On Member Monday we highlight our members involved in their communities. Today we recognize Chris Forbes, a junior member of MN DAV Auxiliary Unit 39 and Scouting Troop 582, Rogers, Minnesota. Forbes sought help from the golf community in August with a goal of refurbishing 20 sets of golf clubs and accessories for Veterans in need. The project was part of his quest to get Veterans involved in the outdoor sport which he’s discovered can have significant therapeutic value and achieve Eagle Scout.
Forbes reached out for support from the PGA of Minnesota foundations, Benny Mento of the PGA HOPE & PGA Tour Superstore, Matt Just of Shamrock Golf Course, Tom Wiebusch of Pheasant Acres Golf Course and Eric Larson of Fox Hollow Golf Course, the MN Veteran Golfers Facebook Group, and Trust Vets of MN community to include James Dvorak, who donated 20 sets of clubs to Chris’ project.
“I received hundreds of golf clubs,” reports Forbes. “I was able to recruit 10 teenage volunteers and five adults to help clean, sort, rewrap and refurbish 32 complete sets of clubs at the PGA Tour Superstore in Minnetonka, on August 29, 2021. In the first week of September, we have presented two sets of clubs to Veterans, two sets went to the Magnus Foundation for Disabled Veterans for use on their premises. One set is being presented to the MN DAV Chapter 39 to be used as a prize for one of the organization’s largest annual fundraisers, the Leo Luskey DAV Golf Tournament. “My biggest challenge now is identifying Veterans to accept a set of clubs,” says Forbes. “If any Veteran organizations or individuals know a Veteran in need, please have them email [email protected].
His dad is a Trust Vets of MN member and an active member of the DAV. MN DAV Chapter 39 helped sponsor Chris to attend the Omaha Beach Scouting Camporee for the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. Both Chris and his brother, Andrew, are both DAVA members as wells as the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and have been in the Scouting program for more than nine years. Andrew is completing his own Eagle project on Sept. 18. In addition to golfing, Chris enjoys the challenge of hockey and plans on becoming an entrepreneur, getting a BA in finance and a master’s degree in business administration.
DAVs FINAL 2021 Clothing Drive This Weekend: MN DAV Chapter 39 Clothing Drive coming to County Market, 13735 Round Lake Blvd., Andover, MN 55304 on Sat. Sept. 18 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Sun., Sept. 19th, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Look for our DAV trailer and volunteers in the parking lot. Proceeds from the clothing drive supports area Veterans. Please bag or box your clothing, shoes, and small household items.
On Member Monday we highlight our members involved in their communities. Today we recognize Laurie Pekarik, an active member of MN DAV Auxiliary Unit 39 and past unit commander. In addition to volunteering her time for fundraising events, such as the upcoming annual DAV Forget-Me-Not campaign, she served as the MN DAV Auxiliary State Commander for two terms from 2014 to 2016 and was an elected National Executive Committee member for two terms from 2017-2018 representing Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. For the MN DAV Auxiliary Unit 39 Pekarik has been elected to numerous offices supporting area Veterans in Anoka and surrounding counties. She continues to serve on the Leo Luskey Annual DAV Golf Tournament, one of MN DAV Chapter 39’s largest fundraisers.
In addition to spending time with her family, her other passion is volunteering at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery for the past four years. Serving with the Honor Society for Veteran Honor she provides assistance to family members and conducts presentations for the surviving spouse or designated family member on behalf of the Dept. of Defense Joint Chiefs of Staff. She also represents the DAV Auxiliary one day a week bringing comfort items and quilts to in-patient Veterans at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. She’s the wife of Edward Pekarik, a career Army Veteran and Lifetime member of MN Chapter 39 who passed in Oct. 2011.
MN DAV Chapter 39 and Auxiliary Unit 39 will conduct their monthly member meetings on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 PM at the VFW, Coon Rapids Blvd., Coon Rapids, MN 55433. The Chapter and Auxiliary Unit is in need of additional volunteers for the DAV Forget-Me-Not campaign on Sept. 10, 11, and 12. The final clothing drive will be held at County Market on Sept. 18 and 19 and could use some additional volunteers. Sign-up sheets to support will be at the meeting or you can call the Chapter Adjutant. The Unit is looking for female veterans to enjoy a free Spa Day in October. Call Nancy Berndt for details at (763) 427-3544. COVID-19 Variant cases continue to rise in Anoka County. CDC and MN Dept. of Health recommends wear of masks for indoor gatherings, and “mandates” wear for those unvaccinated. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view
On Member Monday we highlight our members involved in their communities. Today we highlight Eva Smith, an active member of MN DAV Chapter 39. The Sauk Center resident served in the U.S. Air Force from 1982 to 1985 as an airman 1st class communications and crypto repair specialist. This year she was elected as the Chapter’s senior vice commander and as a committee member of the Leo Luskey 5th Annual Golf Tournament, raising funds supporting area veterans in Anoka and surrounding counties.
Smith has served as the Chapter’s adjutant and treasurer and continues to volunteer her time transporting veterans to and from VA medical appointments, annual DAV Forget-Me-Not campaigns, clothing drives, and reaching out to legislators, the community, and fellow veterans about the mission of the DAV and membership benefits. She enjoys spending time with her family and loves cheering on her favorite Minnesota sports teams. Prior to the COVID pandemic, Smith was recognized by the Minnesota Lynx as a “Homegrown Hero.”
August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and the Veterans Administration is raising awareness on how vaccines protect your health and the health of your family and community! Immunizations or vaccines are medical preparations given to individuals to help improve the body’s resistance to a particular disease. Getting vaccines will prevent outbreaks of many types of diseases and can also save lives.
Learn more from the Veterans Health Library about types of infection and the associated vaccine at https://www.va.gov/QUALITYOFCARE/education/National_Immunization_Awareness_Month.asp
A few facts about vaccines:
• Vaccines eliminated smallpox and polio in the U.S.
• Vaccines are one of the safest medical interventions we have
• People 6 months and older should receive a flu shot every year
• People age 65 or older need a one-time shot to help prevent pneumonia
• Once you get a vaccine it also protects others around you from getting that disease
• All adults need a booster shot every 10 years to protect against tetanus and diphtheria
• Measles and other diseases have been significantly reduced in the U.S. because of Vaccines
On Member Monday we highlight our members involved in their communities. Today we highlight Dan Lynch, an active member of Minnesota Disabled American Veterans Chapter 39. Lynch, a resident of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, is a U.S. Navy Vietnam veteran. The boatswains’ mate served as a cook and baker, returning to Minnesota with a career as a water pump engineer until he retired in 2011.
He currently serves Chapter 39 as the elected chaplain and an active volunteer for fundraising events supporting area veterans to include grocery bagging, clothing drives, and the annual Forget-Me-Not DAV campaign. Lynch is also a lifetime member of the VFW and active in his church as a trustee and a choir member. He has a passion for music, is a sports enthusiast, and loves spending time with his family, especially in the outdoors.
Chris Forbes, a member of Scouting Troop 582, Rogers, Minnesota, is reaching out to the golf community to help refurbish 20 sets of golf clubs and accessories for Veterans in need. The project is part of his quest to achieve Eagle Scout and to get Veterans involved in the outdoor sport which he’s discovered can have significant therapeutic value. The 9th grader now has the support of the PGA of Minnesota foundations, PGA Reach and PGA Hope.
Forbes, who has a passion for the game of golf, is the son of a disabled veteran. He’s leading a group of volunteer scouts and is looking for additional volunteers to help refurbish donated golfing accessories and sets of clubs at the PGA Tour Superstore in Minnetonka, 12380 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka, MN 55305 on August 29, 2021. The clubs and golf accessories will undergo general repair, cleaning, and regripping. Contact Chris Forbes if you’d like to help in the refurbishing process by emailing him at [email protected]
Used golf club and accessories can be dropped off no later than August 28 at the scout’s home located at 13568 Oakwood Dr., Rogers MN 55374.
If you know of a veteran that would be interested in a set of refurbished golf clubs and accessories, have them email [email protected].
Today is Member Monday, highlighting some of our MN DAV Chapter 39 members. Tom Boling, an active member of DAV served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve from 1959 to 1985. He served as an enlisted Soldier as a pole lineman and an armor commo chief and following graduation from Officer Candidate School served as an armor and infantry officer, serving two tours in Vietnam. Major Boling retired from his military career in 1985. A Coon Rapids resident, Boling served the DAV as a National Service Officer, Assistant Adjutant, and in 1995 organized MN DAV Chapter 39, with 60 members. Years later he was elected as the Chapter Commander.
Today, with more than 1200 lifetime members, MN DAV Chapter 39 is one of the most active veteran organizations in the United States. He enjoys attending Army reunions and with his wife, Christa, traveling and camping. Boling is also a lifetime member of the American Legion and the VFW. He continues to remain an active DAV member volunteering for clothing drives, Forget-Me-Not campaigns, bagging groceries fundraising, and serving on various committees supporting Anoka and surrounding county Veterans.
Thank you for your donations at the MN DAV Chapter 39 Clothing Drive at the Riverdale Mall in Coon Rapids, August 14 and 15. Two trailer loads were collected and will be processed this week with 100 percent of the proceeds supporting area Veterans. We appreciate our DAV volunteers who took time this weekend to make this fundraising event possible.
