HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD (IN HEAVEN)

    
We are running an Adventure Trip in the mountains for 19 families from Calvary Church of Clearwater, but I wanted to pay tribute to THE BEST DAD IN THE WORLD (who is now in Heaven). There are so many amazing things about my Dad that I could share. I've shared a little about his incredible journey of overcoming, but today I want to focus on another one of Dad's most definable traits >>> his heart to give! Dad was the most generous person I have ever known. He loved, loved, loved to give. If he found out you liked something or needed something then it would be at your doorstep the next day. Or he would just buy extra things to give gifts to people (tomatoes, pens, flashlights, Battery Daddy's, gift cards, money, fire trucks, fruits, vegetables... you name it and he would do his best to get it for you!). He always had a cooler full of drinks & snacks ready to give out everywhere he went. And it wasn't just things that he gave; he also gave his time & hard work. Dad loved to help people. Giving was never an obligation for my Dad... it was his DNA... it was his love language. He expressed his love for others by giving, giving, giving. As Carson and I are running this trip we are surrounded by things my Dad gave to help this ministry function... we are driving a truck he helped get donated to GTD. We are cooking on a huge griddle he donated to GTD. We are pulling a trailer that he paid to have the axles replaced as a donation to GTD. In fact, the entire ministry would not have ever started if he & Mom didn't give me a small addition on the back of their house so I could live there rent free while I built GTD. I'm sure he would have loved to use that addition for something else, but somehow I think he had even greater joy just giving it away. My Dad wasn't materialistic. He could have had a nicer house, a nicer van, nicer clothes, nicer everything... but his heartbeat was this: LIVE TO GIVE! LIVE TO GIVE! LIVE TO GIVE!! In his last year of life while he was in so much pain and misery he could have withdrawn and rightfully backed off from so much giving,  buy I actually watched him give even more and more. It was like his grand finale. After he sold his house we watched him give tens of thousands of dollars away to people... he didn't want to keep anything for himself, he just want to bless other people to brighten their day and lighten their load. About an hour before he passed away (the first time) he called me into his room and said, "Doug, I just want to make sure you and Traci are taken care of." Even in his last moments of life he was giving it all away. My Dad was a remarkable human being and an incredible example to me & my Sister. We count it as one of the highest honors of our lives to be "One of Jerry's kids" (a 1970's & 80's Jerry Lewis reference). Thank you Dad for every way you impacted, blessed, and changed my life through your selfless acts of giving. You are THE BEST DAD EVER!! Happy Father's Day in Heaven! I love you ❤️ 

 

 

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SUMMER ADVENTURE TRIP BOUND!

   
Carson & I are heading up to run the first Adventure Trip of the summer. Last year we began leaving 1 of the GTD trucks and 1 of our trailers at a storage facility in NC, and I'm loving this decision. The cost to store both is offset by the fuel and wear & tear of driving back-and-forth to Florida plus, according to State Farm, we are able to suspend our vehicle insurance to the absolute minimum while it isn't being driven which saves hundreds of dollars per year. The small town secure storage facility is also less expensive than storage facilities in bigger cities plus low crime rates makes it doubley secure. The truck & trailer are near an airport that flies Allegiant so I keep a set of clothes and necessities in the trailer which allows me to get a very inexpensive flight from Clearwater for around $45 each way as well as get in & out of the airport very quickly since I don't have to check any luggage. Having both pieces of equipment staged in NC also opens up the opportunity to do events year-round instead of only in the summer which has the potential of adding more income into GTD. Have I mentioned yet that the flight is only 90 minutes verses 13 hours of driving (plus an extra hour or two for flat tires lol) which saves a ton of wear & tear on our bodies. It also allows us to get up & back for quick weekend trips to recon new adventure locations or simply get to breathe some fresh mountain air. If all those benefits weren't enough it also reduces the amount of trucks & trailers in my yard. GTD has 3 trucks, 5 trailers, 1 40' shipping container, a pontoon boat, and 2 big racks holding about 20 kayaks... so my yard was getting a bit overwhelmed with equipment to put it lightly. Fuel alone for a round-trip to NC & back driving one of our gas gulping trucks is around $400 which adds up pretty fast over the course of a full summer. So all-in-all it's close to a breakeven monetary yearly cost, but the long-term wear & tear savings on the equipment and the body as well as the increased opportunities for running events outside of the summer months makes this decision feel like a wise investment. Anyways, we are NC, SC, & TN bound aaaaaaaaand I'm so happy to NOT have to haul the trailer up here & back for the first time in 29 years!! It feels like progress to me! We are looking forward to a God-awesome summer of adventures... thank you for your prayers & love! (This is also my first event since my surgery, and physically I'm feeling strong PTL!)

 

 

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO LEGENDARY PARENTS! ...GTD TO USE GRANT TO START A CAREGIVING SUPPORT GROUP!

    
Today (June 5th) is our parent's wedding anniversary. Traci & I were blessed beyond measure to not just have great parents, but legendary parents!! Mom & Dad were the best of the best! Since they were human they weren't perfect of course, but they were exceptional. My Dad struggled for about 20 years with alcoholism, chain smoking, and some poor decisions. But he has one of the greatest comeback stories of all time. Even in the midst of his struggles he was the most amazing Dad... He served, loved, & gave like no one else I have ever met. And my Mom was a devoted wife & amazing mother who weathered the struggling years with a steadfast reliance on God. God used her long-suffering character & joyful fun-loving spirit to be the glue that held our family together during the hardest of times. Outside of Jesus there is no one I admire & respect more than my parents. My hierarchy of heroes is Jesus then Mom then Dad. We weren't perfect, but we genuinely loved each other more than I could ever express. We were all always there for each other through the thick and the thin. There was never any doubt that we were all greatly loved and cherished by each other. Even in our times of dysfunction I would wish our family dynamics upon everyone. Even in the worst of times it was full of potential for the best of times. In more recent years Mom & Dad had a hard and oftentimes painful grand finale of this thing called life. With a great supporting village of people around us Traci, Dave, Carson, Laurie, and I poured the past 5 years into caregiving of these incredible people. Mom had a 10+ year slow decline from Alzheimer's while Dad had problems with just about every major organ in his body. The journey for our parents was harsh, and caregiving was possibly just as harsh. I can honestly say it almost killed me. That isn't a commentary on the people we were caring for, but rather the process of caregiving. Its demands far outweighed our supply. And we had a fantastic group of friends & family that helped shoulder the load... and it still almost killed us. That blows my mind, especially since most caregivers are doing all the work by themselves. Did you know that most caregivers die before the person they are caring for dies?! The demands & personal neglect literally kill you. We know this from firsthand experience, and because of this we are going to make the adventures of caregiving part of our ministry's outreach. I'm happy to announce that a large portion of a grant GTD received from the great City of Pinellas Park (our Dad loved this great city!) will be used to create GTD's JAG (Jerry & Ann Garner) Caregiving Support Group to help aid, equip, encourage, comfort, & console those caring for loved ones. We greatly benefited from a Caregiving Support Group at First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks, and we want to take all that we have learned and help prepare and support others on the caregiving journey. More and more of our staff, volunteers, participants, family, & friends are embarking on this journey and we can help supply vital information and assistance to help them survive what may lie ahead. Our hope is that many on this journey will have a wonderful experience, but we want to be ready to help those who have a harsh challenging journey ahead. I'm still recovering from the past 5 years. I'm nowhere close to being healthy. Like a boxer KO'd in the final round I'm slowly shaking the cobwebs out of my head, and sitting up on the boxing ring floor looking around trying to make sense of what just happened. And while making sense of it all I'm also filled with a desire to help others navigate the heavy weight opponent they are about to face in a boxing ring with potentially brutal outcomes. There are a hundred things I would do differently (or I should say, do better) if I could do it all over again. The beauty of surviving failures is that you can turn those failures into education, better future decisions, & helpful insights for others. That what I aim to do. The hope is to build the support group in 2025, and open it up sometime in 2026 (GTD's 30th anniversary). I'm asking for people to pray that God would build this support group and that it would honor our parents. I know there are many people who have already traveled this journey that may want to be a part of building this support group as well as contributing ideas to its content. I look forward to working with anyone that wants to be involved. God bless. And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY IN HEAVEN MOM & DAD!!!! I love you, and I miss you!!!! Thank you for everything you did for me!!!

 

 

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IT'S BAAAAAAACK!! ...29 YEARS OF SLAMMED!!!

   
One of the most frequent questions I get is, "Are we doing SLAMMED again this summer?!" I'm happy to say, "Yes! We! Are!" Better late than never as the old adage goes.
 
What: SLAMMED Adventure Trip
When: July 16-20, 2025 (Wed-Sun)
Where: Benton, TN
Why: Focus! Freedom! Fun! Fellowship! Faith!
How (Much): $75pp (optional white water rafting for additional $60pp)

DETAILS:

Website: https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/slammed-tn.html?m=1

Registration: https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/registration-slammed-adventure-trip.html?m=1

OBERVIEW:
SLAMMED is GTD's original favorite. This is the Adventure Trip that started it all! SLAMMED is the first trip (and only trip) offered by GTD in 1996 and God used it to give birth to our full time year-round ministry today (ALL glory to God!).

Over the course of 5 days GTD slams you with several heart-pounding adrenaline-pumping adventures that will exhilarate you to the core! In our time together we will travel to Cherokee National Forest in eastern Tennessee to do activities that may include camping, rock climbing, rappelling, whitewater rafting, waterfall sliding, hiking, and/or cliff jumping. Now you see why we call it SLAMMED!

We will set up our base camp in an amazingly beautiful national forest and visit nearby waterfalls!!! We will chase after all of these adventures as we explore the majesty of God's creation. And that's not even the best part, we will also explore the majesty of God's presence through daily devotions, praise & worship, and nightly challenges from the Bible as we hang out around the camp fire.

SLAMMED will challenge you and potentially change your life as you grow closer to God, make new friends, encounter & overcome fears, and engage in some of the most outrageous adventures of your life! Instead of getting so busy that you feel crammed, take 5 days to jump start your life by getting SLAMMED!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome Adventures Since 1996!

 

 

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HUGE THANKS TO FREDRICK JAMES ACCOUNTING, JANTASTIC, & MATHY KATHY!!

   

I'm happy to report that we beat our May 1st extension deadline by 1 day for getting our 2023 (that's not a typo, yes 2023!!) taxes completed and filed with the IRS. Three hurricanes, multiple hospitalizations of Dad, Dad's passing, hernia surgery, & lots of depression could not stop us from getting all of our 2023 financial entries done in the nick of time! AS ALWAYS, Fredrick James Accounting worked tirelessly to make sure we beat the deadline... they are THE BEST OF THE BEST!! I call them Financial First Responders because they come to the rescue in emergency situations. Fred & Crystal Daus run an exceptional & professional accounting and tax consulting organization. I highly highly highly recommend them for all your business accounting needs ( www.fredrickjames.com ). We could not have gotten this done without FJA and months of hard work by Jan (I call her JANtastic!) learning Quickbooks Online (I call it SLOWbooks) and entering in over 150 bank statements. I've used the Quickbooks Desktop Version for 20 years, but we switched to the Online Version this year and it's completely different... frankly, it's awful in my opinion. But Jan stuck with it and got it done. And huge thanks to my 2nd mom "Mathy Kathy" (I just made that up, lol) who volunteered her time to sort, organize, and file hundreds of receipts. Kathy has been my 2nd mom since I was born. She was my next door neighbor for the first 20 years of my life and gave birth to my lifelong best friend Chuck. As I shared a while ago we are waaaaay behind on everything, but we are eating the elephant one bite at a time ;). I'm thrilled to share that we are almost done with our 2024 financial entries so that should easily be completed way before our extention deadline (PTL!), aaaaaaaaand we are almost up to date with our 2025 entries soooooo, Lord willing, we won't need an extension in 2026. One small step for us; one giant leap for GTD. More updates coming soon =) 

 

 

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LIQUID & SIDEWINDER POSTPONED... NEW DATES TBD!

   
Although my double hernia surgery recovery is going very well my Doctor wants me to wait another month before I start back lifting and carrying kayaks & paddleboards. Unfortunately that means I need to find some new dates for our annual LIQUID & SIDEWINDER Day Trips. My sincere apologies to our faithful paddlers who were looking forward to these events. We will let you know what the rescheduled dates are as soon as we nail it down. All this admin work is getting kinda boring haha... I'm looking forward to returning back to a full schedule of God-awesome adventures very soon... especially our summer Adventure Trips!

 

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HOW FAR BEHIND ARE WE?? >>> ABOUT 2-3 YEARS! (at least)

 
As we are sadly closing the chapter of my parents' AMAZING involvement in GTD I'm so blessed to know their legacy will live on as long as GTD lives on. As I pick up the pieces and begin to sit back up from the knockout blow of losing Dad a few months ago I'm also surveying "the damage" of the things I fell waaaaay behind on. Being available for my parents didn't come easy or without great sacrifices. GTD wouldn't exist without my parents. It wouldn't have grown without my parents. It wouldn't have survived the harsh years without my parents. It wouldn't have thrived without my parents. They were as much a part of this ministry as my Sister and I are. So when I say "survey the damage" from years of Caregiving I don't mean it as a complaint... I'm just trying to articulate that I didn't fall behind because I'm lazy or I was playing video games or I was shirking my responsibilities... I'm simply saying that, along with my Sister and several incredible people, I poured the last 5 years of my life into taking care of my parents and in doing so I fell waaaaay behind on EVERYTHING in my life... everything got less than it needed... it almost killed me and required waaaaay more than I had to give (but it was totally worth it).... so as I look around at my house, my ministry, my life it's all waaaaay behind on everything. It's just a fact... a status report. There isn't a single thing that doesn't need some type of attention STAT. Soooooo we are playing catch-up on everything. One of those things is our corporate finances. Jan has kindly stepped up to replace me as GTD's bookkeeper. The best I could stay on top of the past 5 years was paying the bills, paying the paychecks, & entering in all the donations & income. So we are 2 years behind on entering our expenses & monthly statements. We have until May 3rd to complete the 2023 bookkeeping and have it audited by Fredrick James Accounting (they're AMAZING!!) and then submitted to the IRS. Then we are on to 2024... and then on to 2025. It's an arduous task, but Jan is a quick & brilliant learner and she is doing a JANtastic job!!! A lot of my posts in 2025 will be very similar to this post... things we are waaaaay behind on and catching up on with the goal of RELAUNCHING GTD for our 30th Anniversary!!! TEASER ALERT: I'm EXCITED to share that our spectacular friend Jason Lazzaro ( jasonlaz.com ) is currently working on rebranding GTD with an entirely new logo, new colors, new website, new graphics, new everything!!! He specializes in building "HECK-YA!" brands and I'm thrilled he is a part of the GTD family!! The new logo & rebranding will be unveiled at this year's banquet in November!! Thank you for your continued prayers & encouragements... I'm forever indebted with the debt of love.

 

 

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HAPPY ST. ANNIE'S DAY 2025!!

 
Today, St Patrick's Day, was Mom's birthday ("Bird Day")... we loved getting dressed up in green every year to celebrate this phenomenal woman!! My Mom taught me so much and inspired me so much through her daily acts of selfLESSness... she sacrificed so many of her wants in order to care for all of our needs. As I was thanking God in prayer today for blessing me with an extraordinary Mom I started thinking about how many times when we chase our wants (I'm talking about selfish wants, not healthy wants) it results in hurting ourselves or others, but when we refuse the selfish wants in order to make ourselves take care of the selfLESS needs of others & ourselves it leads to enriched lives. My Mom is my 2nd biggest hero in my life (2nd only to Jesus), and I followed her example of picking needs over wants by staying here in Florida for the past 30 years to be here for my parents' needs as they aged when in my heart of hearts, in my deepest desires, & perhaps in my most selfish wants I wanted to live in the mountains of TN, north GA, or NC... today I watched a highlight video from my Mom's Celebration of Life Service 2 years ago and saw picture after picture of cherished moments & sacred memories I would have missed if I moved away. I didn't stay because I wanted to. I stayed because I needed to (and they needed me to). Like George Bailey in "A Wonderful Life" I just wanted so deeply to go chase this inner want to leave where I grew up and go explore other places, but the need to stay and help my parents, and be here for them like they were always there for me, and to not leave my Sister here alone to be the sole Caregiver all kept me from going and doing what I really deeply wanted to do. As I watched that video today and saw cherished moment after cherished moment with my parents, with my family, with my friends I experienced that George Bailey "Wonderful Life" moment, and tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. I didn't want to stay, but I'm so glad I did! Thank you Mom for living out that example in front of me... you are one of my greatest heroes!! I miss you and I love you!! Happy BIRD DAY in Heaven BIRDDOG!! Give Dad a big DUG HUG from me! I know he picked flowers for you today ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 

 

 

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A CRAPPY UPDATE!

   

I took an ambulance ride, and was in the hospital for 24 hours (Sun afternoon thru Mon afternoon) with some complications related to my post hernia surgery (TMI >>> unable to have a bowel movement for nearly a week). I'll spare you all the details lol. While in the ER I received a CT Scan, and the Dr walked over to me with his diagnosis: "Well, you're F.O.S." It took me a minute to figure out what that meant haha. The whole process to resolve the problem was one of the most painful experiences of my life. Around 9pm on Sunday night I gave birth to a 3 lbs "baby". All I can say is that the entire event was a huge pain in the butt hahaha >>> oh, too soon, too soon lol 😆. I'm back home recovering from the original hernia surgery and now the "post surgery complication"... pretty worn out, but a little better & better day by day PTL =). Many thanks to Laurie, Traci, & all the medical workers that do what they do to respond to every type of emergency... even the crappy emergencies.

 

 

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FORGOT TO POST SURGERY UPDATE FROM LAST WEEK:

FORGOT TO POST SURGERY UPDATE FROM LAST WEEK:

Robotic assisted bilateral inguinal hernia surgery (say that 10x real fast) was a success PTL. I took 3 to the gut (3 incisions). I feel like I tried to catch a cannon with my stomach, but they fired it before I was ready hahaha. Special thanks to Laurie for helping me from start to finish. Thank you friends & family for the prayers. Thank you to the wonderful medical staff at HCA Northside Hospital. I'm going to cancel my belly dancing lessons scheduled for tomorrow just to be on the safe side.

 

 

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Hernia Surgery Tomorrow

 

Double hernia surgery tmw (Tue) morning... thanks for the prayers =) 

 

 

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Yes, 6 more weeks of winter :) .... Happy GHD (Groundhog Day) everyone :)

  
Originally we were headed to Punxsutawney, PA this weekend to celebrate Groundhog Day. I love the movie and I love the goofiness of such a silly holiday. So 8 months ago I reserved flights, rental car, & accommodations to head off for our first trip to Punxsutawney, PA to join in the frigid festivities, but I wasn't really feeling it after Dad passed so I cancelled the trip. Lord willing, I'm kicking it to 2027 and will celebrate it in person then. But we are enjoying GHD today with a walk at the park, some decorations, yummy food, and of course - the movie. Happy GHD people... a silly "holiday" originally made to break up the monotony of long dark winters back in 1886/87... which serves as a reminder that breaking up monotony & starting new traditions can only be one silly idea away & the will to just do it. Whatever it is, I love GHD :)
 
UPDATE: According to The Weather Channel news: "Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Sunday morning in central Pennsylvania. That means we could see six more weeks of winter, at least according to Groundhog Day lore."

 

YOU GUYS DID IT AGAIN :) ...$103,670 RAISED :)

  
I have so many people to still thank... from the bottom of my heart >>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH to all of our One-Time & Monthly Donors that made it possible for us to hit & exceed our Annual $100,000 Fundraising Goal for the 6th year in a row. You have launched us into our 29th year of ministry. From a humble & grateful heart, I so so so so appreciate your magnificent generosity & loving support (especially over the past 2 months). All glory to God :) 

 

 

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DONE!

 

With all that's gone on over the past 7 weeks this feels like a major accomplishment... all our end-of-the-year / beginning-of-the-year deadlines completed. Thank you to all of our amazing donors, supporters, volunteers, and staff... couldn't do anything without all of you!! Mom used to help me with this every year... Missing Dad & Remembering BIRDDOG ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

  

 

JUST A REMINDER THAT DAD'S SERVICE IS TODAY AT 4PM...

  
JOIN US THIS SATURDAY TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF JERRY GARNER!!

Dad's Celebration of Life Service is this Saturday January 18th at 4pm at Park Place Wesleyan Church in Dad's favorite city >>> Pinellas Park! (4400 70th Ave N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781). There will be an open mic time for anyone who would like to share a 3-ish minute "Jerry Story"... we would LOVE to hear it!! Also, if you want to, you can wear suspenders, patriotic colors, military uniforms, or Alabama themed clothing in honor of Jerry.
 
The service will also be live-streamed for those unable to attend in-person.

LIVE-STREAM LINK:
Jerry Garner Celebration of Life Service:
https://youtube.com/live/LQFIQbqGOq4
 
Following the service there will be a time of fellowship on-site with food, refreshments, & snacks.

Thank you to everyone who has helped, encouraged, & prayed for our family ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
  
LIVE TO GIVE! DARE TO CARE!
HAVE THE NERVE TO SERVE!

 

 

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JOIN US THIS SATURDAY TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF JERRY GARNER!!

   
Dad's Celebration of Life Service is this Saturday January 18th at 4pm at Park Place Wesleyan Church in Dad's favorite city >>> Pinellas Park! (4400 70th Ave N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781). There will be an open mic time for anyone who would like to share a 3-ish minute "Jerry Story"... we would LOVE to hear it!! Also, if you want to, you can wear suspenders, patriotic colors, military uniforms, or Alabama themed clothing in honor of Jerry.
 
The service will also be live-streamed for those unable to attend in-person.

LIVE-STREAM LINK:
Jerry Garner Celebration of Life Service:
https://youtube.com/live/LQFIQbqGOq4
 
Following the service there will be a time of fellowship on-site with food, refreshments, & snacks.

Thank you to everyone who has helped, encouraged, & prayed for our family ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
  
LIVE TO GIVE! DARE TO CARE!
HAVE THE NERVE TO SERVE!

 

 

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Two Antiques And A Young Man!

 

   

Growing up one of my dreams was to take my parents on road trips and fun adventures when I got old enough to do that. After getting a good paying job I took them on our first road trip in the mid 1990's. They were "Two Antiques" and I was a "Young Man", and we were looking for adventure so we headed out on the highway... they had never gone white water rafting before, and Mom loved train rides while Dad was up for anything, especially if it included picking tomatoes! We set out for north Georgia, South Carolina, & North Carolina on our own little adventure. They were such good sports! I had a new video camera and they put up with all my goofy ideas for video footage... my Dad seemed to revel in each video appearance hahaha! Check out this 5 minute highlight video from our trip called "Two Antiques And A Young Man Head Out On The Highway", and see Dad's pure joy when he is picking tomatoes LOL!

 

 

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A MONTH OF DEPRESSION... SAYING GOODBYE TO DAD!!

  

The past month has been full of lots & lots of depression and sadness with little (& sometimes big) glimmers of joy each day... but mostly heavy doses of depression. It's hard to get out of bed each morning and I tend to want to go back to bed all day long. As weird as it sounds it feels very healthy to have this amount of grief. It feels like the very definition of what it means to mourn. It's all a part of this journey of grieving. I'm not suppressing anything and talking about everything. Laurie has stayed with me everyday since the initial incident... she sleeps on the sofa every night and we talk and workout every day. I had two & a half days last week with only mild depression so I do see little glimpses of what the future looks like, but I feel like I have a long road of healing ahead of me... not just for the loss of my Dad which is huge, but for the loss of both my parents as well as the toll of intense caregiving over the past 5 years as well as all the little & big regrets I have over the past 5 years plus this awful reality that it's all over... I mean that since I was 12 years old I planned to always be here to take care of my parents so it has always been a part of my identity... now it's all over and it feels very awkward and frankly sad, especially with the moments that were unbearably hard or the moments I failed to have a loving bedside manner... caregiving is a mirror that shows you the best inside of you as well as the most rotten selfish parts of you... and both God & I have seen the absolute ugliest parts of me over the past 5 years even if I was able to hide it from my parents 90% of the time. But that 10% that did reveal itself are part of my grieving process. I plan to seek some professional counseling after we bury my Dad. But right now we have so much to celebrate about this truly extraordinary man who was one of my heroes and whom I loved dearly as well as probably the person who frustrated me the most in my life too LOL. Buuuuuut, way more to love than to be frustrated by 😊😊😊 .... so come out and celebrate the life of our Dad next Saturday if you can!!
 
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF JERRY GARNER
JANUARY 18, 2025 (4pm - 6:30pm)
(This service will also be live-streamed)
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Park Place Wesleyan Church
4400 70th Ave N
Pinellas Park, FL  33781
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Come celebrate the life of our beloved "Tomato Man" at the Celebration of Life Service for Jearld Douglass Garner on Saturday January 18, 2025 at 4pm. (This service will also be live-streamed for those unable to attend in-person). A reception with food & refreshments will follow in the dining hall. A variety of family & friends will speak on stage, and an open mic time will be available for all who would like to share a short 3-4 minute "Jerry Story".

My new mottos inspired by Dad's life of generosity are "DARE TO CARE" & "LIVE TO GIVE"... everywhere he went he cared, cared, cared & gave, gave, gave... he loved to give... he lived to give! It wasn't something he did; it was who he was... it was part of his DNA.
 
On behalf of our entire family, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the outpouring of love over the past month. Dad is sooooooo loved by so many ❤️ . We deeply miss his presence in our daily lives, yet we find comfort in knowing he is now pain-free, reunited with Mom, and in the presence of God.

 

 

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CHANGES TO UPCOMING EVENTS!

   

Due to recent events as well as the impending need for hernia surgery the following changes were made to the upcoming GTD Public Event Calendar:
  
1) SWAMP THING IS CANCELLED, BUT WILL RETURN IN 2026
 
2) IGNITE HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO OCT 10-12, 2025
  
I apologize for any inconvenience!!

 

 

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