| May, 27 2011 - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for The
Freedom Station Thanks to the proceeds from the 2010 SDP Poker run, along
with some generous donations by our members, San Diego Panteras was able to
make a sizable contribution to this phenomenal organization. Freedom
Station was put together by the Warrior Foundation to help wounded service
men and women transition from rehabilitation back into society. Once
discharged from their treatment process, they are set up here with a fully
furnished and stocked apartment until they can get back into an established
job and find their own place to live. The warriors are not charged for
the time they spend here. In this quaint little community, there are
12 units.
One of the units bears a recognition of San Diego Panteras as a
significant contributor. Our contribution was in excess of $11,000!
You should all be extremely proud of yourselves for having made a difference
in the lives of some very deserving young men and women. The current
and future residents will benefit from your generosity. |
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The SDP plaque is displayed prominently at the entrance to
the unit.
 
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Colonel Greg Martin, USMC expressed his thanks to all the contributors
present for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Congressman Duncan Hunter was
unable to attend, but sent a representative to express his gratitude.
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That's Sandy Lehmkuhler (she was present at our Poker Run) operating the big
scissors to cut the ribbon. Sandy also gave an emotional speech.
There was barely a dry eye in the house. It is very touching to here
about the dedication by Sandy and the folks at the Warrior Foundation who
made this happen. They perform a service that's so vital to the
recovery of the young men and women.
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| The complex is arranged in a sort of U-shape,
with a large 2-story building at the base and long 1-story building on
either side. Each building has 4 apartments, for a total of 12 units.
The San Diego Panteras unit is in the 2-story building. Its the
upstairs unit on the left.  
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| There were about 50 people present to tour the
apartments, talk to the residents and witness the ceremony. The folks
from Studio Diner came out and fed the crowd with some great grub. As
you can see on the photo to the right, not all the units are completed yet,
but they are very close.  
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The units were really quite nice on the inside. Everything was brand
new and the one warrior I spoke to said he really loved the place.
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