JOIN US. Margie and David VanderpooL

Humanitarians of hope

When David and Margie Vanderpool first arrived at the Karlovka Rehabilitation Center for Children about six years ago, the situation was dire.

“It was heartbreaking,” David says. “It was dark and cold. The children were expressionless. They didn’t have enough to eat. They didn’t have jackets. It gets bitterly cold in the wintertime.”

Today, the kids are healthier and happier thanks to the Vanderpools and their team of volunteers, who have been traveling to the Ukraine each year to deliver supplies, set up recovery programs and minister to the children.

“They can sense the fact that someone cares about them. It’s so rewarding to see things like that happen.”

The government-run orphanage is home to the country’s “throw-away” children, ages 8-16, who are picked up off the streets already addicted to drugs and alcohol. They are forced to leave the home at age 16, and only about 20 percent become successful members of society. The rest end up homeless or dead, David says.

The Vanderpools have developed a twopronged mission. It began when David, a surgeon at Baylor Medical Center, decided to make use of outdated medical equipment by taking it to rundown hospitals in the Ukraine.

“It’s still as useful as it was then. A tre- mendous amount of that gets destroyed or packed away. The hospitals in the Ukraine are more outdated than the old Parkland Hospital when it opened in 1952. They’re that far behind.”

Their fetal monitor was a primitive wooden cylinder with a flared end placed on the mother’s abdomen while the doctor listened to the heartbeat on the other end. The tool resembles the original stethoscope designed in 1816, David says.

While delivering the first batch of supplies, David and Margie visited the Karlovka orphanage and realized they had to help there, too.

David says he has dabbled in some humanitarian aid over the years, but his work in the Ukraine has become a lasting mission. He and his wife Margie have lived in Preston Hollow for 48 years. Margie was among the first residents in 1937 before the area was annexed to the city of Dallas in 1940.

It’s true what the history books say — there was one man policing the entire town. And that’s all it needed, says Margie, who was just a kid at the time.

“We had one police officer, Leroy Trice.

He knew all the kids. I don’t recall any fire trucks; I don’t recall any fires. There weren’t a whole lot of people out here. When the war was going on, I remember we’d all run down to the corner to wave at the troops as they were leaving.”

When she married David, the two moved away for a couple of years while he was in the Air Force, stationed in Amarillo from 19611963. David is still an active pilot and often flies his Beachcraft Bonanza to the family’s vacation home in Angel Fire, N.M., and to visit their son in Nashville.

The Vanderpools continue to travel to the Ukraine once a year and have become fixtures in the communities there. Recently, they helped set up transitional housing for the children who leave the orphanage, offering vocational training and increasing their chances of living a successful life on the outside. They work with Eastern European Ministries and are part of a nonprofit, Programs for Humanitarian Aid, that helps provide a strong support system of Ukrainian locals who lead regular church services and teach life skills.

The Vanderpools also helped mobilize volunteers at Skillman Church of Christ in Lake- wood, teaching Vacation Bible School at the orphanage and putting together gift boxes to ship at Christmas. This year, they’re supporting a second facility in Gorlovka, Ukraine, which houses teenage mothers and their babies.

David is still shipping medical supplies and even helped recruit other staff at Baylor to go and teach the doctors and nurses how to use their new equipment.

“My philosophy is that I could go over there for a week and help 20 or 25 people, and after I left, there would be no change. But if we can improve the quality of care by updating the equipment and skills, we can help thousands.”

NOVEMBER 4−6, 2011

PREVIEW NIGHT: NOVEMBER 3

A cause of Olympic proportions

Just a few months after taking his first daughter home from the hospital, Jim Albright knew something was wrong.

“Some of our neighbors and friends noticed that she wasn’t developing like a normal child,” says Albright, 78.

He took her to the doctor Aug. 1, 1966 — he remembers the exact date because it was the same day that Charles Whitman opened fire from the clock tower at the University of Texas, Albright’s alma mater, killing 16 people.

By 11 that night, his daughter’s test results were in. Doctors confirmed that Kate had infantile spasms, a neurological disorder characterized by small seizures and developmental delays. She needed medication immediately and barely made it through the night.

“The experience was one of despair, frustration, not knowing exactly what the long-term would hold,” Albright says. “You go through shock.

“My Christian instinct told me to drop to the floor. I got on my knees and asked the Lord to allow me to keep her and raise her in the nurture and admonition of himself. He allowed us to keep her.”

Kate attended a special school Downtown before transferring to Marsh Middle

School and graduating from W.T. White. Today, she’s 45 and lives with her parents in Northaven Park. She works on the assembly line at BeautiControl cosmetics company and has an IQ of 68.

Watching his special-needs daughter grow up sparked Albright’s interest in the Special Olympics, for which he has raised $800,000.

“I became enamored with them and their lifestyles,” he says. “I became sympathetic. They were dealt a different hand than you and me.”

He began volunteering with the Dallas chapter 10 years ago, attending the track and field meets held at Texas A&M University.

“I mostly stood at the finish line. I would be a hugger at the end of the races. That’s what they really need is a hug.”

He also was on the committee that plans black-tie galas and live and silent auctions.

In 2004, during a chance meeting with Heisman trophy winner John David Crow, Albright had a “brilliant idea,” he says.

“I said, ‘What if I got every one of the Heisman trophy winners to sign a football?’ He (Crow) said that would be impossible because of the geography, agents, policies of the schools and just making contact.”

Determined to meet his lofty goal of raising $1 million for the Special Olympics, Albright started small, finding all the Heisman winners who lived locally, such as Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett. Next, he embarked on several trips across the country. About 70,000 miles later, he had 55 autographs on the football, which sold at auction for $200,000.

Everyone’s name is there, including the infamous O.J. Simpson, whom Albright met in a hotel lobby in Miami, Fla.

“He walked in and said ‘You must be the man from Texas.’ ”

But Albright’s most memorable experience came when Reggie Bush won the Heisman in 2005. (He later returned it after allegations that he received improper benefits from the University of Southern California.)

Albright attended the ceremony in New York, clutching his football half-covered in signatures, hoping to add Bush’s name.

“He was swarmed by sports writers. I couldn’t get near him.”

Then, he noticed Bush’s mother, Denise Griffith, in the crowd. He told her his mission, and she hollered, “Reggie! You get yourself over here right now!”

“These guys are mamas’ boys,” Albright says.

The Heisman football wasn’t the only item he sold for Special Olympics. He did the same thing with the 95 living winners of the Cy Young Award, baseball’s equivalent of the Heisman. He sold the collection of 95 balls for $250,000. Albright also has sold gear autographed by athletes such as Tiger Woods and Magic Johnson, to name a few.

Health issues have slowed Albright a bit recently, but as soon as he’s well, he’ll start globetrotting again for his next project — tracking down all of the players from the USA hockey team that, against all odds, beat the Russians during the 1980 Winter Olympics (the movie “Miracle” is based on their story).

Maybe then, he’ll finally meet his $1 million goal.

“This is a memorabilia-crazed society we live in,” Albright says, “and I’m taking advantage of it.”

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Community

Kramer Elementary hosts a technology recycling fundraiser to properly dispose of electronics while raising money for school programs. Take items such as old computers, ink jet cartridges, MP3 players, cell phones and GPS devices during two collections dates, Dec. 2 and April 20, at the school, 7131 Midbury. For more details, call 972.794.8300 or visit kramerelementary.org.

Project Linus meetings will now be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. every first Saturday beginning Nov. 5 at Midway Hills Christian Church, 11001 Midway. Project Linus is a nonprofit organization that makes and donates blankets for needy children up to age 18. To get involved, call 214.352.4841or visit pldallas.org.

Education

TexPreps Basketball, a leading publication on high school basketball, celebrated Hillcrest High School’s contributions to the sport during an event at SMU’s Barnes & Noble bookstore. Magazine publisher RV Baugus interviewed head boys basketball coach Von Harris, girls coach Rachelle Leonard and several players.

Judge and Betty Coker donated $10,000 to the Marsh Middle School Leadership Cadet Corps, which is working to construct a military museum on campus. The building would house war memorabilia from neighborhood veterans, and cadets would conduct tours for elementary students. To learn more, contact David Bates at dbates@dallasisd.org.

For the second year in a row, Preston Hollow Elementary made the Texas Business and Education Coalition Honor Roll for academic excellence. The award represents less than 4 percent of Texas public schools. The schools are recognized based on commended TAKS performance sustained over the past three years. Sixteen other Dallas ISD schools received the honor and will be recognized at a ceremony Dec. 2 at the Fairmont Hotel.

People

Marisa Salatino of Preston Hollow is one of five honorees at the Girl Scouts of Northeast

Texas’ Real Girls Real Women

Luncheon set for Nov. 18.

Salatino, a Hockaday sophomore, received the Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouts. She led a project to renovate and expand a garden at a low-income government subsidized apartment complex for Chinese immigrants.

HAVE AN ITEM TO BE fEATurEd?

Please submit news items and/or photos concerning neighborhood residents, activities, honors and volunteer opportunities to editor@advocatemag.com. Our deadline is the first of the month prior to the month of publication.

Baptist

WIlShIre BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100

Pastor George A. Mason Ph.D. / Worship 8:30 & 11:00 am

Bible Study 9:40 am / www.wilshirebc.org

BIBle C hUrC he S

NOrTh hIGhlANDS BIBle ChUrCh / www.nhbc.net

Sunday: Lifequest (all ages) 9:00 am / Worship 10:30 am

Wed: Student Ministry 7:00 pm / 9626 Church Road / 214.348.9697

DISCIPle S Of Chr IST

eAST DAllAS ChrISTIAN ChUrCh / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship Gathering 9:30 am

Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan / www.edcc.org

e PISCOPA l

The ePISCOPAl ChUrCh Of The ASCeNSION / 8787 Greenville Ave.

Sunday School 9:00 am / Worship 8:00 & 10:15 am 214.340.4196 / more at www.ascensiondallas.org

lUTherAN

ZION lUTherAN ChUrCh & SChOOl / 6121 E Lovers Ln.

Sunday: Sunday School 9:15 am, Worship 8:00 am,

10:30 am, & 6:00 pm / 214.363.1639 / www.ziondallas.org

me ThODIST

lAke hIGhlANDS UmC/ 9015 Plano Rd. / 214.348.6600 / lhumc.com

8:30 – Adult Sun. School / 9:30 – Traditional Service & Sun. School ‘A’

10:30 – Fellowship / 10:50 – Contemporary Service & Sun. School ‘B’

PreSB yT erIAN

NOrThPArk PreSByTerIAN ChUrCh / 214.363.5457

9555 N. Central Expwy. / www.northparkpres.org

Pastor: Rev. Brent Barry / 8:30 & 11:00 am Sunday Services