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<p>The Shooting Starz Gym in Wilkes-Barre Township is holding its second Warrior Invitational Gymnastics meet on Nov. 14 and 15 at the Kingston Armory to benefit a veteran in need. Sixteen teams, comprised of 384 gymnasts from across the state will gather to compete for their state qualifications at this U.S.A Gymnastics sanctioned meet.</p><p>The gym is owned by Joelle D&#8217;Arco, originally of Boston, Massachusetts and Dave D&#8217;Arco, originally of Long Island, New York. Joelle D&#8217;Arco, a former gymnast and current head coach at Shooting Starz, said she and her husband opened the gym after the Wilkes-Barre YMCA, where she was director of gymnastics, decided to terminate its program.</p><p>Joelle D&#8217;Arco said Shooting Starz gymnasts compete in 10 to 12 meets a year, but they travel far and often.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a lot of work to put this on,&#8221; D&#8217;Arco said. &#8220;It&#8217;s probably seven, eight months worth of planning, but it&#8217;s all worth it, because you want to do something local for the girls to have their friends and family come watch.&#8221;</p><p>She went on to explain the process she and Dave went through in finding a beneficiary for the event.</p><p>&#8220;We decided we wanted to hold ourselves a meet, and usually a meet has &#8230; someone you donate to, or something,&#8221; Joelle D&#8217;Arco said. &#8220;So we were just brain storming, and we came up with a soldier, a warrior invitational.&#8221;</p><p>Last year, Joelle said the meet benefited a female veteran from the Kingston area who was deployed and came home with brain cancer. The money raised helped her and her family with medical bills.</p><p>&#8220;This year we found a gentleman, somewhat in the same situation,&#8221; Joelle said.</p><p>Each patron of the event will pay $7, or $3 for children, to watch the event, and all money raised will go toward helping National Guard SPC George Puma in his fight against Hodgkin&#8217;s Lymphoma.</p><p>The 22-year-old entered the service in 2013. The Stroudsburg native served in PAARNG in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion and was awarded the National Defense Ribbon and the Army Service Ribbon.</p><p>Puma was attending East Stroudsburg University and was engaged in his annual training exercises when he noticed some irregularities with his health.</p><p>&#8220;Recently in June, I was out for two-week training, in Virginia,&#8221; Puma said. &#8220;We were sleeping out in the field, and one day I just woke up and I felt this huge &#8230; bump on my neck. I had a feeling that something was wrong, because before that I had some skin scabs all over my body. When I came back, I went to Pocono Medical Center and I did a check up there, and they told me &#8216;this is something you have to check out.&#8217;&#8221;</p><p>Puma said a biopsy revealed he had stage 4 Hodgkin&#8217;s Lymphoma, but he&#8217;s trying to remain positive as he undergoes chemotherapy.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been through a lot of stuff in the past, so to me this is just another obstacle I have to go through,&#8221; Puma said. &#8220;Right now I&#8217;m doing the treatment and they put me on medical leave, so whenever I am done with this, I&#8217;ll be back.&#8221;</p><p>The soldier&#8217;s family and military community is also helping out, especially Cpt. Cliff Morales, who&#8217;s daughter, Haily, is a gymnast at Shooting Starz.</p><p>&#8220;He&#8217;s the link for us,&#8221; Dave D&#8217;Arco said of Morales, explaining that it was the captain who put Puma in touch with him and his wife.</p><p>Haily Morales offered her sentiment as to why a meet to benefit veterans is particularly important to her.</p><p>&#8220;My dad&#8217;s away a lot, and when he&#8217;s away, it&#8217;s nice to see another veteran being supported,&#8221; the 9-year-old Mountain Top resident said. &#8220;(It can) help the veterans that are sick and get hurt in the war.&#8221;</p><p>The meet begins at 8 a.m. on Nov. 14 and ends at 9:15 p.m. The following day, competition starts at 8 a.m. again and is over at 3:30 p.m.</p><p>Before the competition begins, Joelle D&#8217;Arco said there is a Warrior Walk-In, in which each gymnast walks in with a family member who is a veteran, and a procession ends with the national anthem being played while the children stand with their warrior loved ones.</p><p>Puma is appreciative.</p><p>&#8220;I appreciate everything that everyone&#8217;s doing for me,&#8221; Puma said. &#8220;There&#8217;s no way to explain how good I feel that (the girls) are helping me out.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Brooke Wesolowski and Madison Cappillo prepare for the beam. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Brooke Wesolowski and Madison Cappillo prepare for the beam. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Logan Dalsanto, 12, looks for her landing as Sarah Palaviak spots her. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Logan Dalsanto, 12, looks for her landing as Sarah Palaviak spots her. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Brooke Wesolowski is helped by coach Andy Meafie at the Shooting Starz Gym. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics4.jpg</photo2><caption2>Brooke Wesolowski is helped by coach Andy Meafie at the Shooting Starz Gym. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Ellie Kozich and Marisa Brown, 12, chalk up before practicing on the bars. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics5.jpg</photo3><caption3>Ellie Kozich and Marisa Brown, 12, chalk up before practicing on the bars. </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Ella Panzik, 10, does a flip off the trampoline. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics6.jpg</photo4><caption4>Ella Panzik, 10, does a flip off the trampoline. </caption4><photoCredit4></photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics7.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Marisa Brown grabs the bar during practice. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics7.jpg</photo5><caption5>Marisa Brown grabs the bar during practice. </caption5><photoCredit5></photoCredit5></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics8a.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Some of the youngest Shooting Starz gymnasts talk with their instructors before practice. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo6>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics8a.jpg</photo6><caption6>Some of the youngest Shooting Starz gymnasts talk with their instructors before practice. </caption6><photoCredit6></photoCredit6></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics9.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Cadence Hiller lands in a pit of foam blocks while practicing. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo7>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics9.jpg</photo7><caption7>Cadence Hiller lands in a pit of foam blocks while practicing. </caption7><photoCredit7></photoCredit7></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics1ad.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">SPC George Puma, speaks to the gymnasts at Shooting Starz Gym. Their upcoming meet at the Kingston Armory will benefit Puma in his fight against Hodgkins Lymphoma. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo8>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL103015Gymnastics1ad.jpg</photo8><caption8>SPC George Puma, speaks to the gymnasts at Shooting Starz Gym. Their upcoming meet at the Kingston Armory will benefit Puma in his fight against Hodgkins Lymphoma. </caption8><photoCredit8></photoCredit8></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Meet at Kingston Armory will raise money for veteran in need</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Matt Mattei</p><p>mmattei@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Matt Mattei at 570-991-6651 or <a href="mailto:mmattei@civitasmedia.com">mmattei@civitasmedia.com</a></p></shirttailMeta></div>

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Second annual Warrior Invitational gymnastics meet to benefit veteran fighting cancer