Nam Knights Westside Draws Huge Crowd To Haley House Fundraiser At Winthrop(April 10, 2010) - # - MyPaperNow.com

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The crowd begins to gather for the fourth annual Nam Knights, Westside chapter, fundraiser for the Haley House, which is associated wtih the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa.

The hospital specializes in spinal cord, traumatic brain, and blast-injury treatment programs. For those living more than 50 miles from the hospital, and qualifying for aid based on income limits, the Haley House Fund houses the families of injured veterans as they undergo treatment for massive and multiple traumas.

The 2010 fundraiser took place at the Winthrop Pole Barn in Riverview, Fla., where it also was held last year.

The Haley House is associated wtih the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, which specializes in spinal cord, traumatic brain, and blast-injury treatment programs. For those living more than 50 miles from the hospital, and qualifying for aid based on income limits, the Haley House Fund houses the families of injured veterans as they undergo treatment for massive and multiple traumas.

"We're going to keep the families together and show that life goes on," said Mary Ellan Harlan, seated in the center. "You know the saying, 'Some gave all and all gave some.' Now it's time for the Tampa Bay community and people all over the world to give to the veteran service member, and what better way than to give to the Haley House and keep families together?"

Harlan is chairperson of the Haley House. With her, from left, are Katelin Hartmaier, Gail C. Hartmaier, Lori Abbett, Gerrard Abbett, Dave Braun, and Tina Miller. Also seated is Mary Ann Keckler.

"This is phenomenal," Keckler said about the Fourth Annual Nam Knights Haley House Fundraiser. "We support them 100 percent because they support us 10,000 percent."

Keckler volunteers for the Haley House, which in turn supported her when her son came back from war a quadripalegic.

"I am a veteran and when I saw the need for what's going on I had to step up to the plate," Keckler said. "The good Lord gave me a mouth and I had to use it for the good of others." The Haley House, she added, lends much-needed moral support to families such as hers. "It energizes me when I can talk to people, and find out that their needs are greater than others, and I can help them. That makes me feel on top of the world."

Andy "Pappy" Huber, right, said the sole mission of the April 10 fundraiser was "to take care of our vets, they're giving everything for us." The Nam Knights motorcycle club is populated with law enforcement officers and veterans. With Huber is Kirk Knight of the Skybolts Parachute Demonstration Team based in Zephyrhills, Fla.

"We're out here to support the Nam Knights," said Knight, who noted that he served three tours in Vietnam and has more than 4,300 jumps to his credit. "I think Americans have learned something since the Vietnam War, that the soldiers are doing a job for their nation and deserve the support of the American people and a great homecoming when they come back here."

With the Skybolts Parachute Demonstration Team, from left, Kirk Knight, Mark Cochran, and Gregory Stacey. "I took a tandem once and fell in love with it," said Cochran, who added that he has more than 2,600 jumps to his credit. "That was about 13 years ago." With Stacey's more than 800 jumps, the three men collectively have more than 7,700 jumps on the books.

"I like the freedom, I like the sense of falling and floating in the air and working with other jumpers in the area," Kirk Knight, left, said about his passion for skydiving. He has more than 4,300 jumps to his credit. "Every jump is different,:" he said, "every jump is a challenge."

With Knights are fellow members of the Skybolts Parachute Demonstration Team, from right, Gregory Stacey and Mark Cochran.

Jim Basta, center, with Gus Amaya and Alci Fleires, at the Fourth Annual Nam Knights Haley House Fundraiser, sponsored by the Westside chapter.

Jim Basta served three tours of duty in Vietnam. "During Vietnam a lot of our troops were drafted," Basta said. "I was a career soldier. It was my job to ne there. But these young draftees didn't ask for this and they did a damn good job."

Today, Basta travels with this replica of a Vietnam-era helicopter, which bears the symbol of the Ruthless Riders, of which he was a member.

"This was the patch for the 7th Squadron, 17th Air Calvary, from 1967-68," Basta said. The lightning bolt, he said, "symbolizes fast action, strike fast" and the "spur on the back of a boot" symbolizes the calvary.

Erin Floyd, left, and Tanya Murnock, who is on the ground crew for the Skybolts Parachute Demonstration Team. "We make sure the drop zone stays clear," Murnock said. "Additionally, I'm constantly checking wind speeds and the direction of the winds so [the jumpers] know what pattern to fly." If the winds gust from 3 to 14 miles per hour, "that's bad," Murnock added. "The difference should be under 10 [miles per hour]."

Murnock said she also takes to the skies herself, but is at a loss for words to describe why she skydives.

"A lot of people will say they like the adrenalin rush but really, for me, it's just something I enjoy doing," she said. "I just love the free fall. When I'm jumping I just feel happy. That's really the only way I can describe it."

The crowd begins to gather for the fourth annual Nam Knights, Westside chapter, fundraiser for the Haley House, which is associated wtih the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa.

The hospital specializes in spinal cord, traumatic brain, and blast-injury treatment programs. For those living more than 50 miles from the hospital, and qualifying for aid based on income limits, the Haley House Fund houses the families of injured veterans as they undergo treatment for massive and multiple traumas.

The 2010 fundraiser took place at the Winthrop Pole Barn in Riverview, Fla., where it also was held last year.

Nam Knights, Westside chapter, fundraiser for the Haley House, which is associated wtih the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. The hospital specializes in spinal cord, traumatic brain, and blast-injury treatment programs. For those living more than 50 miles from the hospital, and qualifying for aid based on income limits, the Haley House Fund houses the families of injured veterans as they undergo treatment for massive and multiple traumas. The 2010 fundraiser took place at the Winthrop Pole Barn in Riverview, Fla., where it also was held last year." href="javascript:openLB(832728127,'',XLarge,'',1024,681);">

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