ESCONDIDO ---- Colin Grove was only 8 when it happened. His father, Kent, was driving home from a job site in Bullhead City, Ariz., where he ran a land development company. He took a freeway curve too fast and flipped the car.

"What I remember," Colin said, "is going to the hospital and seeing a sign that said children had to be 12 to get into his room. I cried, and asked my mom (Chris) if I had to wait four years to see my dad." The accident broke Kent Grove's neck and left him a quadriplegic. And while the tears of the son and his wheelchair bound father still flow freely, the accident only cemented a bond that was already strong. Kent and Chris Grove have five children ---- Heather, Kiersten, Geoff, Darci and Colin, the latter a senior basketball player at Escondido High. When Colin graduates the Grove children will have earned 32 varsity letters at the school.

"All my children are special, but I've been hurt more than half of Colin's life," Kent Grove said. "It takes two people to get me up, get me ready to go out. The other children all helped, but they're grown and out of house. Colin is the last one, and he has made some tremendous sacrifices."

"I was in the hospital for seven months, and when I finally came home, Colin brought his blanket into my room and slept on the floor. Since the accident, he has done things for me that no son should have to do for a father."

Colin has been there to feed and bathe his father. He helps with clean up and transportation, and has never considered it a burden.

"I know if I was in his situation, he'd be there for me," Colin said.

While Colin Grove plays football as well, basketball is his No. 1 sport. He averaged 11.2 points and hit 49 3-pointers as a junior. Basketball is Kent Grove's No. 1 sport, too. He's at nearly every Cougars game, his wheelchair parked at one end of the court where he greets parents and fans.

And while the accident has taken a toll on his body, his mind is still sharp. He yells encouragement at the Cougars and rides officials.

"The Grove family is too neat," said Escondido coach Paul Baldwin.

"Kent's daughter (Heather) was a year behind me in school, so I've seen him around and have known the family for years. Kent and (wife) Chris Grove are our No. 1 fans. They're always there, and everyone loves them."

Not everyone, however, is sensitive to Kent's situation. While heckling is limited, Colin Grove said there have been a couple of times when players chided him about his father.

"During a game my sophomore year, one guy asked me if that was my father in the wheelchair," Colin said. "When I said it was, he said 'Tell the cripple, hello.'"

Colin retreated to the locker room at halftime and cried his eyes out. "Guys say things, and at times I get frustrated," Colin said. "But I've never had problems with my friends. No one has ever shied away from me because of my dad."

Kent Grove said his home has always been where children gathered, and that hasn't changed. The Grove family home, however, has.

Before the accident, the Groves had a home in the hills above Escondido High. After the accident, the family lost the home, and things were bleak.

"The physical pain was awful, but the mental anguish was almost unbearable," Kent Grove said. "The first time I got out of the house after the accident, I went to one of Kiersten's volleyball games. When I came through the doors in the gym, she saw me and broke down crying. Since then, Chris and I have made every effort to get to as many games as we could, and I haven't had a bad mental day in years.

"But our children have had to go without. There was a time when we couldn't afford lettermen's jackets or class rings. I know it seems like a little thing, but those kinds of things are very important."

Chris Grove has helped hold the family together. After the accident, she was forced to go back to work and is now an assistant to the superintendent of the Escondido High School District.

"Kent and Colin had something special before the accident," Chris Grove said. "They'd play ball together, wrestle. Kent would come home on Fridays with some kind of present, basketball cards. After the accident, there were times it was touch and go with Kent, times we didn't know if he'd make it. But we prayed he'd come through for Colin's sake. Kent's job raising the family isn't finished."

Colin Grove knows this could be his last season of competitive basketball. He's a fine high school player but may not be able to play a level up. So he has committed himself to this season.

"I'm going to play as hard as I can and see what happens," Colin said.

"I think I could play at a small college or in JC. I might even go to San Diego State and try and walk-on to the basketball team. Wherever I go, I want to stay close to my dad."

Colin's life and that of his father will soon change. When the last child leaves the nest, there is always a void at home.

"I know our kids will come back and visit, but I have no idea what Chris and I will do when Colin leaves," Kent Grove said. "When we hear his name at graduation, there will be a great feeling of joy, but it's going to be very tough, too."

Please Consider A Year End Donation to Whitney Hope . . . Those of you who know me know that what I am about to ask makes me extremely uncomfortable and is hard for me to do. As Whitney Hope grows, so do our expenses. We have one full-time person that relies wholly on donations for income and two others who give their time without any compensation. Whitney Hope recently received a check for $50.00 with a note that read: "We know this is not a lot, but we want to help as much as we can." The note went on to say that they know someone who is very special to them that has disabilities and they are certain that a camp like this would mean so much to this individual.

I watch with amazement as our full-time staff person goes further and further into debt to support this cause. I take this opportunity to ask you to give a little to a cause that will mean so much.

It is my personal vision to eventually obtain corporate sponsors for all expenses and to have personal donations go directly to sponsor scholarships. This is going to grow into something pretty unimaginable and your assistance can ensure we stay focused on what matters most: providing inspiration, providing a camp for the disabled, and erecting a building which will serve as a safe haven for individuals and their families while they adjust to living the rest of their lives with a spinal cord injury. Thank you so much!

Make your checks payable to
Whitney Hope Foundation
and send to:
Whitney Hope Foundation
PO Box 3576
Ventura, CA 93006-3576.

We are a fully credited non-profit (501c3) organization and we are supported fully by charitable donations and gifts.

Dan was introduced as the newest board member of Life is an Attitude, Inc. Whitney Hope presented the plans and program for Camp Attitude Southern California. The board accepted the program and on August 4-10, 2002, Whitney Hope will be leading Camp Attitude Southern California at Rancho del Rey in Oakview, California. Whitney Hope was told that Life is an Attitude, Inc. wants to be a camp builder, assuming liability, insurance etc. Whitney Hope was asked to do all of the curriculum for all camps.

Dan presented the vision of Whitney Hope and Camp Attitude Southern California to over 200 friends of the Ranch. The camp will be held at Rancho del Rey in Oakview, CA from August 4-10, 2001. The audience was so excited for this opportunity, this being the first time a camp for the disabled will be held on the grounds. A number of people expressed their interest in helping with the camp. It will be exciting for many volunteers involved in this first Camp Attitude in Southern California.