thedrifter
08-18-07, 07:12 AM
Escondido Sunrise Rotary donates beach cabin for injured Marines
By Linda McIntosh
UNION-TRIBUNE TODAY'S LOCAL NEWS
August 18, 2007
CAMP PENDLETON – It's been a while since Lance Cpl. Robert McCardle has gone to the beach. A war injury left him with an amputated leg, but that didn't keep him from taking his first surfing lesson last weekend at San Onofre Beach on the northern end of Camp Pendleton.
It's a weekend he won't forget, and it was just the kind of getaway for injured Marines that a group of Rotarians had in mind when they built the beach cabin designed for people with disabilities.
McCardle and his wife, Stephanie, were the first to try out the new wheelchair accessible cottage, which sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean at San Onofre Beach.
“I've never done surfing before, and it's great to be out here,” McCardle said. “It's an honor to be chosen to be first in the cottage.”
It was a welcome change for his wife, who spent her share of time at his bedside in the hospital.
“It's cool seeing him trying new things,” she said.
The Escondido Sunrise Rotary bought the cottage and gave it to Camp Pendleton last week in a ceremony attended by base officials and dozens of Marines and Rotary members from the Escondido and Camp Pendleton clubs.
“There are injured service members who used to go to the beach but can't climb in an RV or pitch a tent. Now they can stay in the cabin. It'll help them mend and get over their injuries so they can go on with life,” said John Sawtelle, a member of the Escondido Sunrise Rotary who coordinated the effort to get the cabin on base.
The story of the Sunrise Cabin, as it is called, began at Camp Pendleton's Wounded Warrior Center earlier this year.
Sawtelle and a handful of Rotarians were painting and putting up blinds at the center, and on the way home, he and the club's past president, Mike Dunlap, came up with the idea of putting a beach cabin on base for injured Marines.
It didn't take long for the idea to catch on with other members of the Rotary, many of whom are retired from the military.
“My son is in the Army. There's no way we can repay them for what they're doing,” said Dunlap, who led the fundraising effort.
The Escondido Sunrise Rotary raised money to buy the $60,000 prefabricated cottage through a nonprofit the club founded called Cabin By The Lake.
The charity builds cabins that the Rotary Club places in public parks for use by campers who use wheelchairs. The charity's first cabin was built in 2004 at Dixon Lake in Escondido; the second is at Camp Pendleton.
The nonprofit is funded by Rotary members and donations to the Legacy Endowment, Community Foundation, based in Fallbrook.
The Sunrise Cottage includes modifications to accommodate injured service members, such as handrails, shower seats and ample room to maneuver a wheelchair.
The cabin is decorated with a surf theme and has a loft with a room for children to sleep and a patio outside the bedroom that looks out onto the ocean.
“There's a view and a breeze. It doesn't get any better than this,” said Maj. Michael Fitts.
Marines expressed appreciation at the dedication ceremony.
“We all sacrifice, but some have to sacrifice more than others. It's nice to know that those Marines who can't walk or are injured have a beach cabin of their own,” said Lance Cpl. Johnny Lemus.
“It's one more thing we can do to make things a little easier, and it comes from the community,” Col. Fred Padilla said.
The opening prayer at the dedication invited injured Marines to use the cottage and “take in sun, sand and sea to see themselves not as wounded warriors, but as healing warriors.”
“This is an opportunity for injured Marines to recover and rejoin our ranks,” said Col. John Malik, chief of staff at Camp Pendleton.
During the ceremony, Sawtelle said Rotary could put up another cottage at the south end of the base and have it operational in 60 days.
He said the impetus behind the second cottage came largely from a local senior who donated $60,000 after she saw pictures of the beach cottage for wounded warriors.
Linda McIntosh: (760) 752-6756; linda.mcintosh@tlnews.net
Ellie
By Linda McIntosh
UNION-TRIBUNE TODAY'S LOCAL NEWS
August 18, 2007
CAMP PENDLETON – It's been a while since Lance Cpl. Robert McCardle has gone to the beach. A war injury left him with an amputated leg, but that didn't keep him from taking his first surfing lesson last weekend at San Onofre Beach on the northern end of Camp Pendleton.
It's a weekend he won't forget, and it was just the kind of getaway for injured Marines that a group of Rotarians had in mind when they built the beach cabin designed for people with disabilities.
McCardle and his wife, Stephanie, were the first to try out the new wheelchair accessible cottage, which sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean at San Onofre Beach.
“I've never done surfing before, and it's great to be out here,” McCardle said. “It's an honor to be chosen to be first in the cottage.”
It was a welcome change for his wife, who spent her share of time at his bedside in the hospital.
“It's cool seeing him trying new things,” she said.
The Escondido Sunrise Rotary bought the cottage and gave it to Camp Pendleton last week in a ceremony attended by base officials and dozens of Marines and Rotary members from the Escondido and Camp Pendleton clubs.
“There are injured service members who used to go to the beach but can't climb in an RV or pitch a tent. Now they can stay in the cabin. It'll help them mend and get over their injuries so they can go on with life,” said John Sawtelle, a member of the Escondido Sunrise Rotary who coordinated the effort to get the cabin on base.
The story of the Sunrise Cabin, as it is called, began at Camp Pendleton's Wounded Warrior Center earlier this year.
Sawtelle and a handful of Rotarians were painting and putting up blinds at the center, and on the way home, he and the club's past president, Mike Dunlap, came up with the idea of putting a beach cabin on base for injured Marines.
It didn't take long for the idea to catch on with other members of the Rotary, many of whom are retired from the military.
“My son is in the Army. There's no way we can repay them for what they're doing,” said Dunlap, who led the fundraising effort.
The Escondido Sunrise Rotary raised money to buy the $60,000 prefabricated cottage through a nonprofit the club founded called Cabin By The Lake.
The charity builds cabins that the Rotary Club places in public parks for use by campers who use wheelchairs. The charity's first cabin was built in 2004 at Dixon Lake in Escondido; the second is at Camp Pendleton.
The nonprofit is funded by Rotary members and donations to the Legacy Endowment, Community Foundation, based in Fallbrook.
The Sunrise Cottage includes modifications to accommodate injured service members, such as handrails, shower seats and ample room to maneuver a wheelchair.
The cabin is decorated with a surf theme and has a loft with a room for children to sleep and a patio outside the bedroom that looks out onto the ocean.
“There's a view and a breeze. It doesn't get any better than this,” said Maj. Michael Fitts.
Marines expressed appreciation at the dedication ceremony.
“We all sacrifice, but some have to sacrifice more than others. It's nice to know that those Marines who can't walk or are injured have a beach cabin of their own,” said Lance Cpl. Johnny Lemus.
“It's one more thing we can do to make things a little easier, and it comes from the community,” Col. Fred Padilla said.
The opening prayer at the dedication invited injured Marines to use the cottage and “take in sun, sand and sea to see themselves not as wounded warriors, but as healing warriors.”
“This is an opportunity for injured Marines to recover and rejoin our ranks,” said Col. John Malik, chief of staff at Camp Pendleton.
During the ceremony, Sawtelle said Rotary could put up another cottage at the south end of the base and have it operational in 60 days.
He said the impetus behind the second cottage came largely from a local senior who donated $60,000 after she saw pictures of the beach cottage for wounded warriors.
Linda McIntosh: (760) 752-6756; linda.mcintosh@tlnews.net
Ellie