34 APRIL 2020 By Cody Kennedy Arcadia News would like to remind students at Arcadia High School of the scholarship opportunity we offer. The award has been in place since 2005. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must meet the following requirements: • A desire to continue education in the realm of journalism, broadcasting, communications, or other media- related fields. • Obtain at least one written recommendation from a current or former teacher, counselor or community leader who is familiar with the student and his or her drive and determination in the pursuit of knowledge. • Write a one or two-page essay telling us about your educational and career aspirations and what you’ve done so far to get ready for your educational pursuits and any related awards you’ve earned, media classes, etc. The winner of the scholarship will have their own story published in the next edition of the paper. Interested Arcadia High students are encouraged to contact College and Career Coordinator Jacque Stauff at jstauff@susd.org or (480) 484-6300 ext. 46364. All submissions should be given to the College and Career Center. For more: editor@arcadianews.com. AHS students encouraged to apply for AN scholarship By Evan Gower This year’s Earth Day will celebrate its 50th anniversary on April 22. The theme for 2020 is climate action, and local schools in Arcadia planned on spending the day – and even the month – teaching children new and inventive ways to help keep the planet clean. U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson started Earth Day in 1970 as a response to growing concern over industrial waste and other toxins that were affecting the environment. Over 20 million people rallied around the United States on April 22, 1970 to demonstrate for a healthier environment. The success of the first Earth Day led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. Over the years, the overall message of Earth Day has shifted from conservation efforts to advocating for a clean environment. Students at various Arcadia schools will take part in Earth Day activities that focus on how to keep the Earth clean. At Christ Lutheran School, students will participate in the City of Phoenix’s “Keep Phoenix Clean” program and have an assembly with the Recyclesaurus (a dinosaur that teaches kids ways to treat the environment better). Christ Lutheran will also have a “green” architect talk to students about designing environmentally friendly buildings. There is also a third-grade “green team,” said Megan Gotshall, the service-learning/ outreach coordinator at CLS. “They spend one day a week with their green vests and trash clampers, cleaning up our campus.” At Biltmore Preparatory Academy, third graders will learn and perform a special song for an Earth Day assembly. Biltmore Prep Principal Stephanie DeMar said, “We are fortunate to have one of our student’s parents, Donna Larson, helping to coordinate some of our Earth Day activities. [She] is working with some local agencies to promote at our assemblies and helping our teachers become familiar with the lessons from recyclingsimplified.com.” Hopi Elementary’s Environmental Club plans to celebrate Earth Day with its Penny Wars, where they collect money to send to the Rainforest Trust. The school will also observe what they call Hopi Earth Hour, where for the first hour of the school day, all classes will turn off lights and technology to bring attention to the significant issue of climate change. Hopi plans to celebrate Earth Day for the remaining month of April. Each day the school will challenge its student to one task that makes a positive difference for the planet, such as turning off the lights when not in a room, investing in a metal straw, or volunteering for environmental- related events. Besides events hosted by local schools, the City of Scottsdale organized an art contest for local K-12 students to submit artwork with the theme of “The Art of the Tree.” The winners of the competition will receive a gift basket and are recognized at a City Council meeting. Their artwork will be on display at the Earth Day Mayor and Council Breakfast at Horizon Park. There are plenty of other activities for families and kids to do in celebration of Earth Day. Some ideas include creating art with items found in the recycling bin, planting a tree, making s’mores in a solar oven, or making a terrarium mini-garden. Find more ideas at climatekids.nasa.gov. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day L Local Earth Day activities and events may change; readers are encouraged to do their own research. Serving the Arcadia area since 1958          Find us on Facebook! Member Since 1959      •  •    •   •    •          4855 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix AZ 85018 www.ingleside.com Please Welcome Our New Doctor Karissa Sciacca! BRIAN A. SERBIN, DVM • LINDSAY BUSH, DVM • KATHERINE HEWITT, DVM SAMANTHA MIELKE, DVM • KARISSA SCIACCA, DVM HOSPITAL 602-840-3446 | GROOMING 602-952-1754 Grooming OPEN Tues - Sat

35 APRIL 2020 By Jennifer Marshall An Arcadia couple is making it their mission to support and educate cancer patients so they can navigate their way back to a healthy life. Husband and wife cancer survivors Chuck and Hannah Keels recently established the Living Hope Cancer Foundation. “In 2015, I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer,” Chuck said, “and I was given three months to live. Because the cancer had spread to my bones, I ended up in the hospital with a broken back. After two surgeries, I had a spiritual event where I saw a vision of Jesus, and I started healing so fast that the doctors told me that my journey was not medical, it was miraculous.” This journey inspired him to start helping other cancer patients. Last summer, his cousin, Heather, contacted him because her friend, Hannah, had not only battled stage 4 breast cancer, but she was also in the process of writing a book. Since Chuck had also written and published a book entitled Hi...I’m Chuck! , Heather thought he’d be the perfect mentor for Hannah. “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2016,” Hannah said. “Earlier that year, my husband of 21 years decided to leave me. That year, I endured a divorce, underwent a double mastectomy, and because I had four sons, I returned to work full-time.” Her book, Faith Like Skin , was initially supposed to detail her trial with breast cancer, but it ended up being a story about how she overcame five significant stresses. In the space of two and a half years, Hannah moved across the country, weathered a divorce, mourned the death of her best friend and dealt with the loss of her nursing career due to her compromised immune system. “I experienced loss upon loss,” Hannah said, “and my book describes how I grew in my faith as I handled these challenges.” Shortly after Hannah and Chuck met, they fell in love. After marrying on January 1 of this year, the couple created the Living Hope Cancer Foundation. “Working with cancer patients is deep in our hearts,” Chuck said, “and our stories are giving people hope and guidance. After everything we had gone through, we knew we needed to do this full-time, and the only way we could do it was to start a 501(c) nonprofit.” With a driving passion, the Keels dug in with the same determination they had when writing their books and built a website full of valuable information like health and wellness tips, a support group and live chats that people can join. “When you’re diagnosed with cancer,” Hannah said, “it’s one of the scariest times of your life. Often, there’s no one there to tell you everything is going to be okay and ‘you can fight this.’ We speak from our own experiences, and we spread hope and inspire people to live.” “We do coaching and give inspirational talks around the country,” Chuck said. “From hospitals to cancer clinics to churches. We travel to wherever we’re needed.” For more: livinghopecancerfoundation.com. Local couple helps cancer patients through their foundation Hannah and Chuck Keels bonded through tragedy and healing. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHUCK AND HANAH KEELS By Melissa Hirschl With unbridled enthusiasm, comedian Danielle Williams aims to delight audiences throughout the Phoenix area and across the U.S. A California transplant, she has performed at the Tempe Improv, Improv Mania, Funny Bones and more. Her persona is that of a best friend, relating observations and humorous stories about her longtime love of wigs, dating, life transitions, working out, body issues and basic universal experiences. Williams’ attempt at an open mic night in 2013 became the catalyst for her foray into the world of comedy. She is a multi-faceted entertainer, who has a prolific professional television and radio career. She won a California radio contest in 2000. The prize provided her a fantasy many dreams about – the opportunity to attend the 2000 Grammy awards. This contest also helped launch her career in the entertainment industry – the radio station thought she did such an excellent job in telling the audience about her experience, they hired her for other spots. Her innate knack for relating her experiences to radio audiences became the genesis for sending her career into overdrive. She soon became a lucrative “lifestyle and entertainment” reporter. Williams has been a co-host on local Power 92.3 radio, traffic anchor for iHeartMedia, entertainment field report for Arizona Entertainment Weekly and a TV host on Shop A to Z TV . In the fall of 2018, Williams was at the top of her game, physically and mentally. She had just turned 50 and had graduated with an associate’s degree in journalism from Scottsdale Community College. To celebrate, Danielle went to Miami for a week-long vacation with friends. But when she returned, life threw a curveball. Williams’ health started going downhill, despite her rigorous exercise and healthy eating regime. Her back hurt and she had lost considerable weight. The diagnosis was unimaginable: stage four lung cancer. For a non-smoker, the news was confounding and traumatic. “The cancer was microscopic in my lungs,” she explained. “To make it worse, it had spread to my spine, pelvis, and top of the right shoulder.” Williams endured 30 days of radiation, followed by weekly chemotherapy treatments every three weeks. Despite her diagnosis and treatments, Williams has an indomitable will to survive. “I told my doctor he’s going to have to find a cure,” she recalled. “I’m not going anywhere.” If there is a silver lining in Williams’s story, it’s that she is a co-chair of the American Lung Association and was nominated to be this year’s advocate for Advocacy Day in D.C. “The purpose is to raise awareness for research, continued funding, and the creation of new avenues of opportunity for other non-smokers who developed lung cancer,” she explained. “It’s the number one killer of cancers,” said Williams, “and the least funded.” Part of what keeps Williams emotionally secure and motivated is her positive attitude and emotional courage. “I run five miles every Saturday, go to the gym one or two nights a week, and hike Camelback Mountain,” she said. “I push myself and live life like I don’t have this disease. Your body is a muscle; it’s mind over matter.” Williams continues to perform at venues throughout the Valley. “Comedy has been a great way to see my cancer through a different lens,” she said. “Laughter is the best medicine, and comedy has helped me laugh through some of the dark days.” Williams is also very active on social media, with her story featured on Channels 12 and 15, as well as the nationally syndicated TV show, Right this Minute . To support and educate other cancer patients, she shares her treatments on Facebook Live, including her transfusions. “This is how transformation and change happens,” she said. “It keeps people aware and keeps the conversation going. It inspires people.” For more: daniellewilliamscomedy.com. Danielle Williams: A study in resilience Williams has taken her act from small stages across the Valley, all the way to Washington, D.C. PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIELLE WILLIAMS