A visit from the Anahiem Ducks support staff!

Sharon and Lori share a moment with an Anaheim Ducks volunteer.

Mikki and April are learning about a Ducks player.

Brian appreciates the volunteers help.

A group photo of the students and Anaheim Ducks volunteers.

We have new friends in the Anaheim Ducks!  In June the Anaheim Ducks hockey team chose us to be their community spotlight.  Several of their support staff came to our facility to volunteer.  They were all so nice!  The volunteers helped us with felting class, they sat in on Music Therapy, they helped some students with academics, drums were fun too with the volunteers!  Our hand bell choir put on a private concert for them, in which they were asked to ring along and learn how to play the hand bells with us.  It was so much so much fun having them here we hope they can come back again soon.  They learned a lot about us and our program and we learned a lot about them too.Thank you Anaheim Ducks!

Cardboard Becomes A Stadium

The back of the 'Stadium'.

Darren showing us the baseball.

Where the motor will go for the players.

A proud artist posing with his 'in progress' sculpture.

In Darren Petersen's hands cardboard can become many things.  Cardboard is his medium of choice and with his imagination and dreams it becomes amazing things.  Darren, a student at Hope University, enjoys imagining what his sculptures could do if they were real.  He has created cardboard sculptures of objects such as boats, street sweepers, airplanes and even a helicopter.  This sculpture is of Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.  Darren dreams of sitting in stands as he sculpts, he pictures the players on the field and the ball soaring into the outfield with cheers for a home run coming from the crowds.  There are plans to install a motor, lights and a fan to blow 'fireworks' just like at the game.   Fred Mezzo, a fellow Hope University, student has been assisting Darren in this sculpture.  Fred has been working on the people that will populate the completed piece.
"It helps to have someone else work with me on a project because things get done a lot faster." Darren explained about Fred.
"I am just glad to have help, I can really use it."  He adds.
We are all excited to see how the 'Stadium'  turns out.  Both Darren and Fred are very enthusiastic about this collaborative sculptural project.

A Visit From The Mayor!

Mayor Tate with Hope U students; Margaret K., Tanette T., and Lori S.

Mayor Tate chatting with Hope U student Jason R. as student Amy L. and  Board President Matt Sauer join in.

Lori S. was so happy to meet Mayor Tate!

Hope University Board President Matt Sauer, Hope University Executive Director Jan Reyes and The Mayor of Anaheim Tom Tate.

The Mayor of Anaheim, Tom Tate, came by Hope University for a visit in August.  He had been invited to the Mural Unveiling but was unable to attend though he promised to come by the program and visit with us all on another day.  He kept his promise and we were all so excited to see him.  The Hi-Hopes performed for him and he was able to see the students hard at work on art projects, exploring music and in academic classes.  The students were able to shake his hand and show him around the classrooms here at Hope U.  It made us so proud that Mayor Tate made time in his busy schedule for us.  We really appreciate his interest in our program.  We are looking forward to seeing him and more of his staff soon.  Mayor Tate was so impressed by us that he brought his wife down the next day and meet us.  Thank you Mayor Tate!