From the home front to the frontlines

THE ELMHURST INDEPENDENT / MARCH 23, 2011 - PAGE 15
COMMUNITY
From the home front to the frontlines
Volunteers team up with Superior Ambulance to send care abroad
ELMHURST — Spirits
were high, 80’s music was
thumping, and balloons filled
the Elmhurst air Monday as
volunteers gathered to send
a piece of home to 5,000
service members around the
world.
The “From the Home Front
to the Frontlines” program
was part of the USO of Illinois’ “Operation Send Support.”
The 224th 2nd Battalion
Marines and members of the
Air Force, partnered with
Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service, AT&T and the
Illinois Lottery all collaborated to assemble “Sweet
Home Chicago” care packages for our brave men and
women abroad.
Superior Ambulance hosted the event at their Elmhurst
campus on Monday, March
21 and they donated ambulances and medi-vans to
carry the finished packages
to the post office in Addison.
“Before my father founded Superior Ambulance in
1959, he was a Marine,” said
current Superior President
and CEO David Hill III, as
he loaded one of the many
finished boxes into the back
of an ambulance. “It’s a personal honor sending cheer to
our service members overseas.”
Some of the care packages
will go to military personnel
serving in Afghanistan, others to the Navy and Marine
Corps Units currently assisting with relief efforts in
Japan.
Monday’s event marks the
second year of the initiative
which started last year under
the supervision of state representatives Randy Ramey
(R-55) and Patti Bellock
(R-47). They were joined at
the event this year by Dennis
Reboletti (R-46) who helped
coordinate the efforts with
Superior Ambulance.
Each of the representatives reached out to their
constituents to rally volunteers and to collect donations for the care packages.
Through the USO, service
members make requests for
the items in the packages,
and the items range from
deodorant, to DVD’s, to sun
block, to playing cards.
The USO estimates that
3,000 service members will
benefit from the packages
while another 2,000 will
receive prepaid phone cards
courtesy of AT&T.
“At AT&T, we want to help
our troops stay connected to
their loved ones while they
are serving our country overseas,” said Paul La Schiazza,
President of AT&T Illinois.
“These calling cards are just
a small way we can thank
them for their courage and
service and help them stay
in touch with families and
friends.”
To date, AT&T has donated more than $6 million in
prepaid phone cards to our
troops.
The Illinois Lottery will be
taking proceeds from its Vets
Cash ticket program to contribute to the care package
shipping costs. Vets Cash
tickets are purchased for $2
with a potential payout of
$20,000.
All the proceeds, minus
the payouts go to Veterans’
programs, and since the Illinois Lottery began offering
the tickets in 2006, they’ve
raised more than $8.4 million.
The festive flair of Monday’s event was partly to
keep the volunteers’ spirits high, but also to commemorate the ongoing celebration of the USO’s 70th
birthday. So, to kickoff the
affair, service members held
a “Marine Saber” cake cutting ceremony.
On hand to celebrate was
the President and COO of
USO Illinois, Tony Enrietto
and Kevin Cavanaugh of the
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
“For the last 70 years the
USO has entertained and
boosted morale among our
troops,” said Enrietto. “We’re
very grateful for folks like
Superior Ambulance AT&T
and the Illinois Lottery for
helping us continue carrying
out that mission. I can think
of no better way of celebrating a birthday then by sending gifts around the world.”
USO Volunteers tape up a Care Package for the ‘From the
Home Front to the Front lines’ event held on Monday, March
21. The program, part of the USO of Illinois’ Operation Send
Support, was held at Superior Ambulance’s Elmhurst location.
all photos by Paul DelGuidice
Sr. Airman Channing Hill loads a USO Care Package onto a Superior Ambulance for transport
to the Addison Post Office. The 70 pounds of supplies will be sent to U.S. military personState Rep. Dennis Reboletti (R-46), along with fellow State nel stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan or helping with disaster relief in Japan. Pictured are (l. to
Reps. Patricia R. "Patti" Bellock (R-47) and Randy Ramey r.) USO Illinois President/COO Tony Enrietto, Superior Ambulance’s Emmily Hurley, State
(R-55), speaks to the gathered volunteers as USO of Illinois Rep. Dennis Reboletti, Superior Ambulance’s Robert Wangles, and Superior Ambulance CEO
President/COO Tony Enrietto looks on.
David Hill III.
PAGE 16 - MARCH 23, 2011 / THE ELMHURST INDEPENDENT
COMMUNITY
Driving to the post office
Employees of Superior Ambulance volunteered to drive the Care Packages to the post office for shipment to U.S. military personnel around the world.
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photos by Paul DelGuidice
USO partners with Superior
Ambulance to send supplies overseas
AT&T donated calling cards for inclusion in the Care Packages assembled for distribution to
U.S. troops overseas.
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THE ELMHURST INDEPENDENT / MARCH 23, 2011 - PAGE 17
photo provided
Taekwondo students take belt testing
Forty-six Taekwondo students participated in belt testing in Elmhurst on Wednesday, March 16. Students progress through nine different belts, colored
white through black, demonstrating their knowledge through tests and competitions along the way. The students, ages 4 to 50, were tested in several techniques, including board-breaking. Classes are taught by Master Frank Salinas, who has been instructing students for the Elmhurst Park District since 1993.
For more information, please visit www.elmhursttaekwondo.com.
USO and Superior Ambulance send supplies overseas
The event began with a U.S. Marine cutting a cake in celebration of the USO’s 70th anniversary.
photos by Paul DelGuidice
PAGE 18 - MARCH 23, 2011 / THE INDEPENDENT
COMMUNITY
York Radio Club shares love
of airwaves with Boy Scouts
ees were invited to the FREE
training session which will prepare students for the TECHNICIAN LICENSE. To get
involved with HAM RADIO,
visit York Radio Club’s website, http://www.yorkradioclub.
com/.
ELMHURST — Members of
the York Radio Club had the
privilege to share their love of
amateur radio with attendees at
Merit Badge University. The
Boy Scouts had the opportunity
to try out a Morse code keyer.
Also, they were introduced to
the dot – dash alphabet. Attend-
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Crystal Scott and Joyce Oravec check out the radio equipment before demonstrating to the
Boy Scouts at Merit Badge University.
Chuck Hopper, Lombard, and Gehl Entwhistle, Elmhurst, demonstrate Morse Crystal Scott, Elmhurst, Joyce and Jeff Oravec, Berwyn, man the York Radio
code keying at Merit Badge University.
Club table at Merit Badge University.