“Pillars of America” engages the community in an educational process that focuses on the basic freedoms of our nation by sharing personal experiences and challenges that have shaped the lives of America’s leading citizens. Special emphasis is placed on our youth and local sponsorship support provides tickets for students from our local schools to attend.
This year “Pillars of America” will take place during three separate luncheons at Centennial Hall on Wednesdays April 22nd, 29th and May 6th of 2020. At the end of the luncheon, the speaker is available for autographs.
It is not a fundraiser for the club but a community service project funded by the club, sponsors and ticket sales.
“Pillars of America” is an important educational event for our community, and continues to raise awareness and appreciation of the freedoms offered in our country, for both our local youth and the broader Juneau community. Please join us for the “Pillars of America” luncheons this Spring.
Tickets available approximately 1 month prior to the event through club members and Hearthside Books.
2020 Pillars of America Speakers
Lacey Henderson – April 22, 2020 Lacey Henderson was just 9 years old when her leg was amputated above the knee in a lifesaving measure after the diagnosis of a rare soft-tissue tumor in her knee. Lacey was raised with the mindset that if you want something in life, you’ll find a way to make it happen. She didn’t hesitate to take on the toughest challenges, including competitive cheerleading in high school and in college. In 2012 she began competing in track and field which resulted in her representing the USA in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. That decision delayed her pursuit of a Master’s Degree that she hopes will one day land her a job with the US State Department. Mindful that her experiences can make a powerful difference in the lives of others, Lacey has joined forces with Athletes for Hope where she spends time with children at local Children’s Hospital Groups. She also spends considerable time mentoring teenage girls dealing with body image issues exacerbated by their limb differences. She recently launched a new podcast and video series called “Picked Last in Gym Class”, featuring interviews with guests who have struggled but have found a way to live positive and fulfilling lives. This past August Lacey won silver in long jump at the Parapan-American Games in Lima, Peru and competed in the 2019 World Para Athletic Championship in Dubai in November. Next up for Lacey is the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
Doreen Welsh – April 29, 2020 When US Airways Flight 1549 crash-landed into New York’s Hudson River in 2009, Doreen thought that her life was over. Doreen had been working as a flight attendant for 38 years and had had some interesting incidents but none like the experience that came to be known as the “Miracle on the Hudson”. There were 150 passengers, the pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, and three flight attendants, including Welsh, on board when the plane went down in the Hudson. About a minute after take-off, those on board felt as if the plane had hit something. The something turned out to be birds that took out both of the airliner’s two engines. Doreen, working in the back of the plane by herself, thought they would just circle around and land. Hearing the words “BRACE FOR IMPACT” she then had 90 seconds to prepare herself and the passengers around her before the pilot had to land the plane on the frigid Hudson River. The experience in the back of the plane was dramatically different than for those in the front, with Doreen being the only person injured in the accident. Doreen likes to say that had one person perished during that crash it would have been known as the US airways Flight 1549 crash. Because of the heroic deeds of 5 crew members – who had never met until that day – instead, it was a miracle!