Inspiration

It’s funny what we can miss in our busy-ness. Some of the most remarkable people can be blended into the faces and places of everyday life. We never know what hidden human treasures we can uncover with a simple smile or hello.   Kevin Cherilla is one of those special people. The former middle school gym teacher has the lean frame of a runner. He wears a baseball cap on top of his head, and the only thing that makes him stand out from the regular morning crowd milling about a local coffee shop is the wide smile he wears below his sunglasses.   Yet Kevin is outstanding. He is one of less than a handful of Arizonans who has scaled Mt. Everest, and his world travels have led him to places most people only read about in story books. From Nepal to Argentina’s Macchu Picchu, he’s seen the world from a bird’s eye view and conquered the impossible.   His greatest accomplishments, though, have not been in altitude, but rather in servitude.   In 2009 he led a team of eight blind... More

In the twilight hours of Thursday, May 2, Anthem will gather in prayer by the Veterans Memorial in the community park, joining millions across the country to thank God for his many blessings and offer up a prayer of hope for those in the community and around the world who desperately need it.   Katie Wagner, hometown daughter and cancer survivor, will speak at the event, sharing her journey of faith with others and offering up a prayer on behalf of Tyler Halsey and his family.   The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Our National Day of Prayer Task Force is a privately funded organization whose purpose is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer. It exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create... More

No matter where we were when the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut took place, our hearts broke for the victims and their families. So many of us were overcome with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness; hopelessness for the crushing sadness left in the wake of a mad gunman’s senseless rampage against innocent teachers and children, and helplessness because, no matter how much our hearts ached, there seemed to be little we could do for those who were suffering most.   Denise Thompson refused to let the miles between her North Valley home and the East Coast tragedy deter her. As a runner and owner of YogiRunner Wellness Coaching, Denise decided to organize a community event to show the Sandy Hook community that Phoenix cares.   On a rainy Sunday in late January, over 50 people of all ages gathered at Max Muscle on Carefree Highway to honor the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary. Together, they joined in an emotional candlelight vigil, reading off the... More

Writer Lynsi Freitag   Have you ever wondered what happens to race horses when they become injured or after they retire? Sadly, it’s not always a rosy retirement. Some go to auction where they are adopted out. These are the lucky ones who escape being put down. The New York Times recently reported, on average, 24 horses die each week at racetracks across America.   One new non-profit is hoping to decrease this number and ensure happy endings for such horses.   After the Homestretch aims to take in ex-racehorses, abandoned horses and ones that the Arizona Department of Agriculture have picked up, giving them an opportunity to learn a new career and find a loving home. It is at this rescue that the horses are rested, rehabilitated and trained in preparation for being adopted into a non-racing home.   “I learned of the great need for these services when I was working at another horse rescue,” says Dannielle Marturana, president and founder of After the Homestretch. “The track... More

“There, but for the Grace of God, go I.” This sentiment is one that often comes to mind whenever we start feeling too smug about our comfortable lives and that everything will remain perfect as long as we work hard and do all the right things. In the midst of the peacefulness and beauty of the surrounding Sonoran Desert, in towns that exude Disneyland-like, family-friendly perfection, it is hard to imagine that there are families here who are going through tough times. Life can change in an instant; jobs that once seemed so secure are now gone; illness and death cripple families’ income and well-being. It is comforting to know that a wonderful organization such as the Foothills Food Bank exists, especially now during the holiday season.   Foothills Food Bank Located in rustic Cave Creek, the Foothills Food Bank was founded in 1988 as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the mission of providing food and necessities or financial assistance to families experiencing a crisis in... More

Writer Stephanie Maher Palenque On a bright, temperate day last April, my family met a wonderful group of people in the Anthem Community Park. They were all cancer survivors who were part of the Relay for Life team here in Anthem. They had gathered for a photo shoot, resplendent in purple – the color for survival.   Ashley Moore stood out as the only young person in the group. She was beautiful and appeared carefree and happy to be enjoying the day in the park. Ashley was a typical pre-teen looking forward to her thirteenth birthday. It was difficult to believe that she had been presented with a difficult diagnosis just over a year earlier: stage three astrocytoma Brain Cancer. Since then Ashley’s condition has changed drastically, and she was recently placed on a feeding tube so that she can get the nutrients she so desperately needs to continue her brave fight against cancer.   Ashley has a couple of role models to look up to, including her mom, Renee, and dad, Stefan, who are... More

There is no better time of year than October to go on a 55-mile bike ride, and there is no better reason to do it. The 100 is organized in honor of Jim Stenholm, an everyday hero. He was a Phoenix police officer who gave 100 percent in everything he did. The proceeds from the ride benefit the families of first responders – the men and women who support our communities and neighbors every day.   Jim Stenholm passed away on October 24, 2008 after having routine outpatient surgery. When he wasn’t protecting the community as a Phoenix police officer, he was spending time with his family, or riding his bike with friends in the community. In fact, every Thursday Anthem and surrounding area cyclists ride together on the route they now call the “Stenholm Crit.” The route passes by the Stenholm house, and it is the same route that Jim used to take every night when he rode his bike and waved to his family as he passed by.   According to Rebecca Stenholm, Jim’s wife, the first year... More

Writer Stephanie Maher Palenque Many young people have dreams, but few chase them with everything they have. Kelly Didiot may be a dreamer, but she is also a young woman of action. Once you get to know her, you have no doubt that she will do what it takes to bring each one of her dreams to fruition.   Kelly is a native New Yorker and lived in the Big Apple until the age of 13, but then moved to the Grand Canyon State, which she now proudly considers her home. She attended Boulder Creek High School, where she was cheer captain, and danced with Arizona Dance Artistry, where she continues to hone her dancing skills. She is continuing her education at Paradise Valley Community College on President’s Scholarship for two years. Her major is nursing, in a program that works through Northern Arizona University.   Kelly explains, “My mom wanted to be a nurse when she was pregnant with me, and then life as a young mother took over and her dreams of being a nurse were diverted. I feel that... More

Writer Amanda Christmann Larson   Writer’s Note: The following story contains material that will be uncomfortable for some readers. The issue of child trafficking is a difficult but important subject as it begins to spill out of hidden corners and into the streets of our own neighborhoods. As difficult as it is to address, the lives of many of these children, who are aptly described as ‘not someone else’s kid,’ cannot be saved unless each of us decides that allowing trafficking to continue in our communities, in this day and age, is no longer acceptable. Awareness is the key to change.     Lea Benson leans forward in her chair, her head tilted slightly and her eyes sad but intense as she talks candidly about the subject of child trafficking in Phoenix. As president and CEO of StreetLightUSA, her burden is heavy; she is in charge of the largest facility in the country for girls ages 11-17 on the road to recovery after their bodies have been sold by family members, boyfriends... More

Jake and Megan DeJarnett may not be a traditional fairy tale couple, but they are living a life filled with love and romance nonetheless. High school best friends and sweethearts, they were nominated to prom royalty at Boulder Creek High School. Even though Megan, who has been in an electric wheelchair since the age of 4, was thrilled, one of her initial thoughts was, “What will our first dance be like if we win?” Jake took those worries away from her the moment they heard their names announced. He escorted her off the dance floor, swooped her up into his arms, and danced around the floor with Megan in his arms as if they owned it. According to Megan, there wasn’t a dry eye in the entire room. The pair has been making sweet music together, and waltzing through life ever since.   Their story together began when the two local residents moved to Boulder Creek High School from Sandra Day O’Connor as sophomores in what would be the first-ever graduating class for BCHS in 2007. Even... More

On a sunny afternoon in January 2010, the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti was bustling with traffic. Thousands of business people, office workers, medical staff and teachers were ending their work days, some attending to last-minute details, and thousands more already on their way home, most packed in rickety minibuses and taxis headed down littered streets.   Vendors, with everything from fried plantain chips to clothing balanced on top of their heads, hawked their goods through traffic. Like most days at this time, they held a captive audience. Other vendors with stands marked by colorful but dirty umbrellas lined the roadsides. Their targets were the crowds of people walking.   School children were also finished for the day. It was a Tuesday, not long after classes had resumed following the Christmas holiday. Some played soccer, some were doing homework, and some were helping with chores, preparing stews or dire ak pwa, the local version of rice and beans, for dinner, or washing... More

In the stuff of legend and lore, a young boy named Arthur was helping his brother Kay in a sparring tournament when he realized, in his haste, he’d forgotten to grab Kay’s sword. Small and not a particularly gifted athlete, Arthur would have been an unlikely contender in the tournament, yet when he gripped the hilt of a sword he found stuck inside a nearby stone and gave it a tug, he pulled it free and fulfilled his calling to be King of Britain.   Young Arthur didn’t know his limitations. He didn’t know of the many men who’d try to free the sword Excalibur from Merlin’s spell. All he knew was determination, and with the opportunity presented, he grasped the sword and achieved greatness beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.   King Arthur, many argue, was nothing more than literary invention. Many dispute his magical kingdom of Camelot even existed. How, they ask, could a world of magic and Merlin and Knights of the Round Table ever exist?   But for hundreds of... More

Writer Amanda Christmann Larson   Watching Zac Moller, one can’t help but smile. The precocious toddler with a bright grin and infectious laugh is as busy as he is cute. Clutching a car in his little fist, he makes “Vroom!” noises in the universal language of all 2-year-old boys. “Crash!” he proclaims loudly as the car drops to the ground, sending him into a fit of giggles.   As he keeps himself occupied with cars, trucks and crackers, Zac’s wispy blond hair frames the sparkle in his big blue eyes. He runs across his living room, picking up things that interest him and demonstrating what they do, all the while in cheerful contentment.   Upon a little closer inspection, it becomes clear that Zac might look a little different than other kids. What appears at first to be little splashes of chocolate milk on his arms and legs begin to multiply once they’re in focus. Much like moles, they’ve been mistaken for chicken pox, even though they clearly don’t irritate him or... More

Writer Amanda Christmann Larson   Writer’s Note: As I drove to the North Scottsdale home of two and a half-year-old Wylder Laffoon and his parents, Steven and Shannon, I had in my mind that I would be writing the kind of story that gives people wider perspective on their own problems – a “you think you’ve got it bad, check out these other people …” kind of thing.   What I didn’t expect was to be so inspired by the wisdom of this remarkable family, and touched by their ability to balance fighting for their future and accepting that which cannot be changed. They have taken on these challenges with such dignity and grace that I couldn’t help but leave their home a little bit changed.   There is no pity needed for this family, only a mind open to learning more about what it means for each of us to embrace our own journey through life, whatever it may hold.       Parenting is, on the surface, a pretty simple thing. Feed your children the right foods, enroll them in... More

Writer Jeffrey Cody   “The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.” Attributed by Plato to Socrates of ancient Greece.   Sound familiar? Do you know someone who shares Socrates’ opinion of “kids today”? Well, last night I met Jake Larson. Jake is 12 and attends sixth grade at Anthem School. Jake plays football and seems an ordinary young man, until you hear what he is passionate about, and it isn’t just football. Socrates, like many people I know today, could profit from meeting this young man.   About a year ago, Jake took a trip to Ghana, West Africa. His mother, Amanda, is the founder and director of Compassionate Journeys, a volunteer organization that, among other things, is building a home for rescued child slaves.   Jake had the opportunity on this trip to visit an orphanage and several rural schools. What he experienced there changed his life and inspired his... More