Giving Back – The Ride for Semper Fi
By K. Richard Douglas
Giving is a part of the American psyche. It is an American trait that runs deep in our culture. Donating of time and money, charitable giving and empathy for others are some of the great attributes that define our nation and its people.

It’s not surprising, then, the reaction of one Mesa man after witnessing his nephew’s graduation from Marine boot camp last October. His first thought, and later his obsession, was to do something for the brave men and women who don the uniform and fight for our freedom. He already loved cycling, so why not organize a ride that would generate donations for a fund that helps Marines and sailors? That is what he has done.

This October, The Ride for Semper Fi will leave Mesa, and 21 cyclists will endure 100-mile days on their way to Oceanside, Calif. The riders’ motivations are varied, but they all share one common thread: an appreciation and need to give back to those who serve.

Those who fight for our freedom experience the cost of war in many ways. While most soldiers return home to their families changed only by the experience, others experience life-changing injuries and some don’t return home. What many of these heroes and their families are left with include financial burdens that seem like another battlefield.

John Greenway, a Las Sendas resident, knew in his heart that those returning from battle and those families left with financial burdens needed the aid of a grateful public. He knew of an organization, The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, that already had helped provide more than 8,000 grants totaling more than $21 million in assistance to Marines and sailors and their families. Greenway reasoned that the way to get involved and do something for the Marines was to use the pastime he loved, seated on a performance bicycle.

A motivational speaker once said that setting a goal attracts the people, resources and events to get the goal accomplished. Enter Don Eldridge, owner of DNA Cycles in Mesa. Eldridge is a small-business owner with the ability to make a big impact: He offered Greenway his backing with equipment, over-the-road support and experience. Greenway’s enthusiasm is contagious, and Eldridge is the perfect person to have on-board. Through Eldridge’s participation, Specialized Bicycle Components got involved also.

From that point, the project snowballed and other riders signed on to be part of the fundraiser. Several riders have had personal experiences with family members and the military that will motivate them every mile of their journey.

Greenway still remembers the day he left his nephew’s Marine graduation and realized that he just had to do something. He knows that his nephew might leave Camp Pendleton for Iraq or Afghanistan some day and be among those Marines who have given up the comforts we all enjoy to fight for our freedom.

For more information about the ride or to provide support, visit www.therideforsemperfi.com.


A Homegrown Business That Will Mooove You
By Lynette Carrington
Last year, Hector and Glenda Stechnij decided to open their working dairy farm to the public… Oh, what a year it has been!

Superstition Farm continues to add fun facets to its dairy business, and each new program and event that the Stechnijs do endears them that much more to the community.

Thousands of school children and hundreds of families have been to the farm to learn about the daily workings of the Stechnij (pronounced “Steck-nee”) dairy and meet their happy herds of heifers, cows and bulls.

Superstition Farm belongs to a co-op of United Dairymen of Arizona. Together with other co-op members, United Dairyman provides about 85 percent of all milk marketed in Arizona. During farm tours, son Casey narrates the moo tour, demonstrating the cows’ food supply, how cows are cared for and just how milk makes it from the farm to the table. During the 20-30-minute tour (conducted via vintage hay wagon), guests sometimes witness a live cow birth.

Superstition Farm employees are dedicated to their animals, including the lively batch of lovable critters that comprise the petting zoo. Visitors get to meet and feed a host of chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, goats, Picante the donkey, Lover the horse and the “goodwill ambassador” of the farm, Carmichael. Their blind-in-one-eye, twisty-horned goat with an outgoing disposition loves to be at the head of the line for the guest meet-and-greet. Be sure to bring a camera!

Education is paramount at Superstition Farm (located at Hawes and Elliot in Mesa), and visitors will learn about the numerous ingenious ways they practice the creed of “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Tour the organic garden, run the hay maze and visit the milk bar, featuring a rainbow of add-in flavors that make for a special treat. Affordable horseback riding lessons and a summer camp program give kids the chance to enjoy a farm experience in an environment different from their day-to-day routine.

Mooster’s Moo-tique is a new addition to the farm and is run by daughter Alison. You will find every type of animal and farm-related clothing, accessory and whimsical gift selection (Old MacDonald would be proud.) Mooster’s also carries farm-fresh eggs from their chickens, freshly churned butter, distinctive cheeses and a host of locally made jams, jellies and pastas. Homemade ice cream from Udder Delights in Gilbert (Casey’s newest venture) is also available and definitely worth a try. I personally count Monkey Moo and Blueberry Moofin among my favorite flavors, which are made with all-local ingredients.

More than anything, the Stechnijs are excited to share their business with others and show kids and kids at heart how the family continues to thrive in a farming business, even as suburban sprawl begins to encroach. Superstition Farm engrains a love of the land, local economy and respect for animals in all that they do. One stop at Superstition Farm and you’ll see it is really something to ‘moo’ about!

For more information, call 480-507-3859 or visit www.superstitionfarm.com.


Nominate Someone for National Thank You Day
The 2nd-annual National Thank You Day will feature a contest to search for one small deed that deserves one big thank you.

Sponsored by Merci Finest Assortment of European Chocolates in collaboration with the Emily Post Institute, the National Thank You Day Contest hopes to encourage people to remember and recognize everyday acts of kindness by asking people to nominate someone whose good deed has gone a long way to help or inspire them.

One grand-prize winner will be awarded a thank you prize personally selected by his or her nominator with a value up to $20,000. Peggy Post, etiquette expert and best-selling author for the Emily Post Institute and spokesperson for National Thank You Day, will present the prize on Sept. 22, National Thank You Day.

“Participating in National Thank You Day is a great way to show gratitude and acknowledge of an act of kindness,” Post says. “I encourage everyone to nominate someone whose kind deed has made a difference. By doing so, you’ll experience the importance of the everyday ‘thank you,’ and how this simple expression of appreciation goes a long way toward making our world a kinder place.”

To enter someone in the contest, nominators are asked to submit an essay up to 150 words about who they would like to nominate and why, and to suggest the ultimate thank you gift valued up to $20,000.

One hundred first-prize winners will receive an autographed copy of Post’s latest book, “Excuse Me But I Was Next: The Top 100 Manners Dilemmas” and a box of Merci Finest Assortment of European Chocolates. Details and entry forms are available at www.nationalthankyouday.com; the contest ends Aug. 15.

Last year, nearly 12,000 nominations were entered, with the grand prize winner, JoAnn Miller of Woodbury, New Jersey, receiving a donation to her personal mission to feed the homeless in her area and a guest appearance on the Rachael Ray show.

“We all have people around us who do little things – like helping us with paperwork or babysitting our kids or even just making a peanut butter sandwich – that really mean a lot in the scheme of things,” said Mary Lebeau, who nominated Miller. “That’s why I was so interested in National Thank You Day. It was a reminder to me that giving thanks to those who make the extra effort is important.”

National Thank You Day is held annually on the last Monday of September (though it will be held on the second-last Monday this year, in recognition of Rosh Hashanah) and was inspired by the findings of a 2007 survey conducted by Merci and The Emily Post Institute that found that while 87.3 percent of Americans said they are bothered when people don’t say thank you, 90.2 percent feel that they don’t say thank you enough. The survey also found that saying ‘please,’ ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’ are the most important common good manners Americans need to observe more, followed by practicing patience and politeness while waiting in line.