File Photo
Executive
Director
S h a w a n
Gabriel
stands in
front of the
Winston
Lake
Family Y.
Winston Lake Y receives
$15,000 Sam's Club grant
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Winston Lake Family
Y has received a grant of
$15,000 from Sam's Club to
enhance programs designed
to help teens prepare for and
achieve higher education.
The award is part of a $ 1
million gift to YMCA of the
USA (Y-USA), the resource
office for the nation's 2,687
Ys, for placing first in the
education category of the
Sam's Club "Giving Made
Simple" online campaign,
conducted earlier this year.
The Winston Lake Family
YMCA is one of 60 Ys
selected to receive $15,000
grants from the Giving Made
Simple campaign.
The gift to Y-USA is sup
porting national urban educa
tion and outreach initiatives,
including YMCA's
Achievers, an academic
achievement and college
readiness program designed
to help teens set and pursue
high educational and career
goals. At the Winston Lake
Family YMCA, the funding
will be used to benefit the
Achiever's program.
"We are grateful that the
Winston Lake Family YMCA
was selected to receive fund
ing from the Giving Made
Simple campaign and we
want to thank Sam's Club
and all of its members and
associates who voted for the
Y," said Winston Lake
Family Y Executive Director
Shawan Gabriel. "This gift
will help to support our
ongoing efforts to bring the
vital work we do with youth
and teens to the forefront of
our community."
Through YMCA's
Achievers and other youth
development initiatives such
as Youth in Government and
College Goal Sunday, Ys
across the country provide
youth with opportunities for
academic enrichment, col
lege access support, adult
mentors and leadership
skills.
For the Giving Made
Simple promotion. Sam's
Club members and associates
were encouraged to log on to
the company's web site, or
use the social media sites
Facebook and Twitter to vote
for one of eight participating
non-profit organizations -
four in the entrepreneurial
category and four in the edu
cation category. Y- USA
placed first in the education
category. Sam's Club also
accepted votes in its stores
nationwide on one designat
ed day.
"Giving Made Simple is
an exciting addition to our
charitable efforts and com
plements our core business
strategy that puts our mem
bers first in everything we do
at Sam's Club," said Brian
Cornell, President and CEO.
"We believe that by support
ing organizations like the Y
that are dedicated to prepar
ing children and teens for
life-long success - we are
making an investment in the
communities and people we
serve."
Sight
Jrompage AT
ing, through organ donation. Because of the
severity of the accident, many of Sonia's
organs weren't viable for transplant, but her
corneas were intact. Luster said. They were
donated to the North Carolina Eye Bank,
Inc. and afforded two recipients the gift of
sight.
One of those recipients was Spivey, a
Philadelphia native and former aircraft
mechanic. Spivey, 43, had grappled with
vision problems from birth and had had three
eye surgeries by the time he was eight
months old. He lost the vision in his left eye
to glaucoma in 1990 and was forced into
retirement in 2003, when the sight in his
right eye inexplicably deteriorated to the
point of legal blindness. He had no choice
but to give up his car, the first one he had
owned, and live on disability.
"It was a shock," related Spivey, who
moved to NC in 2000 to work for Timco
Aviation Services. "The first few weeks of
going through that were basically the hardest
I had to go through."
Gradually, Spivey found ways to make
use of his time. He learned to trade in the
stock market, took up indoor rock climbing
and even placed fourth in a competition
against sighted climbers, but the little vision
he retained in his right eye continued to
decline.
In 2008, Spivey's doctor recommended a
cornea transplant and Spivey, who had
endured more than four decades of eye sur
geries, hesitantly agreed. Having vision
after more than five years of near-darkness
was a wonderful gift, Spivey said.
"I was able to see clearly about a day or
two after surgery," he related. "I remember
standing out on my balcony just looking at
the leaves because it was a fall day. I actu
ally see better now than I did when I was in
high school."
Several months after the surgery. Luster
wrote Spivey a letter and told him all about
her beloved daughter.
Learning about Sonia and the life that she
had led was bittersweet for Spivey. The let
ter still hangs on the wall in his home, along
side a photograph of Sonia.
"It was like finding out that I had a kid
that I never knew," he related.
Spivey and Luster began corresponding
through letters, and eventually exchanged
contact information.
"I wanted to see how my child affected
someone else's life and it is beyond anything
I could ever imagine," Luster said. "It is just
so cool."
Last spring. Spivey accompanied Luster
when she spoke at the Eye Bank's Faces of
Donation Memorial Service. She picked
him up; it was the first time the two had met
face to face.
"He was riding shotgun with me in my
car and he was reading the directions to me
from my daughter's eye," she declared. 1
felt like I was floating above the earth."
Being an organ donor was something
Sonia had wanted. Luster said.
"One of the proudest moments I've ever
had was when I was able to introduce James
to 500-600 people (at the service). He's
going to be able to drive, all because of my
daughter," she stated. "She has been gone
more than two years and she just keeps giv
ing and I am so proud of her."
On the darker days of her grieving
process. Luster says she has taken comfort in
the fact that her daughter was able to touch
someone else's life in a meaningful way.
"When I'm having a really, really rough
day, it's like a lifeline," she said. "It is
something tangible that I can touch and I can
see and if I can either touch it or feel it in my
heart, then I haven't let her go."
In the years since her daughter's death.
Luster has become an advocate for organ
donation.
"She touches so many people and she's
not even here," she said of Sonia, who was
featured in a Donate Life advertising cam
paign. "You would not believe how many
people have told me that they are organ
donors now because of my daughter. It's
like that Butterfly Effect, you start one
motion and it just spreads and grows. The
love just grows everywhere, all because of
this 16 year-old child who made one fatal
mistake."
For more information about the NC Eye
Bank, Inc., visit http://nceyebank.org or call
(336)-765-0932 . Luster has established an
annual scholarship in memory of Sonia at
North Stokes High School. For more infor
mation or to donate, 'email dlusteraero
smith @ yahoo .com .
Festival
from page X9
starring George Clooney, was
nominated for six Academy
Awards, including Best Picture
and Best Director.
Reitman made his feature
film-directing debut with the
2006 hit, "Thank You for
Smoking." Based on the novel by
Christopher Buckley, he adapted
the story for the screen. The film
earned a Golden Globe nomina
tion for Best Picture, an
Independent Spirit award for best
screenplay, and a WGA nomination for best
adapted screenplay.
Reitman
His second feature, "Juno," which fol
lows the story of a pregnant teenager, was
nominated for four Academy Awards, and
won three Independent Spirit awards plus a
K 1 Grammy Award.
Through his company. Right of
Way Films, Reitman is in post-pro
duction on "Young Adult," starring
Charlize Theron. The film, which
reunites Reitman with his Oscar
winning "Juno" screenwriter,
Diablo Cody, will be released by
Paramount Pictures later this year.
The film festival is designed to
promote the art of filmmaking and
to challenge aspiring filmmakers.
1 he festival is sponsored by WAKE TV, the
university's student-run television station.
BestHealth
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
In imtnersltip with MedCost
March 201 1 Events
Events are held at BestHealth in Hanes Mall or other locations, as noted.
' = registration required. Visit besthealth.com or call 336-71 3-BEST (2378) to register.
For BestHealth membership information, call 336-713-BEST or visit our web site.
2 WED - Massage for
Heart Health
6:30 pm Join WFUBMC licensed mas
sage therapist Jennifer Barker to learn
the benefits of massage therapy for your
heart, such as lower heart rate and
improved blood circulation.
3 THU - Eating for Heart
Health: Beyond Fat and
Cholesterol
2 pm Join registered dietitian Julie Ellis
from the Wake Forest Baptist Heart
Center as she reviews nutrition basics
for a heart smart diet.^^
4 FRI - Arthritis and
Physical Therapy
2 pm Join WFUBMC physical therapist
Laura McKenzie to learn the benefits
of physical therapy for people with
arthritis,
9 WED - What's that Ringing
in My Ears?
2 pm Do you hear ringing, buzzing
or "crickets" in your ears? This is a con
dition called tinnitus. Join WFUBMC
audiologist Janet Blank to learn its
causes, when to see a physician, and
strategies for symptom relief,
10 THU - 12- Lead EKG Screening
10 am to 6 pm Do you have a family
history of heart disease? Does your heart
skip a beat? If so, have your heart rhythm
checked with a 1 2-lead EKG and the
results reviewed by a Forsyth County
EMS paramedic. Appointment required.
Sponsored by Forsyth County EMS and
the WFUBMC Heart Center.
12 SAT - Safe Sitter? Basic
9 am to 4 pm Taught by certified Safe
Sitter instructors, this nationally recog
nized program teaches 1 1 - to 1 3-year
olds how to be safe, nurturing babysit
ters. Students learn safety precautions,
basic first aid, choking skills, and more
before taking a final exam to earn a
completion card. $40 per student for
the one-day class (includes Safe Sitter
manual and babysitter kit). Students
should bring a healthy bag lunch;
drinks provided. V1
15 TUE - Diabetes Control for
a Healthy Heart
3 pm Join nurse practitioner and
certified diabetes educator Sonya
Jeffries of the WFUBMC Diabetes
Care Center to learn how important
it is to control diabetes and maintain
a healthy heart,
17 THU - What You Need to
Know about Deep Vein
Thrombosis
1 1 am Join Dr. Pavel Levy of
WFUBMC Vascular and Endovascular
Surgery to learn about the causes of
deep vein thrombosis and its complica
tions. Iff
22 TUE - Meet the Expert: Dr.
K.C. Balaji Discusses
Prostate Cancer
6:30 pm Join Dr. K.C. Balaji,
WFUBMC urologist and prostate
cancer expert, for an informal discussion
and Q&A session on prostate cancer.
This forum provides education for men
who have prostate cancer as well as their
families and anyone interested in learn
ing the latest about prostate cancer
screening and treatment. V
? - ?
23 WED - Stroke Caregiver
Series
4 pm Join WFUBMC stroke program
manager and registered nurse Rayetta
Johnson for a series that provides sup
port and information to caregivers
about post-stroke lifestyle. Series is
held the fourth Wednesday of each
month through July. Sponsored by
the WFUBMC Comprehensive Stroke
Center,
29 TUE - It's Your Heart:
Lifestyle Tips for the
"Superwoman"
6 pm WFUBMC women's heart health
coordinator Susan Butler, RN, shares
how psychological stress
plays a role in the devel
opment of heart dis
ease, and provides tips
on avoiding the pressure
to be "superwoman.'^SF'
31 THU - Increasing Your
Fertility, Naturally
6 pm Fertility specialist Dr. Tamer
Yalcinkaya gives tips on improving
your chances of getting pregnant, and
explains the latest infertility treatments
available at the WFUBMC Center for
Reproductive Medicine.
Other Locations
3 THU - 12-Lead EKG Screening
9 am to 3 pm Do you have a family
history of heart disease? Does your heart
skip a beat? If so, have your heart
rhythm checked with a 12-lead EKG
and the results reviewed by a Davie
County EMS paramedic. Appointment
required. Sponsored by Davie County
EMS, Davidson Community College
and the WFUBMC Heart Center. Held
at the Davie Education Center, 120
Kinderton Blvd., Advance.
9 WED & 22 TUE -
Weight-Loss Surgery
Information Sessions
5:30 to 7 pm Join WFUBMC surgeons
Dr. "Fuzz" Fernandez and Dr. Stephen
McNatt to learn about weight-loss
surgery evaluation, risks and benefits,
nutritional needs, exercise commitments
and follow up. Pre
registration is required.
Held at The Hawthorne
Inn, 420 High St.,
Winston-Salem.
12 SAT - Varicose Vein
Screening
9 am to 12 pm Free varicose vein
screening with WFUBMC interven
tional radiologists Dr. Brian Kouri and
Dr. John Regan. Held at the Outpatient
Center, Lexington Memorial Hospital,
Emergency Drive, Lexington. An
appointment is required by calling
12 pm What do the kidneys do? How
common is kidney disease and what
are the symptoms? Join WFUBMC
nephrologist Dr. John DePalma to
learn the answers to these questions and
more. Held at the Lexington
336-238-4589.
30 WED - Lunch & Learn:
Kidney Health
Avenue, Lexington. Cost of
lunch is $7.00. Registration
is required by calling 336
YMCA, 1 19 West 3rd
238-4213.
?To register, visit besthealth.com anytime, or call 336-71 3-BEST (2378),
t 10 am to 6 pm, Mon.-Thurs., 10 am to 5 pm Fri.-Sat.
Screening appointments must be made by phone.
BestHealth programs are tor adult audiences; children welcome when noted
in description. Visit bestheaith.com for details.
Wake Forest University Baptist
MEDICAL CENTER