Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Gary Sinise Visits FOX23 News in the Morning
Gary Sinise Visits FOX23 News in the Morning
Actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise announces that the Gary Sinise Foundation and The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation are partnering as part of their Building for America's Bravest Program to build a "smart home" for Tech Sgt. Joe Wilkinson (USAF Ret.).
Wilkinson has extensive neurological damage following his service in Iraq. Doctors have told him he is suffering from a chronic, multi-symptom illness. The belief is he might have come into contact with toxic chemicals sometime during his tour of duty.
Despite several grueling surgeries, he has lost most of the feeling in his legs -- most likely the result of degenerative nerve damage in his back. Wilkinson is unable to walk and is wheelchair-bound.
The fundraising centerpiece to build Wilkinson a "smart home" will be a concert performed by Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band at the Washington Avenue Armory on Saturday, April 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the concert go on sale Monday, March 12 and range in price from $30 to $50 with all proceeds going toward funding the specially-equipped house for Wilkinson, that will allow him to live independently with his wife Lucretia and their children Austin, 13, Kennedi, 10 and Mia, 2.
Actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise announces that the Gary Sinise Foundation and The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation are partnering as part of their Building for America's Bravest Program to build a "smart home" for Tech Sgt. Joe Wilkinson (USAF Ret.).
Wilkinson has extensive neurological damage following his service in Iraq. Doctors have told him he is suffering from a chronic, multi-symptom illness. The belief is he might have come into contact with toxic chemicals sometime during his tour of duty.
Despite several grueling surgeries, he has lost most of the feeling in his legs -- most likely the result of degenerative nerve damage in his back. Wilkinson is unable to walk and is wheelchair-bound.
The fundraising centerpiece to build Wilkinson a "smart home" will be a concert performed by Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band at the Washington Avenue Armory on Saturday, April 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the concert go on sale Monday, March 12 and range in price from $30 to $50 with all proceeds going toward funding the specially-equipped house for Wilkinson, that will allow him to live independently with his wife Lucretia and their children Austin, 13, Kennedi, 10 and Mia, 2.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
'Cash mob' in Chagrin Falls lends a hand to 155-year-old hardware store
Published: Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 9:32 AM
CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio (AP) -- It began quietly, as an email to 40 friends.
But when a steady stream of customers began coming through the door before the family-owned Chagrin Hardware had even opened for the day on Saturday, it was clear that it had turned into much more than that.
The idea started with Jim Black, a resident of Chagrin Falls, a close-knit village in Cleveland's eastern suburbs that is part artist colony and part bedroom community. Black posted the email to a group of his friends. "Let's show our support for one of our local businesses," he wrote. "I challenge everyone to spend AT LEAST $20 at the hardware on the 21st."
Although his email referred to the idea of a "Cash Mob" or the notion to "Occupy CF Hardware," he really had no political agenda. And it wasn't meant as a protest against the big-box stores that have created an ever-tightening circle around the community.
It was just a way to thank Chagrin Hardware's owners for a beloved shop that has been a fixture in the village since 1857.
"These are good people who needed our support," Black said. "It's just that simple."
The store, overlooking meandering Riverside Park and the Chagrin River in the middle of town, has been run by the Shutts family for the last 72 years. It passed from uncle to father to older brothers Rob and Kenny and the three youngest, Steve, Susie and Jack, who run the store today.
Black's note was forwarded and forwarded and forwarded again. Calls started coming in from folks out of state who wanted to make a purchase over the phone.
And when the day came, so did the shoppers -- one by one, with dogs on leashes and children in tow, hour after hour until the hardware was teeming with customers.
"This is small-town America," said resident Martine Scheuermann, a bag of pet-safe ice melt in her arms and her Springer Spaniels tapping their toes on the worn wooden floor at her feet. "This is a special family business in a town where everybody knows you."
The store has seen its share of tough times. Road construction on Main Street at the store's front door some years back crippled business for a time. More recently, the weakened economy and the big boxes have stolen away customers.
On this day, though, those storylines were forgotten.
By 10 a.m. the place was jammed. By 1:30 p.m., the credit card machine was overloaded and had to be reset. "This is so cool," said Steve Shutts, a mix of joy, wonder and happy exhaustion spread across his face. "I've seen people today I haven't seen in years."
The line at the checkout stretched in two directions as people with snow shovels and light bulbs and fireplace grates and vintage movie posters and horse shoe caulk -- yes, horse shoe caulk -- waited to pay.
Chad Schron, 38, came with his 8-year-old son Robert. "We didn't have anything we had to get, but we found things we had to get," he said. As he spoke, Robert clutched an Ohio State desk lamp and two flying monkey toys to his chest.
"When I was a kid, my Mom would send me down here with a note to let me buy BB's," Schron recalled. "Lots of kids did that back then. The notes still are in a drawer over there," he said as he pointed past the register to a wall of wooden drawers containing everything from old springs to screws. In the drawer still labeled "BBs" were stacks of crumpled notes dating to the '50s, from mothers just like Schron's
When the final customer had finally left well after closing time with her fuzzy dice and floodlights, Schwind and Steve Shutts tallied the day's receipts. Shutts shook his head at the wild and unexpected ride.
He wouldn't say how much the store made that day, but was clearly pleased with the outcome.
"Thanks to Jimmy Black," he said. "Thanks to everyone. Thanks to Chagrin Falls.
"What a place to live."
AMY SANCETTA, Associated Press
Friday, February 3, 2012
Puppy Bowl VIII on Animal Plant Feb. 05, 2012 at 3pm e/p
Adopt a puppy with the help of Petfinder.com and Animal Planet.
http://www.petfinder.com/index.html
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
One Person Can Make a Difference
A man on the beach where thousands of starfish lay dying in the sun saw a girl tossing them into the sea, one by one. "Why bother?" he asked. "You won't make much of a difference." Tossing yet another starfish into the sea, the girl said, "I made a difference to that one." Author Unknown
Friday, November 11, 2011
Veteran's Day November 11, 2011
Thank you to all the past, present, and future Military Heroes for fighting for the United States of America.
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