The dog days of August brought the 31st. annual Veterans Wheelchair Games to Pittsburgh, PA.   The Job Corps students quickly volunteered to be there at the games to show support for our United States military, the fighting men and women who have returned from battle.   The games promote rehabilitation, camaraderie, and competitiveness.  There is no holding back.  These folks are competitive and rough and have a desire to win.  These veterans served our country honorably and sacrificed so much for our freedom.  “I just want to go and tell them I am proud of them”, said Cody Lee, one of our student volunteers.   “I have several family members in the services now and I miss them and want to cheer for these guys.” 

Students from the three introduction cluster classes in culinary arts, construction, and health occupations were able to lend a hand.  The HVAC class and instructor participated in the archery competition by retrieving arrows and keeping score.   Students from Facilities Maintenance helped with the set-up for the track and field games: unloading trucks of materials, tents, and athletic equipment.   Thirty PJCC staff and students had a chance to also watch the track and field games and cheer for the athletes.
 
“I was at the games for a couple of days this week”, said Michael A. Clark, PJCC Mental Health Consultant.  “I saw a number of our students there doing a great job helping out.  PJCC definitely had a presence and it was a positive one. There were some 650 veterans participating.  Most of them had all the excuses one would ever need to check out of life, become bitter, self-focused and angry.  Instead we saw these wounded warriors overcome obstacles with perseverance to play hard, sweat, joke, laugh, struggle and win at the game of life.  I was pleased and proud to see PJCC represented and hope our students were similarly touched by the experience.”

“It was fun.  I liked helping”, said PJCC student Matthew Gillen.   The students in HVAC said that  it felt really good to give back to those that sacrificed themselves for the good of our country.  Even Mabrico Kerr and Paul Kerr said the same thing even though they are  from Jamaica.    It was very interesting  to see how everything was done on that large a  scale.  Pretty Cool!!!