Compiled & Edited by Katie DesBois

San Diego Armed Services YMCASan Diego Armed Services YMCASan Diego Armed Services YMCA

Volume 7, Issue 1 January 2012

SuperParent Holiday Program

Happy New Year!

SuperParent Holiday Program Family Outreach Department Holiday Programs at NMC Wounded, Injured and Ill Programs Christmas at the Hard Rock Active Duty Programs Ernst & Young Bike Giveaway Youth and Community Outreach Over 4,000 Quilts! Youth and Community Outreach Bonita Baskets Special Event

In this Issue

The San Diego Armed Services YMCA headquarters office could not have been more festive on December 14th and 15th during our 25th Annual SuperParent Holiday Program sponsored by the Spiva Family Foundation. A thousand mini trees lined the walkways, wreaths and holiday decorations covered the win-dows and doors, and Christmas music could be heard by every-one who gathered for this year’s SuperParent Holiday Pro-gram. Personal shopper volunteers along with a few San Diego Padres helped parents “shop” for gifts for their children during this two-day event. An incredible 5,904 gifts were distributed to 1,283 families during our 2011 SuperParent Program - our biggest holiday event yet!

Serving 9,000 active-duty junior enlisted military service

members and their families each month!

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Holiday Programs at NMC

Christmas Morning at the Hard Rock Café

On Sunday, December 18th, the Armed Services YMCA hosted Christmas at the Hard Rock. Breakfast, a visit from Santa, music and holiday entertainment was provided at no cost to 100 military children who currently have a parent deployed this holiday season. Children and their parents were presented with $50 Walmart gift cards to help alleviate some of the stresses that come with deployment and the holidays. Thank you Rod Luck, SDG&E, the Nice Guys and all military volunteers for making this a wonderful event for our ASY families!

During December patients in active treatment at Naval Medical Center received an abundance of holiday cheer thanks to the efforts of ASY staff and volunteers, and the generosity of the San Diego community. Santa, carolers, treats and gifts, and 20 separate visits, all resulted in patients feeling appreciated and cared for during this holiday season. On Christmas morning Santa made a special visit to the children’s ward, and in the afternoon elves delivered stockings to wounded, in-jured and ill adults. Special guest Tony Hawk took part in the Holiday Salute, the largest holiday event at Naval Medical Center San Diego for over 220 patients. The gym was transformed into a festive dining fa-cility where patients enjoyed a tasty holiday lunch and received a gift bag, and 110 excited children were presented with shiny new bikes.

The Mission Valley Marriott also hosted another holiday party for over 45 military families who have chil-dren with permanent disabilities or

life threatening illnesses. To top off an already exciting holiday sea-son at the Naval Medical Center, the Warrior Foundation donated $100,000 to programs that support wounded, injured and ill service members; and the ASY completed 128 airline reservations so pa-tients could be reunited with their families this holiday season.

Bonita Holiday Baskets

4,000 Quilts!

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January 26— ASYMCA Neighborhood Exchange 30— Computer Giveaway

February 2— Camo for Kids at USD 18— Father & Daughter Dance 23— ASYMCA Neighborhood Exchange 27— Computer Giveaway

Visit our Website Event Calendar for more events, updates, and free ticket

giveaways!

Calendar of events

Thanks to the hard work of the American Sewing Guild and Tuesday Ladies Club quilters, the San Diego Armed Services YMCA has reached 4,055 Operation Kid Comfort quilts to date! This is an amazing testament to the hard work and dedication of our volun-teers and staff! This program has assisted over 2,270 families as they handle the emotional struggle of being away from a loved one.

Learn more about the San Diego ASYMCA Operation Kid Comfort Program

on our website.

Thank you to the Bonita

Optimist Club for donating full holiday dinners to 50 military

families in addi-tion to making a donation to our Family Outreach

programs!

ASYMCA and Ernst & Young LLP Bike Giveaway

2011 marked the 2nd annual Bike Giveaway with Ernst & Young LLP. Over 100 volunteers participated in a building 100 bikes for military chil-dren this year, an increase from the 25 bikes built in 2010. One family wrote, “With their father being deployed, it will be nice to give them something special that is memorable this holiday. They have never been away from their father for the holidays and I would like to make it as fun and special as possible. If I could buy bikes for us all, I would, but I can't. Thank you.”

Edward G. & Ellen G. Wong Family Foundation Masserini Trust Union Bank Foundation The Country Friends Boys and Girls Foundation San Diego Padres K.I.D.S.--Kids in Distressed Situations AT&T Advertising Solutions San Diego Alumni of Kappa Alpha Psi USO San Diego in partnership with BAE Systems, Inc. LAFRA Unit 289 Girl Scout Troop 11645 Coronado Navy Girls' Club Avant Garde Airgain Bonita Optimist Club

Our Latest donors and contributors…

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Sutherland Management Company

Thank you Corporate Partner Members

and Major Donors...

The Spiva Family Foundation

Hanson Family Foundation

Thank you to all of our GiveBIG donors! Your donations helped the San Diego Armed Services YMCA raise over $7,000 for our programs for military families– thank you!

Final thoughts...

From the Desk of Executive Director Paul Steffens:

For more information on how YOU can make a difference…

info@asymcasd.org 858.751.5755

www.militaryymca.org

I think that, as you read about all the wonderful events in this SNAPSHOT, you will agree with me that the San Diego Commu-nity truly appreciates our military and their families. I want our donors to know we truly appreciate their support that enables us to provide a wide range of programs for military families. We cannot do it without your support. I also want to thank all of our volunteers, military and civilian, who truly help us make all these things happen.

We especially want to thank the SuperParent Holiday Program Title Sponsor

the Spiva Family Foundation!

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MILITARY SUPERPARENTS!

Thank you SuperParent donors for your

support for our 2011 SuperParent Holiday Program!

Abegglen & Ruch Family American Sewing Guild Angela Jones & Friends Ann and Donald Evans

Anonymous Armed Forces Interest Group at the Rancho Santa Fe Founda-

tion Avant Garde

Bank of America (Military Support Affinity Group)

Barb & Steve Spiva- Spiva Family Foundation

Brian Susson Carol L. Welch

Charles & Joan Howe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter

-day Saints Clairemont Republican Women

Federated Clark Builder Group

Classic American Chairs CNRSW Holiday Committee

Council of Community Clinics Craig Post

Debbie Montez Balloon Sensa-tions

Dicie Rose Ed & Rachel Van Houten

Elaine Alvarez Ellen Person

EWGA Focus

Francis Parker School Frank & Joanne Kingkade

Friarhood Friends Network/Patti Mocock

Gary & Esperanza Hunter Gary Rodemeyer

Gay Weston Gifts in Kind

Good Samaritan Church Harbor Packaging Inc

Harry Eastus Harvey Stewart Hogrewe Family

ITT Exelis James C. Poe

James Martello/Heather Ko-erner

James Poe Jeff & Marsha Alison

Jim Walsh Joan Ahlstrom

Judith A. Splitgerber Julia Castlen

Juvenile Court & Community Schools San Diego County Of-

fice of Education Kathie Riesgo Kathy Clark

Kevin Coughlin Kirk Clemmensen

Kiwanis Club of La Jolla Krispy Kreme

Lambs Kin Class Emannuel Faith Comm. Church

Larry Ayo Linares DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Chapter

Linda Farmer & Pat Burns Linda Lofgren

Linda Small & Friends Lofgren Family

Lucy/ Szczepanowski Madres

Maria Montessori School Maruta Gardner

Michael Dwyer Michelle Menvielle

Mike "Lefty" Churchill Mission Beach Woman's Club

Mission Valley Christian Fellow-ship

Molly Moores & John Poutsch Motorhead Misfits

Musick, Peeler & Garret Nadine Bangsberg Nancy Heinrichs

Network in c/o Patti Mocock Northrop Grumman

OMBAC OMBAC Members

OMWD Otis Spunkenmeyer

Pain Care of San Diego, AMC Parents Association Francis

Parker School Patricia Goodermote

Paul Bledsoe Paula Taylor Pekin Family

Peter Di Renza Phyllis Barber

Rancho Bernardo Woodcrafters Reynolds Communities

RJ&J INC Robert & Molly Schulze

Rotary Club of San Diego San Diego Association of Real-

tors San Diego City Schools Hearing

Clinic San Diego County Office of

Education San Diego Hospice & the Insti-

tute of Palliative Medicine

San Diego Kiwanis Club Foun-dation/Downtown

San Diego Lions Welfare Foundation

San Diego Mission Bay Boat & Ski Club

San Diego Padres San Diego Spine & Rehab

Sandra Howes SD Assoc of Realtors

SD Golden Triangle Lions Club SDG&E

Sean Parker Sempra Energy Foundation &

Employees Serco Inc.

Sharon & Garry Hays Sharon Siegfried Shella Uyesugi Sidnay Bagley

St. Therese Academy Stella Weil Steve Sloan

Tadpoles Group The Brewer Family

The Pinery, LLC The Smith Family

Tierrasanta Junior Women's Club

Toy Walker TW Telecom USS Freedom

VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post 9578 Viejas

W.H. Cox & Penny Cox Welcome Club of Scripps Ranch

Wesley Family Woman's Day

Women in Defense

Thank you to our SuperParent Holiday Program Title Sponsor The Spiva Family Foundation!