COMMUNITY & CLUBS:

The 1,117 children and spouses of military fallen heroes who have died since 9/11 were honored for the price of freedom they each have paid by a weekend visit to Orange County, where they had a day at Disneyland and Oakley, complete with the characters of the Caribbean, according to Lt. Col. Roy White (Ret.), Chairman of the Board of Snowball Express.

Hundreds of volunteers, including Rotarians from Newport-Balboa, Newport Irvine, Newport Sunrise and Costa Mesa clubs helped to host the families according to Rotarian Kim DeBroux, a Snowball volunteer coordinator.

American Airlines provided at no charge two charter jets, which picked up hundreds of children and spouses as they crossed the country from East to West.

The Snowball jets were given priority departure, landing and airspace by the air traffic controllers everywhere they went, according to one of the airline pilots.

“It was like flying Air Force One,” he noted.

When the planes arrived at John Wayne Airport, volunteers from American Airlines unloaded the baggage while Rotarians transported the bags to the host hotels.

It was a wonderful weekend for not only the children and spouses, but the volunteers and sponsors as well. “It was an honor for the volunteers who were on hand to see and talk to these families,” stated Lt. Col. White.

More information on this year’s Snowball Express can be obtained by visiting www.snowballexpress.org.

EXCHANGE SUPPORTS D.A.R.E. PROGRAM

The Exchange Club of Newport Harbor invited Newport Beach Police Sgt. Evan Sailor and Master Officer Steve Burdette to provide an update on the D.A.R.E. program for school children in the sixth grade, with a refresher course being offered for seventh-graders.

Upon completion of the presentation, past Exchange Club President Bill Bechtel presented a check to the officers to support the D.A.R.E. program.

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for the Day as provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport-Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “Success is not measured by what you do compared to what others do, it is measured by what you do with the ability God gave you.”

— Zig Ziglar

COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot. Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655 or by e-mail to jdeboom@ aol.com.