10-12pm (parade) TBD for VSTAA signing
Stay Tuned for more infomation.
Huntington Park
Stay Tuned for more infomation.
Resurrecting Lives Foundation (RLF) was honored to attend the Friday March 22nd Student Veterans Association Visibility Exchange at Ohio Union with SVA President Samantha (Sam) Smith presiding. USN Retired Chief, Joe Pisano, traveled from San Diego to display the OHIO Veterans Standing Together Across America (VSTAA) Flag. The Flag was commissioned by RLF and created by Pisano to honor OHIO’s veterans by inviting them to sign the flag frame and declare their years of service. THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY became the first ever VSTAA Flag visit and we were excited when Assistant Vice Provost and Director of Military and Veterans Services Retired USAF Colonel Kevin Cullen, signed the flag at the commencement of the SVA meeting. He was joined by President Smith who signed in honor of her father, USMC Patrick Smith.
The conference was attended by members of the SVA from several colleges and universities in the area and all were given the opportunity to become part of the OHIO Stand Together Flag - in solidarity and in service. It was an remarkable FIRST TIME University event, and we were so thankful to all who participated and assisted our mission to come together under the flag and honor service and sacrifice - especially during MARCH, National TBI Awareness month.
CEO of COLUMBUS Clippers, Mr. Ken Schnake, met with USN Artist, Chief Pisano as well as members of the Resurrecting Lives Foundation VSTAA team on Thursday, March 21st at Huntington Park - The Patriotism and commitment to our veterans as honored by assigning Wednesday home games as a tribute to veterans and first responders will be further enhanced on Wed, May 29th as the Stand Together Flag comes to Huntington Park. Please check our website for updates on this event where veterans will be invited to sign the flag frame as we all Stand Together under the flag and salute our Veterans.
Play Ball and Pay Tribute to our veterans during this evening of honor and healing and WINNING!
Hoʻōla Veteran Services 501(c)(3), d.b.a. Hoʻōla Farms was established in 2015 to provide natural agriculture educational training and hands-on experiences for military veterans and first responders, their families and caregivers, and the community in hopes of creating a more sustainable future and well-being for all.
Mission
Our mission is to serve military veterans and first responders, their families and caregivers, and the community by providing opportunities to heal, connect, learn, grow and thrive.
Hoʻōla Farms provides opportunities to come together and work towards a positive goal for all—growing healthy food! We do this by providing a safe, welcoming environment where we combine everyday gardening and farm work with education, fellowship, and fun.
Goals
Hoʻōla Farms connects veterans with agricultural opportunities, helping them contribute to rural prosperity and achieve an enhanced quality of life for themselves, their families, and communities. We want to increase the number of veterans seeking and securing educational, employment, and entrepreneurial opportunities in the food and agriculture sector. We think it helps when we include support accessing crucial health and wellness services.
Our ʻOhana Story
Emily Emmons is a caregiver for her husband, John. Before he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 2014, he suffered from a menagerie of symptoms on a weekly basis. For eight years, he struggled with severe migraines, anxiety, night sweats, and other symptoms before finally getting an accurate diagnosis.
Gardening helped ease the pressure of his PTSD and TBI. After their daughters got involved and it became a family activity, it became clear that it wasn’t just gardening. It was a means to reconnect and to heal every day while keeping their fruits and veggies healthy.
Healing through gardening inspired Emily and John to provide this therapeutic opportunity to other veterans coping with PTSD and other conditions and hardships by founding Hoʻōla Farms—a nonprofit that serves military veterans, caregivers, first-responders and their families by providing opportunities to heal, connect, learn, grow and thrive.
With help from GoFarm Hawaii, they launched their Growing Veterans program, which consists of classroom-style lectures (in-person and via internet), hands-on practical work days at the training farm, and field trips to operational farms.
On being an Elizabeth Dole Foundation caregiver Fellow, Emily says: “It has made a significant impact on my life. It has empowered and encouraged me to live my life with purpose everyday. Once you are a Fellow, you’re always family. And that couldn’t be more true… in Hawaiʻi we call it ʻohana.”
Emily now serves as Hoʻōla Farms’ Executive Director and an advocate for veterans and their families living in rural areas on Hawaiʻi Island. Mahalo to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation for this excerpt and for helping us tell our story.
On February 11th, 2024 the VSTAA flag ceremony was held in Hawaii and hosted by AMVETS West Veterans Center.
One word could describe the Hawai'i experience: Ohana
From the moment of the decision to create the Hawai'i Flag, to the capturing of the 'Flag image over the USS ARIZONA Memorial, to the nearly 60 San Diego community members' participation in installing Screws "In Honor of the Veterans in Hawai'i", our mission was clear. Honor our Hawaii veterans, who compose 8.2% of the state's population with a strong representation from Native Hawaiians and Southeast Asian communities.
PRESS RELEASE
-Melody Bell (Outreach Coordinator) Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Child & Family Services
On February 11th, 2024, the VSTAA flag ceremony was held in Hawaii and hosted by AMVETS West Veterans Center.
This ceremony, which will designate the local organizations as keepers of the flag, is celebrated in honor of our Veterans and their families. This nationwide campaign called "Veterans Standing Together Across America" provides Patriotic events to honor those who have served and sacrificed through art therapy as well as connect our community awareness for suicide prevention education and brain health among service members and veterans, as well as celebrate those whom we love. The flag is gifted to the state of Hawaii by the Resurrecting Lives Foundation as a symbolic tribute to the 50th state, where nearly 10% of the population served in the military.
Presenting the flag will be award-winning artist Joseph Pisano, who is also a retired U.S. Naval Reserves Chief Petty Officer. Pisano is traveling from his home in San Diego, California, to Hawai'i to present his art, which is inspired by the flag that flies over the USS Arizona Memorial, with the goal of raising awareness and support to reduce the rate of military suicides. Pisano's flag art is unique in that it is made of more than 5,000 drywall screws. He's gathered 50 community participants to install a ceremonious screw, symbolizing the support of the veterans, service members, and military families in Hawai'i.
Resurrecting Lives Foundation and PISANO Artistry launched Veterans Stand Together Across America (VSTAA), a Nationwide Suicide Prevention Campaign held at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum
on November 1st, 2023.
RLF and PISANO Artistry would like to take the time to THANK the amazing team from NVMM, the RLF team, volunteers, Bell Production,
and ALL in attendance.
This event was successful because of you.
Resurrecting Lives Foundation would like to THANK the Impact60 team of Bruce Daniels, organized by Lavona See and well-engineered by the Avalon Theater staff, for the amazing afternoon of Community and Connections during the viewing of BRAINSTORMS. Julie Pacino's written and directed film gives the audience an experiential viewpoint of what life is like for veterans recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries. Over 100 community members attended the event, which was all about "CONNECTIONS." Connecting our veterans to our community and to services within the community. USMC veteran, Cory Hixson, and local financial Advisor Edward James acted as emcees for the event, and informed the audience what life before, during, and after active military service encompasses. Chrisanne Gordon, MD, executive producer of the film, thanked the audience for their role in her TBI recovery decades ago and praised the community at Memorial Health and the Union County Mental Health and Recovery Board for their roles in providing care to our veterans. Lastly, Sharon Boehm of Boehm Motorsports, gave a passionate presentation about the employment of veterans and their strengths in the community the message that Mr. Daniels also echoed. The event was topped off by the founder of Impact60 and developer of the Avalon Theater, Bruce Daniels, whose passionate closing arguments were received and heeded by the crowd. Resurrecting Lives Foundation presented Mr. Daniels with a plaque honoring his years of Innovative and Patriotic Philanthropy in the Marysville Community.
Read the following write-up for an update on TEAM CHIVINGTON and their race in the World Ultra Cycling Championship.
TWO 60-YEAR-OLDS BEAT ALL THE
24-HOUR 2-PERSON TEAMS-12-24 Hour
World Time Trial Championships
Borrego Springs, California
November 3-5, 2023
There were some fast 2-person teams in the 24-hour portion at the 2023 edition of the 6-12-24 Hour World Time Trial Championships (WTTC). Surprisingly the fastest of all was the EY Legacy Builders in the men’s 60-69 age category. The team members Mark Gibson (a solo RAAM finisher in 2017) and Mark Skarpohl put in 469.2 miles (19.7 mph) over the 420 miles posted by 60-69 riders James McKee and Bob Brudvik of “Wolfbaby.”
EY Legacy Builder’s result is not bad for a team that was put together mere days before the race. Gibson had entered with another teammate who had to drop out at the last minute. He connected with Skarpohl via the RAAM Ultra-Cycling Forum, and the rest, as they say, is history. Once again our Forum helps racers in need. https://www.facebook.com/groups/523225327828742
The next fastest with 456 miles was Team Bottril from the UK. Peter Horton and Geffrey Moy in the men’s 40-49 age group.
The closest race of all was in the men’s 50-59 category where the 508ers (Chris Ragsdale & Jim Ryan)
and Semper Fi (Joe Lawhorn & Doug Chivington). The two teams were evenly matched--both had solo RAAM finishers (Lawhorn & Ragsdale) and in the end they tied on mileage with 446.4 miles, but the 508ers completed the distance 2 minutes and 45 seconds faster.
Sylvia Maas and Rachel Monderer of the women’s 2-person 60-69 team dubbed We Met in Texas won their division with 428.4 miles, with “Two Feisty Femmes” taking second with 342 miles.
Ethan Soch and Elisha Bilsborough Soch It To ‘em (USA) won the 24-hour 2P mixed team race with 410.4 miles (17.2 mph).
Another UK-based team, Evanspeed (David Evans & Hiroko Kobayashi) had a good day in the 2-person mixed age 60-69 division with 374.4 miles.
The “Speedy Bois” team of Adam Ashwill and Coren Hendricks got everyone’s attention early on. The sole male Under 20 team members set a fast pace and were the overall 24-hour leaders for over half the race until their effort fell apart. “We went out a little spicy,” Ashwill explained after the race. “We were on track for what we wanted to accomplish—which was to break 500 miles and beat all the other 2-person teams. Around hour 14 the cold took its toll, which took out Coren’s knees.” I went out and did one more pull while he was getting his knee recovered and I just totally detonated. We ended up calling it after 360 miles in 15 hours. I wish that we could have held it longer. But we’ll be back next year.”
More experienced onlookers noted that despite temperatures of below 50F, the youngsters were riding with uncovered knees. “Tights or leg warmers would have been good,” Ashwill admitted. “But I didn’t even bring ‘em. I was, ‘Ah, it’ll be alright.’” The two have already been chastised about their rookie mistake. “We were both on a junior development team and his dad was my coach,” Ashwill noted. “And yeah, we’ve already gotten an earful.”
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