Wendy Corr:

Well, hey there folks, welcome to The Roundup. We are a Cowboy State Daily podcast, and we focus on interesting people in the Cowboy State. And our guest today has been doing so much amazing work for all age levels around Wyoming, mostly in the Cody area, but then that’s turned into a global mission. 

And I’m very, very pleased to be able to have you folks learn about Deb White up here in Cody. 

And anyway, we’re going to get to that in a minute. First, I want to tell you about the Wyoming Business Alliance ““Business from the Basement”” podcast. We’re so pleased to cross promote with them, so just check them out. If you’re a business person here in Wyoming, the “Business from the Basement” podcast has all sorts of wonderful information for you and great resources. 

So don’t forget, check out the Wyoming Business Alliance and their “Business from the Basement” podcast. But first, stick around here because we have stories to tell. We have so many stories to tell with Deb White. 

Deb White is and for 30 how many years, Deb, were you a high school teacher at Cody High School? You were a science teacher. 

Deb White:

28 years.

Wendy Corr:

A 28 year career at Cody High School. And while she was here, she changed the world. And I am just so proud to know Deb White, because she has done so many things for youth here in Cody, but then since her retirement, she has taken that same passion for making a difference and turned it to the next generation above.

 And so I am so pleased to have you with us, Deb, and you’re still – I’m trying to figure out how, if you retired from teaching five years ago, why you are still in a Cody High School classroom. And we talked about it before we got started on the podcast today, folks, but she doesn’t know how to retire, and the world is better for it. 

But Deb, tell us why you’re still sitting in a classroom at Cody High School, even though you retired five years ago. 

Deb White:

I love high school kids for one thing, but, I continue to sponsor a club here at Cody High School, TLC and Youth for Justice  – Teen Leadership Coalition. They’re a community service based organization, and I also run Cody C.A.N. and Pure Performance out of Cody High School. 

So that’s why I’m here every day. Well, four days a week. I usually try to take Thursdays off, but I missed it this week. 

Wendy Corr:

You missed it this week. So I want to talk first about Cody C.A.N., because Cody C.A.N., when you first introduced Cody C.A.N., it made a splash nationwide. I mean, you folks were recognized for this really fantastic program that every Cody kid here knows. I should have gotten it out – my daughter’s C.A.N. card is just an absolute classic, and she hates it when I bring it up, but all the kids who belong to C.A.N., which is Change Attitudes Now – all the kids that belong to Cody C.A.N. get, like, a trading card, and that serves to inspire the younger kids in the Cody school system. Tell me about the Cody C.A.N. program. 

Deb White:

So we started Cody C.A.N. in 1997, and it, basically, it’s a drug prevention program, was its original premise, and the idea being positive, like always focused on the positive. So instead of saying, don’t use drugs, it was incentivizing making good choices.

So Cody C.A.N. 85% of 4th through 12th graders are currently C.A.N. members, and in the elementary schools, it’s way over 90% – so almost every kid. And to be a C.A.N. member, all you have to do is pledge you won’t use illegal drugs, and have your parents sign off as well. And then we give you benefits.

And then the trading cards that Wendy’s talking about – so not every kid gets a trading card, but any kid who’s a junior or senior, in fact, we’re in the middle of it right now, can apply to be on a trading card, and they can be on it for whatever they’d like they have to, you know, be selected as a good role model. 

I mean, they have to have decent grades, because we pull them out of school sometimes. 

They need teacher recommendations. They need a history of community service. And then we put them on a trading card, and they get to be positive role models to the little guys. 

And I will say the idea for the trading cards came from my older daughter, who’s 33 now, and she wanted to know when the Cody Broncs were going to play the Chicago Bulls. Because if you’re a little tiny kid, they’re all just big basketball players, right? 

And so it made me realize, like, Who do we really want being positive role models for our elementary kids? We want people who are carefully vetted and are just like, right there and accessible. 

So little kids wait outside of locker room doors to get their trading cards autographed, and the high school kids go and have pizza parties with elementary classrooms and elementary kids can earn autograph cards and earn an individual party.

And it puts a lot of pressure on the high school kids also to continue to be good, because they know little guys are watching them. 

Wendy Corr:

I think it’s a fantastic program. It’s part of the culture here in Cody, everybody knows about the C.A.N. kids. Everybody knows about the C.A.N. cards – and so I just think that it’s phenomenal that you have made that shift in the culture here in Cody. 

But Cody C.A.N. then, you morphed, in that you added an aspect of that called Pure Performance. Tell us about what you did there. 

Deb White:

So what we realized about a long time ago now, about 15 years ago, we realized, of course, we do not want kids using illegal drugs, and we don’t want them drinking. I mean, because all the evidence shows that if you can get to like, 20 years old without abusing any substances, your odds of ever being an addict of any sort are really low. 

But we also realized that even if you’re not smoking pot, if you’re staying up all night playing video games and drinking energy drinks, you’re still going to not be great. So Pure Performance kind of tried to put C.A.N. in the context of a healthy lifestyle. 

So then we started focusing, in addition to drug use, which is still our primary goal, but sleep, nutrition, hydration, exercise, you know, community service, all those other things that just help make you a good, healthy, well rounded person. 

Wendy Corr:

Well, you have taken that then and that’s been a very successful program. How many kids are in that program right now? 

Deb White:

So in C.A.N. about 85% of the kids in grades 4 through 12, you can’t sign up so you’re a fourth grader, and we have a few less in the high school, just because if a kid moves in as a senior or a junior, they might not see the benefit. But about 85% of Cody school students who are eligible are members. 

And then the Pure Performance stuff, all members of the Cody community benefit equally from that, right? So, I mean, our goal there is to help everybody be the best they can be. 

Wendy Corr:

That’s fantastic. I want to talk a little bit more later about how to get involved with that. But I’ve got two directions I could go here. I could either stay in the high school, or I could stay with the athletic and the helpful health thing. So I think we’re going to move to helpful health. Helpful health – and say that three times fast – and then come back to the high school.

Because when you retired, Deb, you took on another challenge, which was, you became a partner in an organization here, in a business here called Wyoming Sport and Fitness, and you have taken just a what could be a simple gym membership, and you’ve taken that to the next level by focusing on healthy seniors. So tell me about your journey and your decision to become a partner in Wyoming Sport and Fitness.

Deb White: 

You know, I became a partner in Wyoming Sport and Fitness about seven or eight years ago, actually thinking that I wanted a venue for all the community health and wellness things. 

And so for a number of years, we’ve had, like the Partners, the adults with disabilities, that group, and they have free access to our gym and training twice a week with a trainer. And then we’ve been looking for other opportunities. You know, I mean, it’s an old saying, but it takes a village. And so the healthier your village is, the healthier your kids are going to be. 

So I guess two and a half or three years ago, we started a senior wellness initiative. So we started doing strength training, strength and balance training for seniors. And it started really small, you know, a half a dozen people, a couple times a week, and it was all volunteer. 

And then we received a grant through the Wyoming Department of Health about a year ago, and so since then, it’s been funded, which is super helpful, and we expanded. So now that’s in Cody, and it’s in Powell and Laramie. 

We have 60 to 70 seniors in Cody and about 25 or 30 in the other two locations, they all have strength training twice a week. And in Cody, they also get yoga and Tai Chi and we assess them. It’s a three year grant. So, we assess them regularly. 

And I mean, basically, our goal ultimately is to demonstrate that, if it was possible to prescribe strength training, just like we prescribe medicines, if there was some benefit, you know, if Medicare or Blue Cross/Blue Shield would pay for that, that it would save them so much money

Because the cost of one broken hip, besides, you know, the horrible lifestyle changes and the fact that that person is probably not going to survive a year. I mean, that cost $50,000, and you can run a whole program for 30 to 40 seniors for the same exact price. So it is all about prevention.

Wendy Corr:

I want to take an example too, because, and I want to use your mom. Now, full disclosure, I have been friends with Deb’s mom for 25 years or more, and she is now, I don’t think she’ll mind us saying how old she is, but she’s going to have a birthday, but she is in her 90s. And when she started this program, the difference between the moment that she started the senior strength program and just, I mean, a few months in, she was making huge strides. 

So tell us, just using Mary as an example. Tell us about the changes that can happen for seniors and the amount of strength that they can gain. 

Deb White:

You know, I mean, the main thing is just improving their leg strength, so that that improves their balance. And my mom, who is teeny-tiny and needs help reaching the lat pull down and all that… You know, I mean, a lot of senior strength type programs are, you know, sitting in chairs and lifting cans of soup, right? 

And our seniors are actually using leg press and dead lifting and step ups and all kinds of much more practical things. In fact, one of our more recent things is getting them, they have to get down on the floor and they have to get up by themselves. Because how often does somebody fall and they can’t get up?

So my mom can now leg press 120 pounds, which is more than she weighs. And you know, I just think we do – so Jason Fry, who’s a physical therapist at Wyoming Sport and Fitness, and he volunteers his time. He does what’s called a dynamic gait assessment with all of our seniors. 

And it’s just super practical, walking, walking, looking over your shoulder, going upstairs, stepping over things, and it’s a good indicator for your propensity for falling – like if you can score up to 24 points, and if you score 22, 23, 24 you’re going to be fine. 

And we have had a lot of seniors that were scoring in the 10 to 12 range, like barely could walk across the room, who now are out of the woods, essentially. And it doesn’t mean they will be forever, but, but they’re doing really – I mean, my mom is doing really well. She can walk up the stairs now without pulling herself up with her hands with every step. 

Wendy Corr:

So it’s phenomenal to see those changes, and that just for you, Deb, has to be so rewarding, knowing that something that you started here is making such a difference in these people’s lives, in their daily lives.

Deb White:
It is. It’s super rewarding. And you know, they’re super appreciative. The high school kids come down and volunteer with the senior program, which, you know, just provides a whole lot of great dynamics. 

And then it’s pretty funny, because with a lot of my other community service projects, we always joke that the seniors are like our secret weapon. You know that they will help and support and do all these other things for these high school kids, because they know them now, you know. 

So they actually, I’ve actually had seniors say this completely changed my opinion of high school kids, because they had never met a high school kid that would come look them in the eye and shake their hand and then help them. 

Wendy Corr:

That’s phenomenal. Talk about bringing those two generations together. Deb, the difference that you have made in bringing these two generations together and being able to see the difference that makes – you have been very rewarded, personally, I know by this idea of mission, of purpose, of changing the world, and I think that that’s just phenomenal.

You have taken that, not just in Cody, you’ve taken that out of Cody. In fact, you’ve gone halfway around the world. And I want to talk about your connection to Africa, because we recently, folks, Amber Steinmetz, one of our writers, did a story about Deb and one of her friends, Cathy Blanchard, who recently climbed Kilimanjaro, which I think is just cool, and I’ve now put that on my bucket list. 

But what brought you to Africa in the first place? Because, and I think it has to, it’s something to do with you and your husband, Dan, right? 

Deb White:

My husband, Dan, he is a wildlife guy, right? That’s his passion. And so I don’t know, 16, 17 years ago, we ended up with a bunch of miles, airplane miles, and we were trying to figure out where we could use them. We had a really limited time to use them, and so he had always wanted to go to Africa. It was a perfect time of year, because our summer, their winter, is kind of perfect. 

So we made our once in a lifetime bucket list trip to Africa, and we’ve been back six times since, because you never go to Africa once, apparently. 

And so one of those times when we were in Africa, you know, I started thinking about climbing Kilimanjaro. He really did not have a great interest in that. He doesn’t like crowds very much, and he was worried it would be crowded. 

So we had that connection to Africa. And then our daughter ended up with a roommate in Michigan State, whose parents had a nonprofit in Africa for HIV positive kids. So all the kids at her school are HIV positive. And I mean, I think once you go to Africa, you probably realize it anyway, but you know, kids in Wyoming are really lucky, like we are just really lucky, absolutely, compared to kids in so many developing countries.

And so with my leadership group, TLC, which I’ve sponsored maybe even a little longer than C.A.N., that I started back when I was a teacher, I wanted them to have some community service projects that were, I mean, could be life changing – not, you know, for them, obviously, but also for the recipients. 

And so the school in Malawi that we’ve been working with for about 12 years now, which is a school that Kira went to, our daughter, Kira, went to when she was at Michigan State, my high school kids have been pen pals with those kids for like, 12 years. 

We collect soccer uniforms for them and send them little Christmas presents, and we’ve even started being able to do a little bit of zoom calling with them, because now the Wi Fi, they actually have a little bit of Wi Fi, but we raise money for their tuition every year. 

And so tuition – sorry, once again, in Cody High School – tuition for a kid at this school is $25 a year, and that includes their uniform. And that’s it. That’s all. And so like this year, we’re trying to raise $975 for tuition for the kids at Hope village, and we’ve got some new fundraising ideas, and we’re cruising along and doing pretty well. 

But I think it’s important for kids to realize that a family in Malawi lives on $2 a day, a family. So when you just went and spent $5 on that fancy coffee drink, but I could have, and that was a whole family per week. So I think it really kind of puts in perspective.

I mean, what is, what is need? You know, here I need a new coat, or I need, you know – there they just, they just need the basics. And so I’ve been really trying to use that as an opportunity to kind of raise awareness of kids who have not traveled. I would love to just take them all to Africa with me. 

In the meantime, we’re zooming and and then we’ve just also picked up another school in South Africa, a high school in the townships, and all of these. There are friends of mine in the US that run these nonprofits. So I know it’s not like sending money to a Nigerian prince – these are more than vetted. 

And so we are raising $57 a month to pay for Wi Fi for a school of 500 kids. And so now my kids are going to start zooming with those kids every Wednesday morning, because 7:30 in the morning our time is 3:30 in the afternoon in Johannesburg. And so that connection, that, like personal connection, is really just so eye opening.

Wendy Corr:
What a phenomenal cultural experience that you’re offering our Cody kids, and just raising the view of their world and opening their view of the world.

I want to shift now, since we’re back to kids, I want to shift now to Cody Youth for Justice. This is something which is kind of associated with your TLC group, which is the Teen Leadership Coalition. But these kids are visible. These kids are in the legislature. When the legislature meets, you take a group of kids, Cody Youth for Justice, down there to lobby.

And I want you to tell us the process that you go through in order to get these kids involved in our legislative process.

Deb White:

So my Youth for Justice kids, we’ve been doing this for 25 years, and I pick these projects. My problem is I never give anything up. I just keep adding more. That’s why I can never retire. 

But we did miss one year, not even COVID. We missed a different year. But every year, we try to come up with things they think should be a law. And it can be something really, I mean, small. It can be something they heard in the news. It could be something that a legislator reaches out to us and says, Will you help me with this bill this year? Or we keep track of the legislative website, once people start posting bills, and we’ll email a legislator and say, can we help with this? 

And then the kids do research. And so it is kind of the scientific method for me. The kids do research and they gather data, and they create media, and then we go to Cheyenne during the session. So this year, we’re going to be going on the 20th-22nd of January, and go to Cheyenne and systematically and relentlessly lobby the legislature. 

Wendy Corr:

I love how you put that- relentlessly, systematically. 

Deb White:

Yes, very effective lobbyists, because it is things they care about.

Wendy Corr:

There you go. What’s the response from the legislators when these high school kids are showing up, and they’re informed, they have information, they’re well read on the subject. What’s the response of the legislators to the Youth for Justice kids?

Deb White:

You know, they’re so well known now that, I mean, everybody knows who they are. The folks who run the door in the lobby, you know, greet them by name and hug them and the whole deal. I mean, you know, we’ve been really, really lucky over the years to have lots of legislators who want to work with the kids – not even always local legislators. I mean, there’s people from around the state that have worked with them.

And most of them are great, some of them are not great, but it’s an okay lesson for the kids to learn to have a discussion that is maybe a little less than completely friendly. And I do make sure the kids are always polite. You know, we’re just sitting right there in the lobby watching, keeping track. 

I mean, they’re independent, but we’re right there to back em up if they need help, if they have a question, if they get in this situation where they don’t know an answer, they always, you know, are super respectful. They always write a thank you note, almost like as soon as they step out from that meeting, they write a thank you note and send that in. 

They do follow up emails. We are really systematic about it. We make brochures on each of our bills, or sometimes just a one page flyer, depending how much information there is, and they’re all personalized.

So, like, these two kids have these five senators they need to start with, and they can keep track of who they’ve talked to, because they’ve given away their brochures. And then they come and report back, and I keep track of how each person intended to vote, if they would like follow up information, all of that kind of thing. 

And then at the end of our stay in Cheyenne, we can report back to the sponsor of the bill, “Here’s a print out of basically, who supports your legislation, who doesn’t, who is a hard No, who could be swayed.”

Wendy Corr:

That is absolutely, again, another fantastic, applicable life lesson for these kids. 

You have made relationships with your students for 28 years in Cody – do you follow their escapades? Do you follow the careers of these students who have been so much a part of your programs? 

Deb White:

You know, there’s a lot of them that I do, and it’s funny, because so many people do ultimately come back to Cody when they have families. And I have, like, kids of kids of kids that I had – like, we’re to the point now where, yeah, we’re in the next generation pretty easily. In fact, this last year, I took a girl to Youth for Justice, and I had taken her mom to Youth for Justice.

Wendy Corr:

That is so – again, my degree is in education. I was going to be a teacher, and that was one of the reasons I wanted to get into education, is to really affect and have this impact on these kids that Deb, you have had an impact, and you’ve had the opportunity to do that.  So you’ve done all these amazing programs. You’re still monitoring all these programs, even though you’re retired. 

Before we got started, folks, she and I started just chatting about all the things that she’s doing. You don’t know how to retire, Deb, but your husband has figured it out. And Dan, he was a teacher, it was the Dan and Deb show there for quite a while at Cody High School, because Dan was a teacher as well. But he’s very good at being retired.

Deb White:

Oh, Wendy, he could write a book about it, except that that would be work. 

Wendy Corr:

So he’s out there truly being retired. You, though, you’re out there, you’re traveling, you’re monitoring all of these programs, but you still find time to go climb Mount Kilimanjaro. I want you to tell our viewers here, because, I mean, you’ve had a chance to read the story in Cowboy State Daily, but I want you to tell us about climbing Kilimanjaro with Cathy Blanchard, your friend there in Cody. 

Deb White:

You know, I was supposed to go climb Kilimanjaro in 2020, and then COVID hit, so it didn’t happen. Then I had some knee issues, so it got put off a little bit longer. And in the meantime, I had conned Cathy into coming with me because I was just going to go by myself. 

It was a great experience. I’m not really a big mountain climber person. It’s not like I want to go climb mountains every weekend. I climbed the Grand a few years ago, and I really liked that. But I mean, that’s kind of an iconic climb, and that’s really how I felt about Kilimanjaro as well. I love Africa so much, and it just seemed like being on the top of Africa would be perfect. And it was, it was wonderful. 

Everyone in our group was – there was one guy who was 55, everyone else was over 60. So I nicknamed us Team G, for Team Geriatric. 

Wendy Corr:

Why not? And you’re living proof that the things that you’re doing for the seniors, with the senior strength program at Wyoming Sport and Fitness, you are living proof that if you keep going, you’ll keep going.

Deb White:

Yep, and it’s totally true. 

Wendy Corr:

And I just think that’s phenomenal. The last thing I really wanted to ask you was, what’s next? So you’ve got all of these balls in the air. You’re juggling all of these projects, what’s next, Deb, for you? What’s your next big project?

Deb White:

You know, I don’t know. They just kind of things show up. And I’m like, somebody has to do that.

Wendy Corr:

So you do.

Deb White:

I usually do. My husband’s standing next to me trying to hold me from raising my hand.

You know, I do want to do more traveling. We’ve got a granddaughter now in Denver, and another one on the way, and so I try to fit all that in. I think I just, I love high school kids. I love being a positive influence as much as I can, or at least giving them opportunities to explore ways to be positive in their communities. 

And I don’t know what’s next, but I’ll keep you posted. 

Wendy Corr:

Please do. Please do. Deb, thank you for the gifts that you’ve given this community, to a couple of generations now of the kids in this community, for your energy and your continued, real passion and enthusiasm for learning and for and for giving. So we’re blessed to have you here. 

Deb White:

Thank you. Well, thanks for having me. And if you know any seniors that need some strength, come on down. 

Wendy Corr:

Alright, it’s a deal. It’s a deal. I could be one of them. Folks, thank you for tuning in today. It has been my blessing to have Deb on today and tell you all her stories, which I think are inspiring for all of us, because there’s so many ways that we can give back. And Deb has done her share and more, and we’re grateful for that. So thanks for tuning in. 

Don’t forget the Wyoming Business Alliance “Business from the Basement” podcast. If you’re a Wyoming business person, it’s a great place for resources, get ideas, find a network and a community of people. So don’t forget to check them out, but don’t forget to come back and see us next week. 

You know, we have so many – this is actually episode 51 for The Roundup. So there are 50 other podcasts that you’re going to be able to go back through. If you’ve missed any of them, you can go back and check those out. 

But thanks for tuning in. Thank you, Deb. Folks, have a great week.