The summer is flying by! That means we are getting closer to NOVA’s 43rd Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, October 26 and 27. Have you registered yet? The planning committee has been working hard on the schedule and there are some fantastic speakers lined up, including VA leaders. Make sure you check out Nancy Claflin’s article about requesting financial assistance to attend the meeting. Every VA facility handles education reimbursement differently but you may find some helpful hints for pursing this. Annual Meeting is the networking and education event of the year and you won’t want to miss it. Last year I challenged every facility to bring as many members to Las Vegas as our Massachusetts and Washington DC chapters brought to New Orleans. (Thank you DC, Bedford, Central Western Mass, and Boston!) I am looking forward to seeing who accepted that challenge and which facility or chapter is represented by the most attendees.

Last week I volunteered at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games held in Portland, OR. The spirit and community were amazing to experience. Veterans and volunteers, including nurses, came from all over the country. There was a sea of volunteers in yellow shirts, manning stations to get Veterans and caregivers to where they needed to be. This was a humbling event, full of positivity and encouragement. I can’t wait to volunteer at future events. While the NVWG is not exactly the same thing as NOVA’s Annual Meeting, the feeling I left with was not so unlike what I experience when attending NOVA activities, the sense of community, comradery, and encouragement.

I hope you are all having an amazing summer and can’t wait to see you in Las Vegas this fall.