Local Volunteers Observe 9/11 Anniversary for the New York Says Thank You Foundation

The annual 9/11 Anniversary Build for the New York Says Thank You Foundation, Stars of HOPE workshop, and a 9/12 Generation Project was held September 4-7, 2014, at the 1-Day Ranch in Bethel Acres, Oklahoma.

Approximately 400 volunteers from across the country and Canada came to help rebuild a barn and facilities at 1-Day Ranch, which was destroyed by a tornado on May 19, 2013.  1-Day Ranch currently serves as an animal rescue with future plans to provide therapeutic riding and animal assisted therapy programs to help children and young adults battling physical and mental ailments, and veterans dealing with PTSD.

Volunteers worked to build a barn, dog kennels, sheds, perimeter and arena fencing at the facilities.  A Stars of HOPE project was conducted at Bethel Acres Elementary School.  Bethel Acres High School students helped at the New York Says Thanks You (NYSTY) build and Stars of HOPE Workshop as part of the 9/12 Generation project.

Volunteers attending from Mena were:  Lambert Foster, Jason Goodner, Robert & Dolores Hutcheson, Larry & Carol Johnson, Brandy Priddy, Lori Sullivan, James Earl & Ewanta Turner, Tom & Ammie Winger, and their sons Alex and Cameron.

The NYSTY was created in 2003 as a way for New York to say thank you for all the help that came to Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.  The Stars of HOPE program was created to empower children to transform communities impacted by disaster through inspiring and colorful art.  The 9/12 Generation is a program to teach middle and high school students to “Pay it Forward” with positive lessons of humanity, kindness, and citizenship.

The NYSTY annual event is a way to bring people together to turn their disaster into something more meaningful.  An annual build and a Stars of HOPE event was held in Mena after the devastating 2009 tornado.  For more information about New York Says Thank You visit www.newyorksaysthankyou.org.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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