2010 Women's National Softball Tournament

Marines and families who attended the

Women's National Softball Tournament had a great time.

Not only did we enjoy the softball games, we were very proud of our

Utah Dixie MCL Color Guard's

premier performance posting the colors.

Thank you to Bryan Butas, Bill Toole,

Brian Bills and Larry Mineer

for making our Detachment very proud.

NJCAA National Softball Championship

NJCAA National Championship May 19th - 22nd at the Canyons Softball Complex. Tickets are $ 6.00 each, good for all four days or $ 3.00 for seniors and children under twelve years old. 16 best Division 1 Junior College women's fast pitch softball teams in the nation will compete for the 2010 National Championship. Contact Bill Feeney for tickets. Tickets must be purchased by April 16, 2010. Bring a friend and make it a great day. The Detachment will receive a contribution for every ticket sold.

Jim “Horse” Smith

You'll want to join us at our monthly Detachment meeting on February 13, 2010 to hear Jim "Horse" Smith speak.  Breakfast begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Elks Lodge, St. George, UT.  Some of Jim's accomplishments:

• Enlisted in USMC on Nov 1st, 1939.
• Served with 5th Marines in Cuba --- became part of 1st MarDiv when it was formed.
• Assigned to First Marine Raider Battalion at Quantico in March of 1942.
• Fought in initial landing on Tulagi and Battle of The Ridge on Gualalcanal in August and September of 1942. Awarded two Silver Stars and Purple Heart.
• Served 27 years in government work.

As part of his inherent inclination to “keep on truckin’,” in October Horse competed as the oldest shooter in the 2009 World Championships for Trap/Skeet in San Antonio and won five medals.
 

Successful Year for Toys for Tots in St. George

Once again Rick Massey surpassed his own goals for Toys for Tots.  Several members of the Detachment spent countless hours delivering and placing TFT boxes, collecting toys, manning stations and greeting people in front of three local WalMart stores, using donated money to pre-shop for toys, driving to various locations to pick up and/or unload toy donations by various organizations, sorting and wrapping gifts at the Dixie Center and serving and clean-up at the Elks Lodge for the "Shop With a Cop" experience for local children.  There was also a dinner held at the Elks Lodge to present toys to handicapped kids.  We partner with Coins for Kids who have streamlined the process of delivery of toys, but we still have Santa Mike who assists with delivery of toys to several special needs cases.

Check out the article in The Spectrum on Christmas Day on one special delivery in which our Detachment participated.

http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20091225/NEWS01/912250321/Volunteers-put-the-joy-in-Christmas

All in all, an outstanding result for the 2009 Toys for Tots program in Southern Utah. Congratulations to all, with special thanks to Rick for his incredible energy for this program.

Toys for Tots

December IS Toys for Tots for the Utah Dixie Marine Corps League.  Rick Massey is the liaison for Toys for Tots.  His incredible energy for this program is awe inspiring.  Rick and his team of about 20 Marines, who assist in representing the Detachment in events that produce both monetary contributions and donated toys, spend hours making it happen - all designed to make some needy families very happy at Christmas.  The Detachment teams up with the local Coins for Kids, an organization that delivers our collected toys to needy families in the SoUtah area.  There are so many activities to make this all come together: installing TFT boxes in local business locations, checking them nearly daily, standing by the TFT boxes at three local WalMart locations as people donate their new toys or money, picking up donations by a very generous Toys-R-Us, collecting at another local business locations, delivering all the toys to the convention center and joining other community volunteers in catagorizing and wrapping the toys, and having Santa dress up to assist in delivery.  The happiness in the faces of children makes it all worthwhile. Ooorah, Marines!

2009 St. George Nursing Home Veterans

The Cpl. Adam Galvez Unit 469 Women's Auxiliary of our League Detachment, assisted by the Detachment's Sr. Vice Commandant and Judge Advocate Elect, brightened the Veteran's Day holiday of St. George nursing home veterans with good wishes, hugs and Marine Corps birthday cake, honoring their service to this country.

234th Birthday of the Marine Corps

The Detachment's annual celebration of the Marine Corps Birthday was enjoyed by all at the SunRiver St. George ballroom.  Commandant Ron Buress cuts the cake in this photo.  Sgt. Major John Massaro and Lt. Col. Al Christy received a piece of cake as the Detachment's honored guests.  Oldest Marine present, Ed Soniat, passed his piece of cake to the youngest Marine present, Kody Hansen.  A fine dinner was followed by dancing to the music of the Jim Sevy Band.  Happy 234th Birthday, Marines!!