Foothills Sentry September 2024

Page 7 Foothills Sentry SEPTEMBER 2024 Preserve Villa Park Strong supporter of our police and re services Short-sighted mandates from the State of California encouraging high-density housing, certain group homes and other intrusions must be resisted Fiscal Responsibility As a successful business owner, rmly believes every tax dollar must be spent wisely Improving Villa Park’s aging infrastructure is a priority City nances need to remain transparent to all Attended Villa Park Elementary Cerro Villa Junior High & Villa Park High School Villa Park Legacy My wife and I have raised three wonderful kids in Villa Park Proud 45 year resident of the “Hidden Jewel” Coordinates the Villa Park Marines Thanksgiving event Active in Community Past President of VP Rotary VP Foundation Board Member Served as a Villa Park Reserve Volunteer Fire ghter Frack4VP@gmail.com Frack4VP.org Paid for by Robert Frackelton for Villa Park City Council 2024, FPPC number pending Elks help with creek clean-up The Orange Elks Lodge works with Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance (SCGA) on the second Saturday of every month to help clean up the Santiago Creek. SCGA provides trash bags, pick-up claws, gloves, water, pretty much everything you need. On this Saturday, Orange Elks Terrie Schatz, Orange Mayor Dan Slater and Marc Kenton joined friends of the SCGA team to clean the creek. Miss City of Or- ange, Elizabeth Raburn helped. Charity workout raises funds for survivor Force3 Fitness recently hosted a charity workout event to sup- port Devin Downs, a community member facing significant health challenges. The event, organized and led by Schad Gibbons, owner and head coach of Force3 Fitness in Orange, raised $1,450 to assist Devin with his ongoing medical expenses. The inspiration for the event began when Gibbons was ap- proached by Mike Yablonka, owner of Wheel Warehouse. Yablonka shared the story of Devin Downs, an employee who had suffered a stroke in Decem- ber 2023. The stroke left him paralyzed on his left side, plung- ing him into significant debt and a state of despair. Gibbons saw an opportunity to help Downs overcome his cir- cumstances and invited him to a workout. Victim or hero? During their first session, Gib- bon told Downs he would be writing the next chapter in his book of life, and asked him if he wanted to play the role of victim or hero. Downs chose to be the hero, and the two began working together. Over three months, they trained two to three times per week, focusing on basic move- ments like getting up and down from a chair, walking with longer strides, and holding a cup of wa- ter. The training not only helped improve Down’s physical abili- ties, but also significantly boosted his mental health. Their progress faced a new challenge when Downs was di- agnosed with lung cancer. His mother informed Gibbons that all future sessions would be can- celed. Refusing to give up, the fitness instructor reached out to Downs and encouraged him to continue fighting. He did, attend- ing the very next session, despite the daunting diagnosis. Now undergoing cancer treat- P.E.O. scholarships awarded ment, Downs remains mentally strong, bolstered by the sup- port and encouragement from the community and his training sessions at Force3 Fitness. The charity workout event was a tes- tament to the community's spirit, showcasing the power of collec- tive effort and the importance of standing by those in need. For more information or to make a donation to Devin Downs, please contact Schad Gibbons at Force3 Fitness or Mike Yablonka at Wheel Warehouse. P.E.O. Chapter S/Orange awarded two Dorothy Halleck Scholarships to Kate Kuli and Lena Oliver. Awardee Kate Kuli is a senior at Brown University, majoring in political science. She plans to continue to graduate school and obtain a law degree. Awardee Lena Oliver, after completing her BA at Syracuse University, is currently working on an MBA at USC’s Marshall School of Business. Each awardee received $2,500. The scholarships are funded through a financial legacy from a former Orange teacher and Chap- ter S member, Dorothy Halleck. It is open to women during their junior year of college, or beyond. Chapter S hosts fundraisers throughout the year to augment this scholarship fund. P.E.O. is a philanthropic edu- cational organization for women and offers many financial support opportunities for those seeking higher education. To learn more, go to: peointernational.org . Kate Kuli Lena Oliver Schad Gibbons, left, and Devin Downs Members of the Orange Elks Lodge tidy up Santiago Creek monthly.