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness, Family Health Fair, Saturday, June 21, at their Aurora Health location, 2124 Ogden Avenue, in Aurora, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m..
Members of the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley meet monthly, on the second Wednesday of each month, January through November, at Oak Street Restaurant, 945 Oak Street, in North Aurora. Social/Optional Dinner at 5:30 p.m. and meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.. Guests are always welcome!
The Diabetes Club of Fox Valley is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization, a true grassroots organization, where all money raised through dues, donations and fundraising is used in our fight against diabetes. Individual Dues are $50 per year, Corporate Dues are $150 per year, which includes a Sponsorship Listing on the club’s website: www.diabeteshelpnearme.com
Interested in joining with us in our fight against diabetes, or have questions about the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley, please call, text or send an E-mail to club president, Russ George, 630-205-9065 or send Email: Diabetesclubfv@gmail.com
Please continue to keep informed about our club’s upcoming events, by following us in The Voice, on Facebook, and on our website: diabeteshelpnearme.com.