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by Ken Kelly –
More than 250 alumni, beneficiaries, staff and advisory council members attended the recent San Jose ARC Sobriety Banquet held at the San Jose, Calif. Elks Club. Alumni and beneficiaries celebrated 250 years of combined sobriety tallied up during the traditional “Sobriety Countdown.”
Advisory Council Vice Chair Harriet Pila served as MC for the evening, and long time advisory council member Earl Thompson was the chair of the Sobriety Banquet Committee.
Superior Court Judge Lawrence Terry, also an advisory council member, gave a strong keynote address urging ARC beneficiaries and alumni alike to carry the message of sobriety to those in need. “You are the most important people in this room tonight,” said Judge Terry, “because you have a chance to make a difference not only in your own lives, but in other people’s lives as well.”
Judge Terry is the force behind the formation of Santa Clara County’s unique Drug Court, a program that offers alternatives such as the Adult Rehabilitation Center to the traditional jail time many beneficiaries face.
Also present were Divisional Commander Lt. Col. Richard Love, ARC Commander Major Ron Strickland, San Jose ARC Commanding Officer Captain Howard Bennett, and Santa Clara County Coordinator Major Doug Tollerud, along with several other local area Army officers