Volume 3, Issue 7

17 July 2008

Compiled & Edited by:

Leslie Gray

Serving 6,000 active-duty junior-enlisted

military service members and their families
each month with over 40 free programs!

June kept the ASY staff and volunteers

jumping with 2 huge special events: the
NICU Reunion at Naval Medical Center
and our 2nd Annual Christmas You
Missed. In addition, we spotlight
another fantastic volunteer at NMC and Bandit the Biker Dog poses with members of the San
look forward to this summer’s YES Diego Chargers at the 2nd Annual Christmas You Missed
event Over 100 families enjoyed the recreation of
program! Christmas morning complete with breakfast buffet,
Starbucks, and presents from Santa.

25th Annual NICU Reunion—06.07.08

For the past 25 years, the San Diego Armed Services YMCA
has collaborated with Naval Medical Center to create the
NICU Reunion, allowing staff the opportunity to become
reacquainted with children whose complications at birth
challenged their very lives. This event is a festival where
staff and families celebrate the progress and development of
their babies.
This year’s 25th Annual NICU Reunion was a huge success!
Over 500 people were in attendance. The day included
activity booths, pony rides, a dunk tank, and lots of prizes.
Admiral Hunter served as our guest speaker for the
celebration. Famous characters
volunteered their time to greet
children throughout the event:
Big Animals for Little Kids, Disney
Princesses, Star Wars, and Pirates
of the Caribbean. There was also
a delicious BBQ provided by the
Encanto VFW Post #1512.
Special thanks to all the staff and
volunteers who had helped with
this event. Without them the
NICU Reunion would not be a
success!
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Naval Medical Center

NMC Volunteer Spotlight: Joan Larison, Outreach Office
A lifetime of support to the Armed Services…
Joan was a Navy wife for over 30 years, proudly
supporting her husband and the military. Her
patriotic spirit and dedication to volunteering led her
to our offices in 2007, where she has been
supporting ASYMCA programs ever since.
Joan currently volunteers for the Medevac Family
Support Program and is our lead volunteer for
inpatient ward visits. In addition to her ongoing
volunteer commitments, both she and her husband
have contributed their time for many ASY special
events and volunteer jobs in 2008.
How Joan makes a difference…Joan is very
dedicated to helping in any way needed. Joan has
been known to arrive at any time necessary- from
the wee hours in the early morning to late into the
evening, when most are at home getting ready for
bed. It is not uncommon for Joan put in a full work
day tending to patient needs. Joan is warm, sincere,
and thorough in every task she undertakes. She is in
constant communication with staff enabling her to
provide the best care for all active duty military and
their families she encounters at NMC.
July
18th - KUSI Shopping Spree
Youth & Community 18th - Giant Used Car Tent Sale @ Qualcomm
25th - Computers 2 SD Kids Giveaway
YES Program Returns in 2008! 31st - YES Program to YMCA Camp Surf

August
7th - YES Program to Bright Valley Farms
14th - YES Program to Knott’s Soak City
15th - ASY Strategic Planning Retreat @ Orleck
16th - Operation Backpack by Waste Management
22nd - Computers 2 SD Kids Giveaway
26th - KUSI Shopping Spree
29th - Giant Used Car Tent Sale @ Qualcomm

The San Diego Armed Services YMCA’s Youth & September

Community Outreach department once again is 12th - 3rd All Decked Out Fashion Show @ YachtFest
proud to offer the Youth Enrichment in the Summer
(YES) Program to our children of our local military
12th - Ombudsman/Key Volunteer Luncheon
families! This year’s day trips include outings to 19th - KUSI Shopping Spree
YMCA Camp Surf, Bright Valley Farms for horseback 26th - Computers 2 SD Kids Giveaway
riding, and Knott’s Soak City. Due to overwhelming
demand, this year’s focus is on children ages 8 to 14
who come from military families where the sponsor
is E-5 or below.
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Thank you for your support…

Corporate Partner Members:

Epsilon Systems Solutions, Inc.
North Island Credit Union
USA Federal Credit Union

Notable donors:
TriWest Healthcare Alliance
Warrior Foundation
Hotel-Motel Association
Atlas Hotel
Integrated Sports Marketing
KSON 97.3 FM
Live Nation
Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
House of Blues
AEG Live
FOCUS - Friends of Children United Society
American Sewing Guild - San Diego Chapter
Avant Garde
From the Desk of Executive Director Paul Steffens:
When one thinks of the month of June in San Diego, one does not normally visualize
falling snow and Santa Claus. However, the Armed Services YMCA staff and hundreds
of volunteers make “snow and Santa” a reality in San Diego during June. “The
Christmas You Missed” provides us the opportunity to express our appreciation to
military families separated by deployments on December 25, 2007. This annual event
recognizes the sacrifices of military families who missed being together because of
deployments. The holiday spirit filled the Santo Recreation Center and the joy in the
eyes of the children truly made the event memorable. A special thank you to
Raytheon Corporation for recognizing this event, in their annual ASY awards, as the
“most unique new program.” Also, we cannot forget the “green team” from Waste
Management, Inc. who not only provided major sponsorship, but brought dozens of
their employees to assist and participate in the event. Mark your calendars for June
25, 2009 for the next “Christmas You Missed.”
In June, we also moved closer to a milestone in expanding our programs to increasing
support for our military families. The final plans for expanding our Murphy Canyon
Facility were received and approved. This expansion, which will be in place by
September, enables us to increase our Youth & Community programs and our Family
Outreach programs. Look for the grand opening announcement! Speaking of new
things, there is a rumor of a future monthly “Coffee at the ASYMCA” in Murphy
Canyon… served from our Civil War Coffee Wagon. More to follow on that possibility.
Remember, the ASYMCA exists to serve military families – check out all of our free
programs.
Keep Chargin!
Paul

For more information on how YOU

can make a difference…

info@asymcasd.org
858.751.5755
www.militaryymca.com