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ON A MISSION
TYA Cadets Go to Washington
Cadet Joshua Hood was a little nervous this week as he prepared to speak before a room filled with Washington military officials including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Hood and three other cadets from Thunderbird Youth Academy, brothers Cody and Travis McGee, and Benjamin Flores left Monday for Washington, D.C., to attend the National Guard Youth Foundation awards ceremony and dinner Tuesday evening.
The four cadets, accompanied by Major Steve Tunnell, director of the Thunderbird Youth Academy and Jane Bennett, administrative assistant, had also planned to tour the Pentagon and other points of interest in Washington.
Tunnell said the cadets are among 61 from across the nation who were selected to attend the event which proposes to expand the cadets’ awareness of the National Guard and the Youth Challenge Program.
TYA, which is ranked number one in the nation, is among 31 other youth challenge programs invited to attend.
“This is not our first time to go. We’ve been there before. Last year, we received an award,” Tunnell said.
First Lady of Oklahoma Kim Henry, a huge supporter of TYA, was among the dignitaries scheduled to attend along with her husband Gov. Brad Henry.
“While we’re there, we’ll be visiting with Sen. Jim Inhoffe who is a senior member of the Armed Service Committee,” Tunnell said, noting that 60 percent of funding for the youth challenge programs comes from the Department of Defense.
The McGee brothers agreed they were looking forward to meeting the people at the dinner including Miss America Jennifer Berry who is also from Oklahoma.
Flores said he looked forward to visiting the Washington Monument and other sites.
Hood, who was scheduled to speak was looking forward to his first plane flight. Hood, who grew up in Glenpool, was a star football player and wrestler who was offered a scholarship to attend Oklahoma State University following high school.
However, Hood who was dealing with personal problems at home, said he began “hanging” around with the wrong crowd.
“I started using drugs--meth and anything I could get my hands on to feel relaxed,” he said.
Hood said he was on his way to destroying his life when he heard about TYA.
“I decided to give TYA a try and it has taught me discipline and turned my life around completely,” he said.
Now Hood, who is in the trades academy, has plans to enter the military after completing the course. The other three cadets also have similar plans.
“This is the story I will share with the people in Washington. If it wasn’t for TYA, I wouldn’t have a direction and I wouldn’t be going to places like Washington,” he said.
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• Monday, Aug. 30
HOPE Coalition Hope4Kids program, 9 to 9:45 a.m. Ages 2 to 6 years old. Free class. Contact Chrystal Flerchinger, 825-6909.
Locust Grove High School freshman orientation, 6 to 8 p.m.
Chili’s is hosting Chouteau Pound Pals Night. Dine at Chili’s in Pryor from
4 - 10 p.m. Present the Pound Pals coupon, available by calling Nancy 918-519-4871 or Don 918-760-1499. Chili’s will donate 10 percent of the sale to Chouteau Pound Pals.
Mayes County Women’s Health Fair at First United Methodist Church, 4 to 7 p.m. Free meal, booths, door prizes and presentations by local physicians.
Adair Schools parent orientation for high school and middle school. 6:30 p.m. meeting with the principal.
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