Fri, Aug 24, 2012
Trace is performing in Salina, Kansas where he meets three local heroes. Amy Paden uses her organization called Hearts of America to put together care packages for our troops overseas. Amy sends food, blankets, and fun stuff so that the brave men and women serving our country know that they are remembered back home. Trace joins her and her volunteers for a packing clinic and meets a veteran who was a recipient of packages from Hearts of America and who now is a volunteer. Reverend Steve Kmetz has been working at the Salina Rescue Mission for over 18 years and has made it his mission to give the homeless men in his shelter a hand up, not a hand out, so that they may start over. His pet project is his shed building program, which gives these men marketable skills and teaches them to work as a team. Trace joins Steve, his handyman Handy Andy and the men in his program to work on one of their sheds. After the loss of her young daughter to cancer, Heidi Feyerherm started the Love, Chloe Foundation, named in her honor. The Monkey in My Chair program, inspired by Chloe, gives children who have to spend extended time in the hospital a way to continue to still feel a part of their class at school, and to know that they have not been forgotten. Trace joins Heidi and her volunteers to put together a number of Monkey in My Chair backpacks, then goes to the local school to chat with Stephany, a young girl who uses the Monkey in My Chair program to stay connected with her classmates when she is in the hospital.
Tue, Aug 28, 2012
While in Charleston, South Carolina, Trace meets three amazing local heroes. Mackie Moore took over the reins and Rein & Shine when they were about to close their doors and under her direction, the organization has since grown considerably. Passionate about helping others, Mackie provides horseback riding therapy for children and adults with social, emotional, physical and cognitive disabilities at Rein & Shine. Trace chats with some of the kids in Mackie's program and is touched by the story of Tate - an adult who suffered a brain aneurysm, but who has found hope and progress through his equine therapy at Rein & Shine. Equal in his passion to help others, specifically veterans suffering from PTSD, Dr. Ron Acierno founded the non-profit Veterans On Deck. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Ron saw progress in his patients, but was concerned that they were still having some trouble integrating into society. Dr. Ron found that sailing as therapy is an effective tool to empower these veterans to feel more in control, less fearful, and to re-learn how to work and socially interact with others. Trace, who admits to not having any sailing experience, hops on a boat to join these brave vets as they go on a brief excursion. Trace also visits with Katie Stagliano who, at the tender age of 13, already runs her own non-profit dedicated to growing food to feed the hungry called Katie's Krops. Trace rolls up his sleeves and works alongside Katie and her team as they work on one of her many gardens.
Tue, Sep 4, 2012
Trace arrives in Davenport, Iowa and meets three terrific representatives of the heroes found in the Quad Cities. Fred Thomas started Beasley's Boxing Club as an after school program to provide the at-risk youth in the community with a place to go and discover the mental and physical benefits of boxing. Trace works out with some of the kids there and hears how much Fred and his program have helped them to stay focused and out of trouble. Kempy Stark is a volunteer with the local chapter of Rebuilding Together, an organization that unites people in a voluntary effort to provide home repairs for the elderly, disabled and low-income homeowners at no cost. Kempy introduces Trace to a lovely older woman, Mary, whom he has helped in the past and then they join a crew already at work making repairs and building a wheelchair ramp to a single mom's home. When Trace visits Hand in Hand, a program designed to assist families with special needs kids, he and founders Mark and Vinnie Smith and Joanie Steil tour the facility and sit in on a couple of classes, including a music therapy class and an art therapy class.
Tue, Sep 11, 2012
Trace meets a diverse group of heroes during his stay in Atlanta, Georgia. When 18 year-old Mackenzie Bearup discovered the healing power of reading while dealing with chronic pain, she decided to share that with those who may not be able to afford books. She shows Trace her growing collection of donated books and he joins her as she brings them to a homeless shelter and spends time with some kids. When Trace catches up with Dana Upton, he is introduced to her method of mentoring at-risk kids through the art and discipline of dance in her program Moving In The Spirit. Dana considers Moving In The Spirit to be a tool that also teaches students life and workplace skills. Karen Harris, the founder of Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta, is a parent of a child with food allergies, just like Trace is. Trace understands all too well the importance of educating the community about the debilitating and sometimes life-threatening effects of food allergies, as well as providing a support system for parents.
Tue, Sep 18, 2012
As Trace's tour bus stops in Easton, Pennsylvania, Trace takes the opportunity to meet three local heroes. Lori McCutcheon runs Last Chance Ranch, where she rescues, rehabilitates and trains neglected and abandoned horses, many of whom are trained specifically for the Philadelphia Mounted Police. Lori introduces Trace to some of her animals and the techniques they use to train them. Trace also encounters brothers Mike and Tom Rau who are volunteers with Pennsylvania Water Rescue where they not only save lives and help with emergency calls, but also educate the community on water safety. Mike and Tom show Trace some of what their volunteers have to do in order to keep their rescue skills sharp. On his visit to Community Bike Works, founder Stefan Goslawski shows Trace how his program uses the concept of earning bicycles to draw boys and girls into their doors and away from drugs, crime and the streets.
Tue, Oct 30, 2012
Before his concert in Bakersfield, California, Trace spends some quality time with some local heroes. A member of the police force, Chad Jackman started the Bakersfield Police Activities League for the kids in the lower income community in which he grew up. Chad credits his parents and sports with keeping him out of trouble, and as an officer on the beat, he saw even more how important it was for these kids to have the same opportunities he did. Trace tours BPAL with Chad, meeting some of the kids as they enjoy competitive sports and are tutored in a classroom setting. Wendy Porter brings Trace to the Bakersfield Vet Center where her Wounded Heroes Fund is a big presence and where they are currently funding the building of a new patio and barbecue area for the veterans to enjoy. Trace spends time with some of the vets who were helped by Wendy and now sit on the board of the WHF so they can give back, and even joins some of them to plant a tree in the new space. Trace stops by the fire station to join Trever Martinusen, part of the original team that started The Burn Foundation and who currently serves as their Director. Trever and TBF are hosting a barbecue for burn survivors and their families and invite Trace to play with some of the kids and see what it means to not just survive as a burn victim, but to thrive and enjoy life.
Tue, Nov 6, 2012
When his concert tour takes him to Hyannis, Massachusetts, Trace gets together with three impressive community heroes. Craig Bautz became a paraplegic at the age of 19 due to a car accident and since then, has found release for his athletic passions in adaptive sports. Now Craig runs CAPEable Adventures, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of physically and mentally challenged adults and children, by providing instruction and access to adaptive sports and outdoor recreation. Trace sees first hand the joy that being able to participate in athletic activities can bring to someone dealing with physical challenges. With John Pappalardo, Trace meets some of the fishermen of the community and comes to understand how John's Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fisherman's Association works to keep the ecosystem healthy, boats on the water, and the tradition of fishing alive and well in the area. Carlene Barrett invites Trace to help hand out toys to kids of military families at one of her toy donation events. Carlene lost her son when he was serving with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan and was inspired by his love for children and his natural generosity to start Operation Military Smiles, a toy and donation drive, as a project of the Military Friends Foundation.
Tue, Nov 13, 2012
Trace Adkins and his band make a stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, giving Trace the opportunity to meet three local folks who have found ways to address needs they found in their community. Mike Sapp used to train and show dogs as a hobby, until he was asked by some friends who were deaf if he would help train their dog. He did such a great job, that more people asked him for his help and Paws With A Cause was born. Now, Mike and his volunteers provide trained service dogs to people with a wide range of disabilities. When Trace visits, Mike shows him the behind the scenes, as it were, of his facility. They see the trainers putting adult dogs through their paces, the young puppies bred to become service dogs and bring a fully trained dog to meet its new owner. Trace also joins Andrew Stachowiak, a volunteer for GreenCare for Troops. Andrew, a former Marine, is well aware of the burden that a military family carries when a loved one is deployed, and wanted to reach out and help. Through GreenCare for Troops, an initiative of Project Evergreen, Andrew utilizes his skills as a landscaper to care of yards belonging to deployed service people. Trace sees the work that Andrew has done and is doing and takes some time to chat with the wife of one of those deployed servicemen currently being helped by Andrew. Trace also makes a stop by an after school and summer program called Creative Youth Center, run by teacher Lori Slager. At CYA, Trace witnesses Lori and her team using different creative writing exercises to get kids excited about learning, such as song writing and play writing. The kids also have a Press Club and Trace becomes the object of their attention as they "interview" him.
Sat, Nov 24, 2012
It's time for the Neshoba County Fair and before Trace jumps on stage to perform for the large crowd, he meets up with a few different people who like to reach out and help others. Jay Stokes is one of those people. Jay believes everyone should get to experience the great outdoors, regardless of their personal circumstances. He's made it his mission through his organization, Break-Away Outdoors, to help those who don't have that opportunity get the chance to learn to hunt, fish and enjoy the experiences that nature has to offer. Whether they are a kid whose parent is away in the military, or they can't afford the cost of gear and outfitting or if they have special needs, Jay's door is wide open. Trace joins Jay and his group as they go fishing, skeet shooting and target practice. Sandi Lewis, of the local chapter of Christian Women's Job Corps shows Trace first-hand how she gives unemployed and underemployed women the skills they need to find work. Through such activities as a job assessment test, computer classes and mock interviewing, as well as the guidance of mentors, Sandi empowers her "mentees" to explore job and education possibilities. Andy Williams was a worker on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig prior to its explosion. Not having been there that night, Andy felt the need to reach out to the guys who survived and to the family members of the victims to give them emotional support. Andy made himself available to them at all hours of the day and night and even became a liaison between them and the office, because they felt such trust and confidence in him. Andy introduces Trace to some of the people affected by the tragedy and they talk about their connection with each other and what it means to them. Trace also takes a brief tour around the Neshoba County Fair and finds out why it's so important to the community.
Tue, Nov 27, 2012
Finding himself in Knoxville, Tennessee with some time on his hands before his performance, Trace becomes acquainted with three local heroes. Al Louis Cecere, the Founder and President of the American Eagle Foundation, introduces Trace to some of his bald eagles. Al has dedicated much of his time to rescuing and protecting eagles, and his work has been so effective it's taken eagles off the endangered species list. Carla Saunders is a neonatal nurse practitioner with the East Tennessee Children's Hospital. In 2010, noticing a significant increase in babies in their care experiencing Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, she, along with a colleague, developed a program to give these babies the special care they need. Now, she shows Trace the elements of their program and how regular feeding and even just cuddling the babies can aid in soothing them. Professional trucker Stuart Hall dedicates his free time to Compassion Coalition's Restorative Justice Program and Furniture Ministries. He works with non-violent juvenile offenders who need to do committed hours of community service. Most of the time he works with the offenders through the Compassion Coalition's Furniture Ministry - an initiative that collects and delivers quality, used furniture to those in crisis. Trace helps Stuart with his volunteer work for CC.