Sentinels Hit a Home Run Helping Wounded Vets      Saturday May 1, 2010  

Susan Larson, Writer Gwinnett Daily Post

Sentinels hit a home run helping wounded vets. Now is the time for 60 “good men” to come to the aid of their county as the Sentinels of Freedom-Gwinnett recruits players for its third annual fundraising softball tournament.

SOF is a “grass-roots promise to accept responsibility for the well being of severely injured men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who are returning to civilian life and show promise for bright and productive futures.” Disabled veterans have always been a concern, but since 9/11, needs have escalated. Due to advanced medical care, for every American who dies in battle, dozens more survive, which means many more severely wounded vets face the challenges of putting their lives back together. That’s where Sentinels of Freedom report for duty.  SOF uses 100 percent of its funds to help wounded veterans become self-sufficient. This includes four years of college, rent-free housing, adaptive vehicles if needed and total financial support, which is so comprehensive that veterans must agree not to spend any of their disability pay for the entire four years.  “We have them put it in escrow so they have a nest egg to buy a house or car when they complete the program,” Vice President George Rhode said.  And the money is not just left to sit in the bank. Financial experts like Al Brown, Bob House and Gil Guggenheim provide free professional advice on making the most of their money while also learning how to make the most of their lives.  But SOF’s biggest support lies in its personal involvement and interaction with these wounded warriors. Beyond providing for physical and intellectual needs, SOF provides personal mentoring, standing side by side with them as family to help them establish roots in their new community.  State Rep. Brooks Coleman, a strong advocate of SOF, said, “This organization touches my heart with what they do for these vets. It’s so vital that we the citizens remember and respect the sacrifices they’ve made and this is the least that we can do for them.” As for one of the “least” of SOF’s efforts, that’s where that softball tournament comes into play. This tournament, which will be at Bunten Park on May 29, needs 60 men to field four teams, each representing a branch of the military. The $35 fee includes a souvenir T-shirt and lunch. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the games begin at 11 a.m. Spectators can enjoy food, souvenir military hats and a color guard presentation from Duluth High School JROTC.  “Teams are made up of volunteers,” Jess Vics, SOF Public Relations Director said. “You don’t have to be military or former military to play. You can play for your favorite service. The winning team’s branch is listed on the permanent plaque in the Bunten Park office and has bragging rights for the coming year. Army has won the past two years.” Well, Air Force, Navy and Marines, now is the time. For more information on the tournament or on coming to the aid of SOF, call Tim Thornberry, SOF President, at 678-987-2606 or visit www.sofgwinnett.org

"Every year we try to choose a worthy beneficiary of our work. This year, the choice was obvious in this young organization which can bring so much good to our area." Harold Stamey - President of the Duluth Merchants Association

Duluth Merchants help disabled vets come home 

FUNDS RAISED GIVEN TO SENTINELS OF FREEDOM-GWINNETT

Harold Stamey, president of Duluth Merchant's Association, presents a check to Tim Thornberry, president of the Sentinels of Freedom-Gwinnett.

DULUTH - A dinner-dance held by the Duluth Merchants Association at the American Legion Hall earlier this month raised more than $16,000 to ben­efit the veterans' organization known as Sentinels of Freedom-Gwinnett.         

The Sentinels are a group of community people dedicat­ed to bringing back Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are severely disabled, and make sure they can become useful and success members of the com­munity. They arrange for up to four years of "mentoring" which includes college education, jobs, a suitable home, a vehicle which may require adaptive technol­ogy to work with the vet, and most importantly, day by day mentoring from members of the Sentinels of Freedom-Gwinnett board and their partners in the community.

Harold Stamey, president of the DMA, said, "Every year we try to choose a worthy benefi­ciary of our work. This year, the choice was obvious in this young organization which can bring so much good to our area."  The funds will help to pay for expenses of the vet's home and other needs.  Tim Thornberry, the Sentinels' president, told the DMA that "it will probably take about $25,000 to support just one veteran for a year. If you multiply that num­ber by four, we're talking almost $100,000 per returning vet." He said additional donations may be made at their secure online Web site, www.sofgwin-nett.org, or mailed to P O Box 2124, Duluth GA 30096.

SPECIAU/gwinnettherald.com

GwinnettHerald.com

Duluth Merchants Support Sentinels

The Duluth Merchants Association (DMA) raised more than $16,000 at a recent dinner and dance to benefit the "Sentinels of Freedom - Gwinnett." The Sentinels are a group of commu­nity people dedicated to bringing back Iraq and Afghanistan .vet­erans who are severely disabled and make sure they can become useful and successful community members.

2009

"SENTINELS OF FREEDOM" SCHEDULES 2ND ANNUAL INTKRSERVrCE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
(DULUTH) The "Sentinels of Freedom - Gwinnett" has scheduled the SECOND ANNUAL INTERSER VICE SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL RIVALRY for Saturday, May 23 at Bunten Park Road Park in Duluth. All four services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) will meet in a fun-filled day of sport and fellowship for "Bragging Rights" on the SOFG Trpphy which was won last year by ARMY, teams will be limited
to 24 players per team. Anyone can play for a team of their choice. You do not have to he an active or an inactive member of the military to play. A S35 per player Registration Fee will include lunch, and a Sentinels T-shirt. Play will begin at 10:00 am and finish when a winner is declared.
Official League Umpires will be onhand. The "Top Gun" trophy will be awarded no later than 6:00 pm. Rain date is Monday, May 25, 2009 Family fun will include Face Painting, tbod concessions, music and commentary by a Talk Show Host. Games are FREE for spectators. All are welcome to cheer their favorites on! "Sentinels" is a non-profit, 501 (e)3 organization of citizens dedicated to bringing severely wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to the Gwinnett area, and giving them a "Four Year Life Scholarship".

Community Tournament To Benefit Athletes With Disabilities, local Veterans by Jamie Ward Staff Writer - Gwinnett Daily Post  (FIRST ANNUAL TOURNAMENT)  2008

DULUTH — He nor­mally nips at your nose this time of year but in a few weeks he'll be nipping at a soccer ball instead. that's because the first annual Jack Frost Soccer Fest, sponsored by the Atlanta Metro Soccer League, will take place Jan. 17 and 18 at Bunten Road Park in Duluth and West Gwinnett Park and Aquatic Center in Norcross. And all proceeds from the event will benefit two Duluth groups that deserve every penny — Top Soccer at AFUSA and the Duluth Chapter of the Sentinels of Freedom.

According to the tourna­ment's spokesman Bill Hoag, the decision to spon­sor these two groups was an easy one. "I wanted to give purpose to the tournament and what better way than to support a soccer program as well as a humanitarian program," Hoag said. "And Duluth's Parks and Recreation Direc­tor Kathy Marelli was instrumental in aligning our tournament with Sentinels of Freedom Gwinnett."

Sentinels of Freedom is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to providing four-year life scholarships to vet­erans living in Gwinnett County who were injured in battle while serving in the military. The goal of the program is to enable veter­ans to become self-suffi­cient. Top Soccer at AFUSA is a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities, organized by youth soccer association volunteers. The program is designed to bring the oppor­tunity of learning and play­ing soccer to any boy or girl who has a mental or physi­cal disability.

The format of the two-day tournament consists of 18 to 24 teams consisting of men aged 30 and older, two divisions of play and the guarantee that each partici­pating team will play at least three games. All teams and players must also be state registered and each team is required to have at least 13 players. For more information on the event, visit www.jackfrostsoccerfest.com or email: Hoag at wmhoag@gmail.com. He can also be reached at 404-895-0826.

DULUTH — Generous and compassionate is a good description of the recent actions undertaken by Duluth's police department and its chapter of the Kiwanis Club. That's because together the two groups have given much-needed financial sup­port this holiday season to former and current members of the military and their fam­ilies. For the Kiwanis Club, it recently became the newest benefactor of the Sentinels of Freedom-Gwinnett, a non­profit organization dedicated to helping three severely wounded veterans adjust to civilian life in Gwinnett County. To help these veter­ans keep their lives and fami­lies together the Kiwanis Club donated $250 to the group at its Dec. 17 meeting.  For more information on Sentinels of Freedom - Gwinnett call Jess Vics at 770-623-3323 or e-mail vix-gang@yahoo.com.

GWINNETT MAKES PLANS TO RECEIVE FIRST SEVERELY DISABLED SOLDIER_2008

(DULUTH) -    To help meet the needs of the most severely disabled young soldiers returning from the war /ones, a group of citizens in Gwinnett County have decided to step in, and help make a successful adaptation to life at home.

Calling themselves "SENTINELS OF FREEDOM-GWINNETT", they have organized themselves into a working Board of Trustees and are preparing the way for the first severely handicapped soldier to return to Gwinnett County to start building a new life in our suburban community.

"We have committed ourselves to a four year 'scholarship' program designed to aid a Soldier or Marine get a job, a college education, a home, a car with any adaptive equipment they might need, and receive mentoring from some of the best business and professional people in our area", said Karen Love, President of the SOF-G Board.

Joining a program first started two years ago in California, Love organized some of her realtor colleagues, some military veterans living in the Gwinnett area, and other business and professional people who share her view. They organized, incorporated, applied for 501 (c) 3 Not for Profit status, and passed a set of Bylaws. Love stated that the first pieces in the 'scholarship' program have already been achieved. Using the facilities of local colleges, the veteran will get up to four years of free education. She asked her realtor colleagues to come up with a donated home, and talks are already underway to acquire that part, also. There are still many other needs such as a car, interviews for a job and professionals who are willing to help with "life skills". There will always be a need for money, and donations from $10 to $10,000 would be welcomed. In kind donations, such as running errands, mowing the lawn, and help with repairs and maintenance are also very much needed.