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(Left to right) Larry Huff, adjutant of the Sons of the American Legion; Jay Kules, Lt. Ryan Kules’ father; Claudette Luitjens of Parkway Bank Arizona; Dan Huntley, commander of American Legion Post 34; Mo Totherow, vice president of the American Legion Auxiliary; and Bud Owings, finance officer of American Legion Post 34 were all instrumental in organizing a goodwill effort to raise funds to assist Lt. Ryan Kules, who lost two
limbs in Iraq, when he embarks on his life outside the hospital in the near future.
(Click picture for full size image)

Effort raises funds for injured soldier
American Legions collect more than $100,000
by Chris Moore

CAVE CREEK – Members of the Desert Foothills community took up the cause about half a year ago–to bring the community together to raise money to help a wounded soldier get back on his feet. Two weeks ago, the fruits of those grassroots labors were delivered when funds totaling $105,000 were wired to U.S. Army Lt. Ryan Kules at Walter Reed Medical Center where he is rehabilitating from a Nov. 29, 2005 IED attack outside of Baghdad that necessitated the amputation of an arm and a leg.

The American Legions of Cave Creek/Carefree and Anthem, their Auxiliaries and the Sons of the American Legion, along with other organizations like the Kiwanis and Veterans of Foreign Wars helped raise the funds through a variety of events such as benefit dinners, bingos and bake sales. A major auction event, held at Terravita on April 8, was the single largest fundraiser. That event, called “Serving Ryan,” which was attended by Kules and his wife Nancy, and coordinated in large part by Mark and Andrea Korff, contributed approximately $55,000.

The pooled funds are earmarked for making Kules’ new home handicapped accessible by paying for modifications to ramps, bath and shower, counters, doors, etc., on an existing house or to provide for such accommodation in a new construction.

Kules plans to transfer to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in the near future, and he and his wife are traveling to San Antonio this weekend to check out the facilities and explore housing opportunities. The generosity of North Valley residents will go a long way in making that transition easier.

“We had a great response,” said Bud Owings, finance officer of American Legion Post 34, which headed up the goodwill effort. “It was even greater than we had anticipated. Everybody pitched in because they felt Ryan deserved accolades for standing up and serving his country.”

Claudette Luitjens of Parkway Bank Arizona in Cave Creek facilitated the transfer of funds to Kules’ account. The bank contributed in no small way by providing all check, copying and transfer services at no charge. On top of that, the bank made a monetary contribution of its own.

“Parkway Bank was extremely helpful,” said Owings. “There were probably over 1,000 checks overall. That’s a lot of paperwork.”

In recent months Kules has been making great strides in his recovery and is now walking more than a mile a day and can go an entire day without the use of his wheelchair. He is adapting to his new prosthetic limbs and is participating in a pilot program for amputees through Walter Reed in which soldiers with prosthetic limbs ride Arlington National Cemetery’s Percheron horses to help recover strength and regain mobility.

Kules is also recovering from a second surgical procedure, a nine‑hour operation performed on April 25, to remove obstructive scar tissue from his trachea. The operation was a success and has reopened the airway, but it did require what his wife Nancy called “a nice 100‑hour nap.”

“We are very pleased to see how Ryan has progressed,” said his father Jay Kules of Terravita. “It has been tremendous.”

Reach the reporter at cmoore@thedesertadvocate.com.

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