THE RAMP
SEE PAGE 34 FOR CRAB’S FACILITY TOUR
ISSUE NO. 4 | JUN-AUG 2023 | VOLUME 58
ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS
Colonial PVA
The Colonial PVA teamed up with the National MS Society for their MS Walk: Annapolis.
National PVA
Colonial PVA’s previous National Liaison Robert Thomas was elected National President at May 2023’s PVA National convention.
Colonial PVA
Tuskegee Airman makes Appearance at the PVA National convention in Omaha, Nebraska.
Creator’s Member Spotlight
Upcoming
MS Walk: Annapolis
Robert Thomas Elected National President
2023 Capital Hill Visits
Colonial PVA
Colonial PVA Representatives met with 22 legislators to discuss PVA legislative priorities.
Tuskegee Airman at PVA National Convention
Prosthetics
The Great Outdoor Adventure Deputy Director Update
Colonial
for Women
CRAB’s
CRAB’s
Semper Fi
14 9 15 ISSUE NO. 4 | JUN-AUG 2023 | VOLUME 58
Events Presidents Report
Facility Tour
Event
Fund
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
PRESIDENTS REPORT
GRANT
5 | Page NEW PVA PRESIDENT 29 TUSKEGEE AIRMAN MS WALK: ANNAPOLIS 26 Newsletter Editors: Ann Adair National Director & Vice President Brian Hutton Deputy Director Jerrod Harris Colonial Member STAY INFORMED UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION 302.861.6671 bhutton@colonialpva.org Email is the fastest way for the Colonial Chapter to communicate with our members. RECEIVE: News – Event Calendars – Special Offers - More 17
COLONIAL PVA OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
MATTHEW PEELING mpeeling@colonialpva.org
VICE PRESIDENT
ANN ADAIR anncadair@aol.com
SECRETARY JERROD HARRIS jharris@colonialpva.org
TREASURER
JOHN PEPE dailydriver66@gmail.com
BOARD MEMBERS
PATRICK BURNS Patb1511@gmail.com
CRYSTAL YOUNG-TERRELL cyterrell@comcast.net
CHRISTOPHER BRYANT chrisdvbryant@gmail.com
BETTY GEER bettyg127@gmail.com
CARSON WIDDOES ccwiddoes@gmail.com
CHAPTER LIASION
JOSUE CORDOVA
NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT jcordova@pva.org
CHAPTER OFFICE
700 BARKSDALE ROAD, UNIT 2 NEWARK, DE 19711 (302)861-6671
OFFICE STAFF
JO ANN BEDSWORTH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR jbedsworth@colonialpva.org
BRIAN HUTTON DEPUTY DIRECTOR bhutton@colonialpva.org
NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICES:
WILMINGTON: 1-202-709-5551
BALTIMORE: 1-800-795-3606
PHILADELPHIA: 1-800-795-3628
D.C.: 1-800-424-8200
CDCE REPRESENTATIVES:
WILMINGTON: CRYSTAL YOUNG-TERRELL
BALTIMORE: BOB REUTER/ ANN ADAIR
PHILADELPHIA:
VA HOSPITALS:
WILMINGTON: 1-302-994-2511
BALTIMORE: 1-410-605-7000
PHILADELPHIA: 1-215-823-5800
EAST ORANGE: 1-973-676-1000
RICHMOND: 1-804-675-5581
Phone Numbers
Chapter Office
1-302-861-6671
Benefits Helpline 1-866-734-0857
Caregiver Support 1-855-260-3274
Healthcare Helpline 1-800-232-1782
Job Assistance 1-202-416-7795
Legal Services 1-800-424-8200
MEMBERSHIP:
As of January 2023
SC LIFE: 161
NSC LIFE: 79
TOTAL VOTING MEMBERS: 240
AFFILIATE: 60
TOTAL MEMBERSHIP: 300
MEMBER REIMBURSEMENT FUND
All chapter members will be entitled to $100 per fiscal year to use toward actives such as dining out with your spouse, going to the movies, attending events, hotel stays, vacation expenses, hobby supplies, etc. Receipts for such activities will need to be dated and mailed to the Colonial Chapter office, by the end of the fiscal year (9/30/23). Receipts dated before the date 10/01/22 will not be accepted. Members may use the entirety of their $100 at once or on a separate occasion throughout the fiscal year. The chapter will keep a running balance of the remaining amount available to each member. Funds will not carry over into the next fiscal year. Unused funds will not be paid to the member and will be considered forfeit. Members are asked to submit with their receipts a one to two paragraph description, and photo if applicable, of how they used their funds, for inclusion in the chapter newsletter “The Ramp“. The amount allotted to each member may increase in future fiscal years based on available Chapter funding.
MEMBER BIRTHDAYS
JUN
Carl Huggins - 6/1
Kenneth Swinehart - 6/2
David Duncan - 6/2
Kenneth Coppage - 6/3
Milton Minus - 6/6
Darin Cassell - 6/6
Joan Simms-Ashbrook - 6/8
Harry Crafton - 6/10
David Ruffing - 6/14
Jason Nielson - 6/19
Cheryl Goodman - 6/22
David Rively - 6/24
Brian Hutton – 6/27
Kathleen Mason - 6/28
JUL
Kenneth Archer - 7/1
Joseph Maisano - 7/1
Daniel Lindsey -
MEMBER DEATHS
Wilhemina Davis - 10/15/2022
Glenwood Conner – 11/10/2022
Anthony Caffo – 11/19/2022
Jeffrey Aikens – 12/19/2022
Maureen Welsh – 12/24/2022
William Matthews – 2/10/2023 3/14/2023
Sylvester Evengelista 3/18/2023
MONTHLY WINNERS
JUN: Cheryl Goodman
JUL: Larry Feller
AUG: Jerrod Harris
Each month a member will be chosen at random to receive a prize package of assorted items. The winners will be announced in the bi- monthly newsletter. If you are an announced winner, please call the chapter office at 302-861-6671 to confirm your mailing address. Prizes will not be sent unless the office is contacted and assured of a correct mailing address. The office must be contacted before the next bimonthly newsletter is sent.
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7/1 William Stump - 7/1 Jerrod Harris - 7/3 Joseph Senick - 7/4 Brian Augustyniak - 7/5 Dwayne Curbeam - 7/6 Jennifer Small - 7/6 Wayne Carraghan - 7/8 Louis Bien - 7/9 Stephen Rodgers - 7/10 Jerome Johnson - 7/11 Stanley Laskowski - 7/14 Kathleen Fitzpatrick - 7/15 Kenneth Atallian - 7/16 Catherine Tolbert - 7/17 Henry Straub - 7/20 Detlef Hartmann - 7/20 Herbert Roberts - 7/20 Robert Corsa - 7/24 Roger Evans - 7/26 James Henry - 7/26 James Harrington - 7/29 Charles Widdoes - 7/31 Thomas Collins - 7/31 Cori Countess - 7/31 AUG Daniel Czuczman - 8/4 Thomas Rainier - 8/4 William Rich - 8/4 Bernice Bocachica - 8/5 David Zell - 8/6 Larry Feller - 8/8 Charles Rawlings - 8/9 Charles Auble - 8/11 Joseph Pugh - 8/11 Jake Belardo - 8/12 Dale Miller - 8/13 Kenneth Jack - 8/14 Ronald Sharer - 8/14 Jeffrey Brown - 8/17 Roy Laudermilch - 8/22 Robert Hubbard - 8/22 Andi Collins - 8/25 Dale Mecouch - 8/26 Bernetta Lyons - 8/26 Raymond Hauser - 8/31
Upcoming Events
Gearhead Club
Via Zoom
The Colonial Chapter’s Gearhead Club is being chaired by Colonial Member Eddie Belton. They meet monthly to discuss anything with a motor and are planning on attending some car races and car shows in the future.
Zoom ID: 819 6313 6887 Passcode: 346585 ,
2023
Women’s Empowerment Committee
Colonial Office & Via Zoom
The Chair of the Colonial Chapter Women’s Empowerment Committee is Betty Geer, and the CoChair is Kathleen Fitzpatrick. The group meets regularly via zoom on the first Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM.
Zoom ID: 870 5432 8567
MS Support Meeting
Colonial Office & Via Zoom
Passcode: 070691
The Colonial Chapter MS Group has been nicknamed the MS Mafia by MS Chair Jerrod Harris. They meet on the second Tuesday of every month at 2:00 PM via zoom.
Zoom ID: 821 2054 3502
Outdoor Adventure Club
Colonial Office & Via Zoom
Passcode: 054212
The Colonial Chapter Outdoor Adventure club is being chaired by Colonial member Carl Huggins. They meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM to plan different activities.
Zoom ID: 883 2036 9130
Passcode: 359489
Hello Colonial Family,
I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer so far. As we come to a close to the 2023 fiscal year and the 2024 fiscal year is ready to begin, it seems like a great time to reflect on what we are and the plans we have for an exciting bright future.
I’d like to start by telling you how much I appreciate each member of the Colonial Chapter Family and that I recognize we wouldn’t be where we are without the time and efforts made by each and everyone of you. Thank you.
Last year was a year of growth, change and transition. At the beginning of the year, the Colonial Chapter started with four new board members and one new Executive Board Member. With this addition to the team we are making huge strides in expanding our programs, implementing best practices and recruiting new members. Every new member of the Board brought with them a breadth and depth of knowledge and expertise which was just what we needed.
With the Colonial Chapter Board in place with the help of our awesome staff, we are really making strides in achieving our strategic goals of transforming our programs and increasing our membership and revenue. We have also earned a great reputation in community.
Sincerely,
MatthewPeeling President
Colonial Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America
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MS WALK: ANNAPOLIS
On Sunday, April 16, 2023, in Annapolis Maryland, the Colonial PVA participated in their very first MS walk that the MS Committee participated in. The Colonial Chapter MS Committee Chair Jerrod Harris along with Sr. Vice President Robert Thomas, Vice Presidents Tammy Jones, Josue Cordova and Vice President and Co-Chair Hack Albertson, Colonial Chapter President Matthew Peeling, Colonial Chapter Board of Directors Betty Geer and Christopher Bryant. We also had many members of the Colonial Chapter in attendance along with a team (Colonial PVA) of 40. We raised $ 1,710. We came together for a powerful purpose: to show support through our community and with PVA’s help shows that together, we are stronger.
It was a beautiful day for a walk at the Navy Marine Corp Stadium, with many tables and music. The Colonial Chapter gave away shirts, water bottles, snacks, water, soda, bags and most importantly information about PVA erview with a college student (Journalism major) in which he talked about MS and the rate being higher in Veterans than the civilian population. There were over a thousand people coming by our table, we ran out of a lot in the first hour. Mission BBQ provided 30 lunches, and the Colonial Executive Director JoAnn Bedsworth and Deputy Director Brian Hutton helped me organize the
The MS diagnosis rate amongst veterans has nearly doubled in the past two decades, with 70,000 veterans living
The Colonial PVA is trying to lead the way for all the newly diagnosed veterans with MS to all the benefits they are entitled to receive including PVA membership. “We don’t want veterans to qualify for membership in the PVA but if they do then they have already paid in full for their membership with their honorable time served in the United States military and their spinal cord injury or disease”, Jerrod Harris, Colonial PVA MS Liaison.
Society: Together We Are Stronger
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PVA BASS
TOURNAMENT SERIES
Mid-America Bass Tournament
September 16-18, 2022, Eufaula, OK
Vaughan Bass Tournament
October 7-9, 2022
Rend Lake, IL
Florida Gulf Coast Bass Tournament
March 24-26, 2023 Kissimmee, FL
Kentucky-Indiana Bass Tournament
April 21-23, 2023
Kuttawa, KY
Southeastern Bass Tournament
June 2-4, 2023
Evans, GA
Capital Clash Bass Tournament
June 9-11, 2023
Waldorf, MD
PVA BILLIARDS
TOURNAMENT SERIES
Mid-South Billiards Tournament
October 28-29, 2022, Memphis, TN
Mid-Atlantic Billiards Tournament
March 17-19, 2023
Richmond, VA
Mid-America Billiards Tournament
June 16-18, 2023
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Buckeye Billiards Tournament June 24-26, 2023
Columbus, OH
2022-2023 ANNUAL CALENDAR
AIR RIFLE & PISTOL PROGRAM
National Postal Matches
November 2022 – March 2023
Wisconsin Air Gun
March 11-12, 2023 Milwaukee, WI
Additional in-person events coming soon!
PVA BOWLING TOURNAMENT SERIES
Great Plains Bowling Tournament
July 28-31, 2022
Council Bluffs, IA
Mid-Atlantic Bowling Tournament
September 9-11, 2022 Richmond, VA
Nevada Bowling Tournament
December 2-5, 2022
Las Vegas, NV
Florida Gulf Coast Bowling Tournament
February 23-25, 2023, Tampa, FL
Mid-America Bowling Tournament
March 31 – April 3, 2023
Oklahoma City, OK
PVA NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS CIRCUIT
North Central Trapshoot
September 9-11, 2022
Sioux Falls, SD
Oregon Trapshoot
September 23-25, 2022, Oregon
Wisconsin Trapshoot, May 19-21, 2023, Green Bay, WI
Cal-Diego Trapshoot
March 17-19, 2023
Redlands, CA
Nevada Trapshoot
March 31-April 2, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
Vaughan Trapshoot
May 26-28, 2023
Elburn, IL
Iowa Shooting Trapshoot *
June 16-18, 2023
Cedar Rapids, IA
*Year-End Tournament
BOCCIA
Lone Star and Texas Boccia Tournament
October 13-14, 2022, San Antonio, Texas
New England Boccia Tournament
November 5-6, 2022
West Roxbury, MA
West Virginia Boccia Tournament
December 3-4, 2022 Charleston, WV
Bayou Boccia Tournament
February 3-5, 2023
Gulfport, MS
Gateway Boccia Tournament
March 17-19, 2023
St. Louis, MO
HANDCYCLING
Echelon Racing League Virtual Paracycling Series (Online)
November 2022 -February 2023
PVA High Performance Off-Road HC Camp
August 13-18, 2022
Crested Butte, Colorado
Off-Road Handcycling
Championships
August 19-21, 2022
Crested Butte, Colorado
Pocahontas Off-Road Camp
September 29 – October 2, 2022
Chesterfield, VA
PVA/Milwaukee VA Adaptive Cycling Clinic
October 19, 2022, Milwaukee, WI
Tampa VA Handcycling Clinic
January 21, 2023
Tampa, FL
PVA High Performance Camp
January 30 – February 3, 2023
Brooksville, FL
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS
PVA – NWBA Lakeshore Basketball Camp
August 4-7, 2022
Birmingham, AL
Bay Area & Western Disc Golf
August 19-20, 2022
San Jose, CA
New England Disc Golf Clinic
September 10, 2022
Ft. Devens, MA
PVA Rugby Clinic
September 16-18, 2022, Phoenix, AZ
New England Basketball Camp
September 23-26, 2022
New Haven, CT
PVA Wheelchair Rugby Invitational
February
New Haven, CT
NATIONAL VETERANS WHEELCHAIR GAMES
July 4-9, 2023
Portland, Oregon
39 | Page FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER FOR AN EVENT: PVA.ORG/ADAPTIVE-SPORTS
