Home
News
ENLARGE
Oly Squires, center, chats with some friends at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at the Basalt Shooting Range on March 31. Squires has volunteered at the event along with the Rifle Elks Club for the past six years. This year, she headed up the program volunteers after long-time volunteer organizer and fellow Elks' member Steve White passed away in February.
|
|
Glenwood Elks Lodge members Pat Stowe, back, Phil Long, middle, and Tom Regan, front, display some grilled pheasant. The three were the barbecue team during the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at the Basalt Shooting Range. Elks clubs from Basalt to Rifle coordinate the event each year. Long has volunteered for the past 12 years.
|
|
|
An American flag and a POW/MIA flag were displayed for the veterans at the Roaring Fork Valley Sportsmen's Association cabin at the Basalt Shooting Range.
|
BASALT — Oly Squires made sure that she was at the Basalt Shooting Range before 7 a.m. each day of the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. She would fire up the generators, start the coffee and bring some doughnuts for the other volunteers.
She did what she could to make the veterans' day a little better because that is what her friend Steve White would have done.
“If everyone took just one day out of their life to make another person's day better, wouldn't that make a better world,” Oly said.
The shooting clinic at the Basalt Shooting Range is one aspect of the clinic that attracts hundreds of veterans during the week. Squires, along with her husband, Chub Squires, and several other Rifle Elks Lodge members volunteer every year to make the shooting clinic a welcomed event for the veterans.
This was Oly's sixth year volunteering for the clinic. But this year was different. This year was Oly's first without White.
“It's been tough,” Oly said. “It's been real hard on me.”
White passed away in February at the age of 57.
“He was more like a family member to me and Chub, than just a friend,” Oly said. “He was very passionate about this event.”
White volunteered at the shooting clinic for the past 12 years, according to Oly. He was also the one who got the Rifle Elks Lodge involved in the clinic in the first place, she said.
“This would have been his thirteenth year doing this,” she said. “So, those are some big shoes to fill.”
In White's absence, Oly took hold of the reigns since she had worked by White's side at the event for the past five years. It was a natural progression for Oly, but it was still hard to be there without her friend.
“It's a lot different,” she admitted. “I have a lot more respect for the man, now, because I didn't realize all of the behind-the-scenes work that it takes before the actual event.”
White's absence was also noticed by veterans who've attended the clinic for several years.
“A lot of vets know him,” Oly said. “Because they've been coming up here for 13 years. They miss him too.”
Veterans like Gary Combs, a 43-year old former Navy Seal with multiple sclerosis from Fresno, Calif., who has attended the event for over a decade. Combs remembered White's caring ways.
“Steve was great,” Combs said. “He was easy to talk to and was the friendliest guy. It's sad not to see him here this year.”
Combs said that he considers the disabled veterans clinic a family event with all the vets who come each year to catch up with one another. He said that Steve not being there was like missing a family member.
“I wish he was here because he's part of the family,” Combs said.
White was a member of the Rifle Elks Lodge and received the Call To Service Presidential award in 2010. He received the award — in part — because of his dedication to veterans clinic.
“Steve was the one who got us in to volunteering for this event,” said Glenwood Springs Elks Lodge Member Dennis Carey. “We've been assisting the Rifle Elks Lodge for about nine years now.”
Together, the two lodges from Rifle and Glenwood Springs provide a memorable experience for the veterans who come to the shooting clinic.
The Rifle Elks Lodge does most of the set up for the event, like erecting the canopies, setting up tables and chairs, and providing refreshments, side dishes and deserts, Oly said. Rifle Elks Member Martha O'Neal, who has also volunteered at the clinic every year the Rifle lodge has been involved, organizes members to make deserts for the vets.
The Glenwood Springs Elks lodge provides most of the main courses. This year's menu consisted of antelope, buffalo, wild boar, local blackbear, Alaskan brownbear, fresh halibut, salmon, smoked turkey, along with burgers, hot dogs and bratwurst, according to Glenwood Springs Elks Member Phil Long.
“There's always plenty to eat,” Combs said. “They always make sure you have had enough to eat. And the food is always so good.”
Long, along with fellow Glenwood Springs Elks member Pat Stowe and former Glenwood Springs member and current Grand Junction Elks member Tom Regan prepared all of the great meats at this year's event. Long has manned the grill at the event for 12 years.
“I'm really happy to give something back to the great men and women who have served our country,” Long said.
According to Oly, that was White's passion behind his commitment to the event as well.
“He wanted to make it better for the veterans,” Oly said.
White wasn't a veteran himself, but according to Oly, however White's father, Edward White, was.
“I think that is where his love of the veterans came from,” Oly said.
For Oly, White is only part of the reason she volunteers. The other part is because her husband Chub is also a Vietnam veteran.
“It's important,” Oly said. “You come up here and it's very humbling to see these guys, to know how much fun they have and how great it is for them.”
Oly was able to pick up right where White left off, and she hopes to continue what he started for many years to come.
“I'm hoping to continue this for Steve,” she said. “I'm pushing to keep it going. I want to keep it going in his memory.”
She did what she could to make the veterans' day a little better because that is what her friend Steve White would have done.
“If everyone took just one day out of their life to make another person's day better, wouldn't that make a better world,” Oly said.
The shooting clinic at the Basalt Shooting Range is one aspect of the clinic that attracts hundreds of veterans during the week. Squires, along with her husband, Chub Squires, and several other Rifle Elks Lodge members volunteer every year to make the shooting clinic a welcomed event for the veterans.
This was Oly's sixth year volunteering for the clinic. But this year was different. This year was Oly's first without White.
“It's been tough,” Oly said. “It's been real hard on me.”
White passed away in February at the age of 57.
“He was more like a family member to me and Chub, than just a friend,” Oly said. “He was very passionate about this event.”
White volunteered at the shooting clinic for the past 12 years, according to Oly. He was also the one who got the Rifle Elks Lodge involved in the clinic in the first place, she said.
“This would have been his thirteenth year doing this,” she said. “So, those are some big shoes to fill.”
In White's absence, Oly took hold of the reigns since she had worked by White's side at the event for the past five years. It was a natural progression for Oly, but it was still hard to be there without her friend.
“It's a lot different,” she admitted. “I have a lot more respect for the man, now, because I didn't realize all of the behind-the-scenes work that it takes before the actual event.”
White's absence was also noticed by veterans who've attended the clinic for several years.
“A lot of vets know him,” Oly said. “Because they've been coming up here for 13 years. They miss him too.”
Veterans like Gary Combs, a 43-year old former Navy Seal with multiple sclerosis from Fresno, Calif., who has attended the event for over a decade. Combs remembered White's caring ways.
“Steve was great,” Combs said. “He was easy to talk to and was the friendliest guy. It's sad not to see him here this year.”
Combs said that he considers the disabled veterans clinic a family event with all the vets who come each year to catch up with one another. He said that Steve not being there was like missing a family member.
“I wish he was here because he's part of the family,” Combs said.
White was a member of the Rifle Elks Lodge and received the Call To Service Presidential award in 2010. He received the award — in part — because of his dedication to veterans clinic.
“Steve was the one who got us in to volunteering for this event,” said Glenwood Springs Elks Lodge Member Dennis Carey. “We've been assisting the Rifle Elks Lodge for about nine years now.”
Together, the two lodges from Rifle and Glenwood Springs provide a memorable experience for the veterans who come to the shooting clinic.
The Rifle Elks Lodge does most of the set up for the event, like erecting the canopies, setting up tables and chairs, and providing refreshments, side dishes and deserts, Oly said. Rifle Elks Member Martha O'Neal, who has also volunteered at the clinic every year the Rifle lodge has been involved, organizes members to make deserts for the vets.
The Glenwood Springs Elks lodge provides most of the main courses. This year's menu consisted of antelope, buffalo, wild boar, local blackbear, Alaskan brownbear, fresh halibut, salmon, smoked turkey, along with burgers, hot dogs and bratwurst, according to Glenwood Springs Elks Member Phil Long.
“There's always plenty to eat,” Combs said. “They always make sure you have had enough to eat. And the food is always so good.”
Long, along with fellow Glenwood Springs Elks member Pat Stowe and former Glenwood Springs member and current Grand Junction Elks member Tom Regan prepared all of the great meats at this year's event. Long has manned the grill at the event for 12 years.
“I'm really happy to give something back to the great men and women who have served our country,” Long said.
According to Oly, that was White's passion behind his commitment to the event as well.
“He wanted to make it better for the veterans,” Oly said.
White wasn't a veteran himself, but according to Oly, however White's father, Edward White, was.
“I think that is where his love of the veterans came from,” Oly said.
For Oly, White is only part of the reason she volunteers. The other part is because her husband Chub is also a Vietnam veteran.
“It's important,” Oly said. “You come up here and it's very humbling to see these guys, to know how much fun they have and how great it is for them.”
Oly was able to pick up right where White left off, and she hopes to continue what he started for many years to come.
“I'm hoping to continue this for Steve,” she said. “I'm pushing to keep it going. I want to keep it going in his memory.”
