a COOL operation

Pursuing an active and athletic lifestyle can sometimes be taken for granted. For those suffering from permanent physical disabilities pursuing such a lifestyle can be daunting and in some cases never achieved. Thanks to the Challenged Athlete's Foundation an active lifestyle for those permanently disabled is no longer an unachievable goal.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation's Operation Rebound is a top notch program that supports American military personnel, veterans and first responders who have suffered permanent physical disabilities. The foundation, established in 1997, realizes the athletic pursuits in all people with challenging disabilities and assists their athletic capabilities by providing opportunities that lead to success in sports and all phases of life.

The Operation offers access to funding for athletic expenses ranging from equipment, training, and competition. They also support funds for Military Medical Center Physical Training and sports clinics.

Here's to Operation Rebound for allowing those suffering from permanent physical disabilities the chance to pursue their athletic endeavors-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

For more information please go to: www.challengedathletes.org

What do you think of Operation Rebound's mission? How would you feel about pursuing your athletic endeavors if you were permanently disabled?

the COOL outdoors

Justin Ristine, 11, wanted to go hunting like his father. Mikey Williamson, 8, also wants to experience the joys of hunting. The only obstacle standing in Justin's way was that he was born with only one arm and Mikey has only two fingers and uses a wheelchair due to complications from spina bifida. Thanks to Youth Outdoors Unlimited Justin was able to go hunting and get his first deer while Mikey is planning to go in November.

Youth Outdoors Unlimited, a Moses Lake, WA based organization founded by Cindy Carpenter, helps children with disabilities or life-threatening illnesses, who have an interest in outdoor sports, go on hunting and fishing trips. The organization runs totally on donations and it supplies everything to include hunting safety classes, the equipment, the trip, the food, and carries liability insurance.

Justin's mother, Jennifer, is ecstatic about the program, "You're not out anything. It's a wonderful program for the kids." Justin fired one shot and bagged a three-point buck about 120 yards away. Youth Unlimited donated the $500 Remington 700 rifle that went through a $6,500 renovation donated by Aaron Davidson of Gunwerks in Wyoming which made it easier for him to shoot. Justin explains, "There was no kick, it was like shooting a BB gun. I was very, very happy." A butcher shop in Ephrata is processing the meat and Justin's parents are having the deer's head mounted. Both services are being done free of charge.

Jennifer Ristine did have her reservations about Justin going hunting, "I was scared to death. "I thought, 'My kid with a gun?" However, after meeting Cindy she agreed with her husband, Roy, to sign him up, "I just felt comfortable with her."

Here's to you Youth Outdoors Unlimited and Cindy Carpenter for helping kids dealing with disabilities experience the great outdoors-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

For more information bout Youth Outdoors Unlimited visit them at www.youthoutdoorsu.org or call Cindy Carpenter directly at 509-431-1604

What do you think of the Youth Outdoors Unlimited program?

COOL heels

Some boots were made for walking but these cool heals were made for helping women in their twenties, thirties, and early forties regain a sense of themselves as they recover from cancer treatment. The Pink Heals Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization that focuses on helping young women "reclaim their mojo."

Through fun programs that help women regain their confidence Pink Heals aims to help young women regain their strength and beauty. They do this because surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can damage a woman's looks and confidence as they try to cope with being in what should be the prime of their lives. The brutal treatments can make it rather difficult to find a "new normal".

Pink Heals was founded and created by "Lisa" as she finished treatment and she was overwhelmed with emotions that included depression that followed the end of treatment. She was overcome with fear and helplessness as the feeling of "actively fighting" ended. Most of those around her assumed everything was over and that she should return back to normal. Her confidence and sense of self were shattered as she felt isolated and too young to have cancer.

Here's to you "Lisa" and Pink Heals as you help these young women regain their sense of confidence and mojo-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

Please check out WWW.PINKHEALS.ORG if you would like to learn more or just to donate.

What do you think of PINK HEALS and their mission? Do you know someone who lost their sense of self, confidence, or looks after the active fight against cancer was over and found it hard to return to normal?

COOL coffee

As one enters an upscale coffee house, one is expecting to spend a higher price for a hot beverage than at the local diner or restaurant. Some might think that spending top dollar for a latte at Starbucks is just a waste of money as the economy continues to struggle. However, Starbucks is looking to stimulate U.S. job growth through what they are calling a "Jobs for USA" program.

First, Starbucks is doing it's part to stimulate U.S job growth by hiring around 200 workers a day as they look to remodel existing stores and adding 200 more locations through the next year. Starbuck's Corp's CEO, Howard Schultz, isn't satisfied with those efforts and wants to do more.

Starbucks is teaming with Opportunity Finance Network, a nonprofit group that provides loans to small businesses and community groups. The coffee chain will begin to collect $5 donations this November 1st with 100% of the proceeds going towards loans for companies that can add jobs or lessen job losses. In the past, the network has given loans that have gone to charter schools and grocery stores nationwide. Mr. Shultz expresses, "This is about using Starbucks scale for good."

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, is confident in the impact that a program like this can have, "I think it's a really worthy effort. In theory, this is a great idea and should have impact."

The next time you grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage don't forget about bringing an extra $5 along with you. It's probably about the cost of a fancy latte but it will go towards giving the U.S. job growth a boost along with giving you a morning boost as well.

Here's to you Starbucks, Opportunity Finance Network, and all those who contribute to giving our economy a much needed caffeine high-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

What do you think of Starbucks program to boost the U.S. job growth? Would you be willing to donate $5 after spending money to buy your favorite hot beverage?

a COOL artist

Sheila Lengle, 64-year-old part-time sales consultant, passionate artist, and breast cancer survivor is donating %50 of the proceeds from a silent auction for one of her paintings "Amy's Bouquet". This painting and several others of her original works are showing at Diane Venti's gallery on Sept. 23rd from 6-9pm. Ten percent of all sales will benefit breast cancer research.

Sheila believes she has not only survived cancer but that she has thrived over the disease. Today she show cases her art on her own website www.lengleart.com, produces Artcards for a kids store, paints wall murals, and is about to start art classes for kids. She also has a long term goal of openning another art gallery similiar to ones she owned in the past.

Sheila describes her art as being "bold, big strokes of vibrant colors." Please visit her website if you would like to experience her bright world of colors and get a hint of her survival attitude.

Here's to you Sheila for having the courage to face the battle of breast cancer and the COOL attitude to thrive and give back to others-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

Experience Sheila's art at Diane Venti's Gallery: West Seattle's Alki Arts, 2828 Alki Ave. S.W.

What do you think of Sheila's will to thrive after facing breast cancer? What do you think of her art made up of "vibrant colors"?

COOL roller coaster riders

This past weekend was spent with family at Cedar Point riding thrilling roller coasters and eating good but not good for you park food such as french fries and ice cream. Throw in a few games and winning prizes and you have one COOL weekend. One couldn't ask for anything more.

However, there were a group of friends riding one roller coaster with us and they were the definition of COOL, good friends. One of the group of friends appeared to be legally blind as he wore big sunglasses that wrapped around his face. This man, they called "Shark", was sitting in front of my niece on one of the coasters. As the coaster whipped around bends and ascended and descended the tracks at a torrid pace, the man sitting beside Shark and the woman in front of him started yelling at him that he better not throw up. As the coaster came to a stop, readying to allow its passengers off the two friends of Shark began to tell him to turn to his right so that he might not hit them with any leftovers from lunch.

At this time, we did not realize that Shark was probably blind until we had exited the ride and were continuing our way to the next coaster when we witnessed the man sitting besides Shark helping him as he appeared to still be wobbly from his ride. The man had Shark's hands and was guiding him. I couldn't imagine riding a roller coaster without being able to see the curves and hills.

Prior to getting on the coaster as we were strapping ourselves in, Shark was having trouble buckling his seat belt and commented that he fit in the ride last year and his friend mentioned to him that he obviously gained weight over the past year.

We would see Shark and his friends two more times during that day and both times he had a hand on a friend's shoulder to help guide him through the busy amusement park. It is hard enough to navigate one's way around with a pair of good eyes as people make their way to their favorite rides. The pace is quick and people can be relentless and unforgiving along their way.

Watching Shark's friends joke and kid with him all the while caring for him during their trip to Cedar Point was a COOL experience. They obviously cared enough about him to make sure that his experience in the amusement park was a safe one all the while letting him see that he was one of them and would get no slack no matter how poor his vision was. Here's to you Shark's friend's for not only making his experience a cool one but ours one as well-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

What do you think of Shark's friends and how they treat him? How would you treat a legally blind friend and would you accompany them to an amusement park and ride roller coasters?

COOL lemonade

This past July 29th in Dell Rapids, SD Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) set up shop in the city park to raise money for children cancer research. Josie Hansen, an alumni of Dell Rapids High School, was there working for her third consecutive year, "I've always wanted to help kids, and this is something that's tragic and no child should have to deal with it."

You can find Alex's Lemonade Stands all over the country. Founded by Alexandra Scott when she was four years old and being treated for the type of cancer called Neuroblastoma, the lemonade stands have raised over 45 million dollars over the past 10 years. Alexandra was able to raise $2,000 at her first stand and donated the money to the doctors that helped her, "When I get out of the hospital I want to have a lemonade stand and give the money to the doctors to allow them to help other kids, like they helped me."

Alex passed away in 2004 at the age of 8 but not before raising $1 million, with the help of others who were inspired by her and set up their own lemonade stands to assist her in her quest, for childhood cancer research.

Today her dream lives on through he family which set up the ALFS in 2005. The money raised has helped fund more than 200 research projects, create a travel program to help support families of children undergoing treatment, and develop resources to help people everywhere affected by childhood cancer.

As Josie Hansen embodies Alex's spirit of helping others she states, "I don't plan on giving up anytime soon. It's something I'm very passionate about."

Here's to Alex, her family, and others who continue to do her work and keep her dream alive-stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

For further information, to set up your own stand, or to donate:
www.alexlemonade.org

What do you think of Alex's courage and those that continue to keep her dream alive? Would you be interested in hosting a lemonade stand for such a good cause?