Community Phoenix Suns Gorilla Delights Hospice Patient

By Lin Sue Flood

It was a slam dunk surprise for a senior community when the Phoenix Suns Gorilla popped in for a visit. The team mascot wanted to thank a hospice patient for being a devoted fan for over 50 years. He bounded into ClearWater Pinnacle Peak with arms full of team swag for 88-year-old Lee Kragenbring.

“Lee has been struggling with health challenges of late and we wanted to bring him a little joy,” says Hospice of the Valley social worker Renee Adams. “I genuinely haven’t seen him this happy ever, not to mention the smiles on his family’s faces. Many high fives were given!”

The visit astounded the season ticket holder who has attended more games than he can count. Though he no longer speaks, Kragenbring was grinning ear to ear as the Gorilla entertained the crowd of 50 residents with backflips and dance moves. Cheers broke out as he walked across the room on his hands.

The last time Kragenbring went to a game was right after he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. “I just wanted to give him one last experience before he couldn’t go anymore,” says Kragenbring’s daughter, Kim Kulpins. “When Renee approached me about making this happen, I thought, ‘No way — not during the basketball season!’ This is so touching and incredible. I’m grateful that the Suns care about my dad.”

“It’s moments like this when it’s hard to tell who receives more joy,” Adams adds. “The patient or those of us who love and care for him?”

When Hospice of the Valley reached out to see if a visit might be possible, Phoenix Suns Charity Manager Josh McCann didn’t monkey around — he made it happen almost immediately. “We appreciate the hospice team letting us know about this gentleman and for having us visit,” he says. “We couldn’t wait!”

After all the “hoop”-la, Kragenbring had a lot more team memorabilia to add to his impressive collection, which features a signed ball from the ’93 season.

But the Gorilla’s true gift was something far more precious — lasting memories of a most special day. Shazam! For more information, visit hov.org.

Motoring Safety: DrivingMBA’s 20-year legacy of driver education

Photo courtesy of DrivingMBA

DrivingMBA celebrates 20 years of keeping teens safe on Valley roads. With two Valley locations, DrivingMBA is the only driving school in Arizona that offers a comprehensive program using a combination of simulation labs and on-road instruction to teach driving fundamentals and defensive driving skills to teens, and other drivers, across the state.

“Since opening in November 2003, our singular mission has been to provide teen drivers with the training and tools necessary to become competent, responsible and safe solo drivers,” says Maria Wojtczak, chief operating officer at DrivingMBA. “Our system is unlike any other driving program available in Arizona and the whole country.”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 3,000 people are killed each year in car accidents involving a teen driver (aged 15 to 18 years old.) Driving is the single deadliest thing teenagers do every day.

“When my husband Rich and I started this business two decades ago it was a true passion,” says Wojtczak. “At that time, our daughter was in middle school and learning to drive was on the horizon. We were shocked at the lack of professional driver training and education needed to attain an Arizona driver’s license.”

Arizona’s high rate of red-light runners, road rage incidents and wrong-way drivers compounds the complexity of educating inexperienced drivers. DrivingMBA mitigates these dangers through its in-depth training for teens that highlights skills needed to avoid these and other issues like distracted driving.

“Our goal was to develop a program that would ensure novice drivers were prepared for the many situations that come up daily when driving,” Wojtczak adds. “Driving has changed over the last 20 years, vehicles are faster, roadways are more aggressive, and the level of distraction today is significantly higher with all of the technology available in cars, cell phones and of course, social media.”

In 2021, DrivingMBA expanded to a second Valley location and now trains roughly 1,200 students each year in a variety of programs, including classes for adults, seniors, exceptional learners, and fleet drivers. The pinnacle of these options is the DRIVE Certification Training Package, a 30-hour course that is one of the most thorough teen training programs in the nation. Spread out over six months or more, it takes participants from permit to official license and includes 14 hours of driving in simulation labs, both driving fundamentals and defensive driving and a minimum of 10 hours of on-road training.

Additionally, DrivingMBA incorporates elements of partnering with parents of teens who play a key role in the total learning process.

“Over the years, DrivingMBA has invested more than half a million dollars in simulator equipment, some of which is used to train local police, firefighters, and truck drivers to be defensive drivers,” Wojtczak says. “It is all part of DrivingMBA’s effort to provide all drivers with the advanced training they need to return home safely each and every day.”

For more information, drivingmba.com.