Double-Production: Happy 4th of July
It’s no coincidence I was working with Gold Star children on the 28th of June – I believe it was fate.
June 28th, 2005 was the date I lost my dad, Senior Chief Petty Officer Dan Healy. He was Killed In Action during Operations Red Wings when his Quick Reaction Force helicopter was shot down in a rescue attempt in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan.
I really appreciate how many people take time on the anniversary date to drop me a note or give me a nudge, letting me know they haven’t forgot, they appreciate us and they care. What means more to me, however, are the opportunities to pay it forward. Fortunately for us all at Poor Bear Stories, we had the incredible opportunity to do so… two times over.
This year, I had the privilege and honor to serve the Special Operations Warrior Foundation’s (SOWF) Educational Planning Information Conference (EPIC) in two capacities – as both a mentor and videographer. After over a week of dedication and support to EPIC, I can say the experience was an incredible success and honor.
Moreover, Poor Bear Stories’ newest hire Robert Chase is also a Gold Star child and joined me for the week at SOWF’s EPIC to help capture the week on camera.
“As a SOWF beneficiary myself, my life journey has been changed due to the support the foundation has given me both in my every day life and my educational foundation. Even more, my connections made there are also part of the reason I am able to find my position at this company. My whole life, I’ve tried to find a way to pay back the foundation for that support, and I’m immensely thankful and proud that I am able to finally do that through my work at Poor Bear Stories.“
– Robert Chase
The second opportunity came when Legacies Alive reached out to have their annual Gold Star Family Picnic captured on video. The Gold Star Family Picnic is an incredible opportunity where Gold Star family members travel to Pittsburg, PA to feel the heart of Nation by way of several hundred local volunteers, staff and community serving and treating each other on Independence Day. There was one small problem – the dates overlapped with EPIC.
However, thanks to Poor Bear Stories’ Marketing Manager, Jhoel Flores, and Robert Chase, we were able to make it happen.
