Back of the Boat—
The Whale Foundation News Bulletin
A Whale of a Year
During 2003 medical physicians saw seven guides and donated $830 in services.
Mental health professionals including counselors, psychologists and a
psychiatrist saw fifty guides and donated 294 hours of service including
Liaison Training worth approximately $10,400. Twenty-six of the counseling
hours were billed at fifty percent. The Whale Foundation was able to pay
some of the guide counseling in full.
If you need help in any way, please call our confidential hotline toll
free at 1-866-773-0773. We also have a plethora of information at www.whalefoundation.org.
If we can be of assistance in anyway or if you have suggestions or comments,
get in touch. We would love to hear from you.
The Kenton Grua Memorial Scholarship,
Making a Difference
Following is a letter from a first year recipient of the Kenton Grua
Memorial Scholarship:
It’s hard to believe that eighteen years have passed since I first
began working as a guide in the Grand Canyon. Looking back, I can’t
imagine a better way to have invested those years. At the time, a college
education was the furthest thought from my mind. I was young and single,
and freedom from responsibility was my battle cry. Along the way, I met
my wife-to-be, also a Grand Canyon guide, and together we spent our summers
rafting, and our winters working in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.
I was living the dream.
Two years ago, quite unexpectedly, I began thinking about a college education.
As I closed in on forty years of age, I realized I wouldn’t be able
to keep up with the physical demands of guiding forever. Beverly, my wife,
and I entertained the thought of starting our own dive shop along the
coastal shores of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The more I thought
of the investment in not only our time, but also all of our savings, I
began to have cold feet. It wasn’t that I doubted our abilities
to be successful in this endeavor, as it was my fears of natural disasters
wiping us out. One hurricane, with a silly name like Egbert, could easily
turn our dive shop into an artificial reef. I needed something to fall
back on.
The drastic shortage of nurses, not only in the United States, but the
world, was splashed all over the media a few years back. I began speaking
to nurses on my trips through the canyon about their jobs. The more nurses
I spoke to, the more I realized this was the direction I was heading.
I’ve been an emt; on and off, for the past ten years, and always
have enjoyed the work. Nursing would give me the opportunity to enter
a dynamic field in an area of study, which I already knew I enjoyed.
Once I made the decision to begin school, it seemed everything just fell
into place. The interest rates on home loans were at an all time low—possibly
the lowest I would ever see in my lifetime—so we bought a home in
St. George, Utah, where High Desert Adventures, the company we were working
for, was based. St. George, also, is the home of Dixie State College,
an institution with a respected nursing program. I applied for grants,
which I didn’t receive, but refused to be swayed from my decision.
Instead of incurring any more debt, we dipped into our savings and paid
for my first semester. The following summer, Meg Viera spoke to me about
a scholarship program, managed by the Whale Foundation, in memory of Kenton
Grua. I applied, and was pleasantly surprised to learn I was one of three
guides awarded a scholarship. The funds greatly helped to offset the financial
burdens a college education can be. In addition to the Kenton Grua Memorial
Scholarship, this semester I was also awarded an academic scholarship
from Dixie State.
In summary, change is not only a positive experience, but also an inevitable
one. Twenty years ago, I couldn’t imagine working anywhere but the
Grand Canyon, nor would I have guessed I would be a freshman at the age
of 38. My advice to anyone entertaining the thoughts of a career change,
at any point in their lives, would be to plow on full steam ahead. Assistance,
in many forms, is available to make the transition easier. I give my profound
thanks to the board of directors of the Whale Foundation for their generosity,
and their desires to make a difference in the lives of others.
Mike Caifa
The Kenton Grua Memorial Scholarship application is available on the Whale
Foundation website at www.whalefoundation.org. It’s not too early
to be preparing your application for the 2004–2005 scholarships.
The deadline is June 1, 2004. During 2003 the Whale Foundation awarded
three $1,000 scholarships to Grand Canyon river guides. We are proud of
recipients like Mike Caifa and look forward to seeing more guides go back
to school and receive assistance from the Whale Foundation.
The First Annual Whale
Foundation Health Fair
As a reminder, the 2004 Spring gts will feature the first-ever Whale Foundation’s
Health Fair. This inaugural event is aimed at promoting healthier lives
and lifestyles for the guiding community. It’s open to all guides,
and it’s free!
On Saturday, March 27th, there will be two designated time slots for Health
Fair participation. The first will follow the last of the morning presentations,
beginning around 12 noon or so, and continue for one to one and a half
hours during the lunch break. Health-fair stations will be set up within
the Hatch warehouse where participants may access to a variety of volunteers
from the medical community (doctors, nurses, physical therapists, etc.)
who will be providing a range of free basic screenings and information
on a variety of medical problems including: high blood pressure, glaucoma,
skin cancer, low back pain, and repetitive motion injuries. In addition,
vouchers to obtain free or discounted medical tests will also be given
and will include: cholesterol (for heart disease-risk screening), blood
glucose (for diabetes screening), psa’s (for males at higher risk
for prostate cancer) and mammograms (for women at higher risk for breast
cancer). If you miss the first session, no worries! The scenario will
be repeated in the late afternoon, around 5 p.m., following the last of
the afternoon presentations, and continuing for about one hour around
dinner. Then on Sunday, the 28th, the Whale Foundation is also sponsoring
a presentation on financial planning as part of its effort to help guides
attain financial as well as physical health.
More good news is that nothing is required of participants for the Health
Fair other than showing up. That’s right—no prerequisite fasting,
embarrassing exposures or body orifice probing. So relax, enjoy the weekend!
And remember it’s free! We hope to see you there!
Shana Coupland Mental Health Memorial Fund
A new fund has been set up with donations earmarked for mental health
services in memory of Shana Coupland. This fund was established by a supporter
of the Whale Foundation who wanted to help others with donations given
in remembrance of a young and vital woman who lost her life to suicide
as a result of depression.
GCE Signs On
Grand Canyon Expeditions has announced that it will pay for mental health
services provided by the Whale Foundation. Welcome aboard, gce.
2005 Calendars
The Whale Foundation 2005 calendar is out and filled with the artistic
talents of 12 contributors from our river community. The calendars are
$12 and can be purchased through the Whale Foundation at other locations
to be announced.
WingDing Success
The second annual Whale Foundation WingDing was held on Saturday, January
31, 2004 at the Coconino Center for the Arts. At this year’s WingDing,
over 350 people attended for food, drinks, music, live and silent auctions—and
just to have a great time. The Whale Foundation cannot begin to thank
all of the individuals that made this event happen. For fear of leaving
someone out, we wish to just extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone that
made this event so successful. Donations came pouring in for sponsorships,
auction items, entertainment, food, signage, etc. The generosity we received
was unbelievable!
When we first began talking about the WingDing, we wanted to create a
party where the river community could get together to not only celebrate
our old friend Whale, but also catch up with one another at a relaxing,
fun event. We believe we accomplished what we set out to create. Whale
was there in spirit—everyone who attended can attest to that. Many
in attendance ran into friends they hadn’t seen in years. This was
exciting to experience. The success of our event will allow us to further
extend the programs the Whale Foundation offers to the guiding community.
Once again, we wish to thank everyone who donated and/or attended the
second annual Whale Foundation WingDing. If you weren’t there this
year—we missed you and we hope to see you all again in 2005! Thanks
again.
Meg Viera
