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Schoenstein. “I get to go out and lecture at different
companies and do job-site assessments. I create
all of these tests and use my own equipment. Not
very many people can do that.”
Although he is very pleased that business is booming
at his physical therapy practice, Schoenstein
and his wife still have to deal with their share of
financial setbacks on a daily basis. “We are busy
all of the time because our practice is definitely
growing,” said Schoenstein. “But despite our
growth, insurance companies are paying less
than before, so we have to keep on top of finding
productive and creative ways to stay profitable.”
Despite the economic struggles, Schoenstein
absolutely adores all of his patients as much as
he loves his profession, which happens to be
profoundly. “I really enjoy my work, and it’s the
patients that keep it very stimulating for me,” said
Schoenstein. “What’s also nice about my clientele
is the diversity. I get a lot of referrals from doctors
and that keeps my cases very broad-based. I may
have a general practice, but every day is different
and that is what I prefer.”
To date, Schoenstein has over 30 years of
physical therapy experience in general practice
environments under his belt. He graduated from
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles School of
Physical Therapy in 1979 and furthered his
education in orthopedic manual therapy and
occupational rehabilitation. He holds clinical
certifications and is a member of the American
Physical Therapy Association. In addition,
Schoenstein is active in nonprofit organizations
such as Redwood City Police Activities League
(PAL), the American Cancer Society, Agnews
State Hospital, the National Center for Equine
Facilitated Therapy (NCEFT), Festiv Italiano,
St. Pius Catholic Church and the San Francisco
Archdiocese. He and Ruth have been happily
married for six years, and he is a devoted father
to two sons and two stepdaughters. “It’s never
about one person. It’s about a village of family,
and I have a very large family and tap into their
resources all of the time,” said Schoenstein. “My
wife, Ruth, has been very supportive and very
patient. And she has been especially supportive
with all of my blues endeavors.
This year will mark Schoenstein’s sixth consecutive
year acting as co-promoter for the PAL Blues
Festival, Redwood City’s biggest summer weekend
bash in the Courthouse Square downtown on
the weekend of July 22. Planning for this huge
recreational event started in January with Schoenstein,
PAL board member Gino Gasparini, the City of
Redwood City and Steve Penna of The Spectrum
Magazine. Over the course of the last six months,
Schoenstein and the others have put in a lot of
long, arduous hours laying the groundwork to
ensure the success of the festival. “George is a
great part of the Blues Festival,” said president of
PAL Jim Gordon. “I don’t think we could pull this
event off without him.”
“The Blues Festival is going to be big, really
big, this year,” said Schoenstein. “It is all about
blues, barbecue and beer.” The festival will
also include Arts in the Square and a 15-vendor
barbecue competition, a newly created event
open to professional and amateur chefs, both
individuals and teams. Their mission is to
barbecue beef, pork, fish and more, and then
sell their grilled specialties to the general public
during the Blues Festival. Festival-goers will be
able to vote for their favorite dishes, and a qualified
panel will judge each entry based on several
factors. After careful deliberation, a “people’s
choice award” plaque will be given to the winners
of each meat category at a finale ceremony.
However, the main attraction of this 48-hour
festive event is definitely the music, and as in previous
years, numerous authentic blues bands are scheduled
to perform in front of more than 2,000 elbow-toelbow
onlookers. On Friday night, Earl Thomas
& the Blues Ambassadors band will take center
stage and kick off the music marathon. The blues
talent featured on the lineup for the following day,
Saturday, July 23, includes Blues Cadillac, John
Le Conqueroo, Tip of the Top, Ron Hacker, Rusty
Zinn’s Roots Reggae Band, Mark Hummel with
“It’s the perfect marriage for my love of blues music and giving back to the
community. I have a lot of fun, it’s a good way to get the community to come
together and it benefits our children.”
Nathan James, Alabama Mike and 3rd Degree,
and Johnny Rawls. “It is so much fun to see the
community have a blast,” said Schoenstein.
The annual blues music blast is sponsored by
a group of local business owners and nonprofit
organizations. The list of wonderful supporters for
this year’s Blues Festival includes: San Mateo Credit
Union, Recology, See’s Candies, Provident Credit
Union, Krefeld’s Awards, Sequoia Healthcare
District, Redwood City Saltworks, Art on the
Square, NFL Alumni, Gelb Music, Downtown
Business Group, Fox Theatre, Golden Gate Blues
Society, The Spectrum Magazine, Redwood
General Tire, Saier Services, Schoenstein
Physical Therapy and Worker Selection Testing,
South San Francisco Foundation, Equilar, Uccelli
Foundation, Danford Foundation, City Pub and
Stanford University.
“I really enjoy being co-promoter for the Blues
Festival,” said Schoenstein. “It’s the perfect
marriage for my love of blues music and giving
back to the community. I have a lot of fun, it’s a
good way to get the community to come together
and it benefits our children. The Blues Festival is
about our children having a great time too. There
will be a kids’ fun zone of games and rides on one
of the side streets.”
Schoenstein is very proactive in making sure
the little ones are well cared for in the community.
“Children play a significant role in our community
and I will do anything for them,” he said. “When
it comes to children, I believe paying forward is
important because you are busy grooming them
for the future. The community is theirs too, and
we are just their caretakers, because they are next
to take care of the community.”
“George Schoenstein is just a wonderful human
being who runs completely under the radar,” said
Dennis McBride, Redwood City School District
trustee. “George heard that the Woodside High
School band needed money and put together a
fundraiser at the American Legion to help raise
funds for the band. Here was this financial need
and he automatically reached out to the students
without being asked. He is always doing what
is best for the kids in the community. George is
genuinely a nice person. There just is not enough
to say about him.”
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George and Ruth Schoenstein
The Spectrum 17