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SPEAKER

Mikhail Venikov, founder of Ranger Road

Former 2nd Ranger Battalion veteran, Army Best Ranger and member, San Mateo Police Department SWAT Team

 

 

 

In introducing Ofcr. Venikov Chief Susan Manheimer recounted how in 2007 her SWAT leader took a moment of her day to breathlessly ask, “Do you know who we just hired? Army Ranger!”

Mikhail Venikov, the Ranger in question, has proved himself to be much more than a valued addition to the San Mateo Police Department, where he is partly responsible also for the department’s physical and psychological fitness.

He’s evolved into a civilian warrior/philanthropist by founding and subsequently leading Ranger Road, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit designed to bring active duty and transition veterans and civilians together through extraordinary sports adventure experiences.

The added value is Ranger Road sets up activities similar to what veterans — many of whom are missing limbs lost in warfare — were used to doing in training or in combat: parachute jumps, scuba diving, footraces, obstacle runs and more. They’re advertised as “high-adrenaline” activities.

As the quote the Ranger Road publicity attributes to him says, “We believe that the brotherhood and camaraderie found in the military is unparalleled in the civilian world. We’ve learned that being amongst our brothers and sisters is better than any therapy and brings out the best in us and everything we do. We are here to lead the way.”

He introduced an exemplary case in point, veteran Jordan Stevenson, who was shot through the head during his 2011 deployment as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal expert in Afghanistan, was thought not to have been able to survive and who, though missing part of a leg and the use of an arm, not only survived but is a living, breathing Ranger Road success story.

It was, Stevenson said, the “scariest thing I’ve gone through, but because I had a team I wasn’t afraid.”

In one of the many touching and emotional moments during the presentation, Stevenson said Ranger Road “is my team, that I can fight in the dark with.”

He also gave heartfelt thanks to the Rotary club. “I was really excited to be here because a Rotary club (he did not know if it was ours) brought us dinner” during the one year he spent at the Palo Alto VA Hospital. “It made this area very dear to me.”

Rotarians, most of whom have never had to fight anything in the dark more deadly than an alarm clock, were subdued.

More from Stevenson’s testimonial: “Ranger Road pushes — I know it looks painful with boxing, races and stuff. It’s hard. When we suffer through things together, we trust each other.”

“I will be forever grateful for what Ranger Road did for me.”

“I get to help guys like me…now I can (parachute) jump. I can dive. I’m not as efficient, but I can dive.”

Most of all, “I can drive the hell out of a car.

He’s now a part of Ranger Road Motors, a group that’s putting together the first “Gambler 500” race in Tennessee in September.

There are no entry fees, but there is one rule: Cars must cost $500 or less.

“We’ve bought a four-wheel-drive Mercury. We’ll see how we’ll do.”

Ranger Road is all-volunteer, Venikov said, and all action: boxing training, pig and quail hunts, surfing. “Missing limbs doesn’t stop these guys.”

The charity has a big heart. It stepped up to help San Mateo PD Ofcr. Carlos Busarto, severely injured in a single-car accident in June. Venikov and the Road are intimately involved in his physical therapy and rehabilitation.

“Carlos is no vet,” he said, “but life goes on. We are working him through the process. There are things he and they can continue doing.”

Most of all it’s the togetherness, best phrased as camaraderie, that’s Ranger Road’s most potent medicine.

“Through extraordinary experiences we’re empowering their transition to their next chapter.”

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There are many ways to connect with and support Venikov and Ranger Road, the first being through financial support. The charity is 100 percent self-funded and receives no funding from government or other non-profits. All donations are tax deductible as charitable donations.

There are several ways to donate:

• Directly to the website at www.rangerroad.org. Choose “Donate” and scroll to the online donation form.

• Sign in to your amazon.com account, go to smile.amazon.com and make Ranger Road your designated charity. Ranger Road then gets a donation for every Amazon purchase you make.

• Donate your change. Go to the Ranger Road website and choose “Donate Your Change” under the “Donate” pulldown. Follow the instructions and every credit card purchase you make will round up to the nearest dollar with the balance between that and the final purchase price going to Ranger Road.

• Buy some Ranger Road stuff. They’ve got some very cool duds on the website.

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Mikhail would love you to subscribe to the Ranger Road newsletter. Email him at mikhail@rangerroad.org and give him your email info to become an official Ranger Road supporter.

**Special Ranger Road Event for Vets and Non-Vets**

FREEDOM JUMP

Business Meeting

Pledge

Steve Parker

 

Thought

Bernie Mellot

 

                                                           

                                                       News

                                                     Anne LeClair

Guests

Dr. Ka’Ryn Holder-Jackson, the new Executive Director of the Adult-Education College and Career Educational Leadership (ACCEL), a partnership of the San Mateo County community colleges, Jefferson Adult Education, South San Francisco Adult Education and the La Costa and San Mateo adult schools.

 

Margaret Taylor introduced San Mateo County Community College District Trustee Tom Mohr, who is running for re-election this fall.

 

 

 

 

Susan Manheimer introduced San Mateo Deputy Fire Chief Ray Iverson, which required her, due to the extreme divergence in their heights, to stand on a chair to get into the photo frame. Deputy Chief Iverson used the Q&A following Ofcr. Venikov’s presentation to offer his services to expand Ranger Road’s network to the local fire services. Thank you, Chief.

 

Be Fine-ly Recognized

Larry Patterson, absent for the first extortion attempts successfully executed by PBB, finally showed up to be fined for his appearance as one of the city’s 11 ‘Movers and Shakers’ as shown on the cover the Chamber of Commerce directory. He professed his lack of shaking ability, but we know he sets off tremors when he leaves his office at city hall.

 

Corazol Town Scholarships

Chair Rosemary Azem and committeemen Rod Linhares and Bob Mendoza presented their International project to raise $10,000 in the district to fund 40 scholarships for secondary school students in Corazol Town, Belize.

Belizean children go to government-funded school through 8th grade but must fund their own secondary school educations. School costs $500 up front every fall, an amount many cannot afford. District 5150 clubs are being asked to match the $250 per student the Rotary Club of Corazol Town has raised. Contact Rosemary at shorestrvl@aol.com.

BONUS PHOTO GALLERY