READERS BRING VETS' DREAM TO LIFE.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

Odds and ends from around the Valley:

You know the old line about the check being in the mail? Well, darn if it wasn't for the 12 veterans at the Sepulveda VA. They didn't think they were going to this year's Golden Age Games - a competition for veterans 55 years and older in Virginia Beach, Va. - because they couldn't afford the $1,000 trip.

Your generosity after reading last week's column made it possible for all of them to go and represent the San Fernando Valley in an event that's the Olympics, World Series and Super Bowl all rolled up in one for our older vets.

``The guys are absolutely overjoyed and ecstatic because they didn't think they had a chance in the world of going,'' said Don Starler, a member of our local team that always brings home the lion's share of the medals in competition with over 40 other VAs nationwide.

``Please, print it in huge letters - thank you from all the guys. They're walking on air. We received checks from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars.''

In all, more than $12,000 came in to the volunteer office at Sepulveda VA for the vets, including $6,000 from Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and $1,000 from the Woodland Hills Rotary Club.

``Most of the checks were from just regular people sending in anywhere from $5 to $50, along with some encouraging words for our vets,'' said Maryanne Davis, chief of volunteer services for the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration.

So thank you from the guys, and from me. Like I said in the Feb. 21 column, we shouldn't have to be passing the hat for our vets living on a shoestring.

They worked hard in the gym all year training to make the team, and the VA should be paying for their trip, instead of claiming it can't anymore because it needs to spend it's money on medical costs.

Talk to any of these men, and you realize one of the biggest medical benefits old vets can have is staying in shape, and having a goal to shoot for late in life.

The Golden Age Games is that goal. And thanks to you, they'll be reaching it this May. I'll let you know how they do.

I called it a long shot when John and Bonnie Macaray of Studio City said they wanted to find the owner of a book they had found - a 12-year-old girl from 35 years ago named Dani McCallen who had lost her Dr. Seuss ``My Book About Me,'' crammed with personal notes on her life and family.

Well, the long shot hit. Reader Tricia Putnam searched the Internet to find McCallen, now Dani Riggert, living outside Lake Tahoe. The Macarays mailed her the book Monday, and it had just arrived when I called Dani on Thursday.

``I don't believe it,'' she said, laughing, ``My favorite singer in 1971 was Tom Jones, and my favorite song was 'What's New Pussycat.' I didn't remember that.

``I told Bonnie when she called that I have three children of my own, and they all have their own Dr. Seuss 'My Book About Me,' all filled out.

``I can't wait for them to get home from school. They put their books out before they left this morning, and we're going to read each others' book tonight.

``After all these years to get that book back, well, it's incredible.''

And finally, Los Angeles city roofer Will Schaefer came home this week after spending his vacation in the little town of D'Iberville, Miss., fixing the roofs of people who had their homes severely damaged in Hurricane Katrina.

``It was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything in the world,'' said Will, whose grown children, Christina and Daniel, joined him.

``In one week, we got eight families back in their homes, but there are still a lot more families in desperate need of help, so I'm going back again this summer,'' he said.

Will's already got a commitment from four of his co-workers with the city of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks to join him.

``Hopefully, we'll get some help from local manufacturers and businesses so we can take a truckload of building materials back with us, and leave behind whatever we don't use,'' he said.

If there are any suppliers or manufacturers out there who would like to help Will with building materials for Hurricane Katrina victims, give him a call at [phone].

Dennis McCarthy, [phone]

dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com