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| Juggling jingle-grams (From left) Fifth-graders Jazmine Rutherford and Klarissa Brown and fourth-graders Alex Bennett and Taylor Booghier assemble “jingle-grams” in Stacey Alderman’s classroom at London Elementary. Each jingle-gram costs 25 cents and includes a positive message and a piece of candy. Students buy them to send to one another. This year, the elementary has raised over $500; the high school has raised over $800. Students in the high school’s Art IV class use the combined proceeds to purchase gifts for the HELP House Christmas toy drive. Similar fund-raisers are held throughout the year: kindness-grams in February benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation; lucky-grams in March raise money for a bronze statue to honor the late Debbie Brake, a former London Elementary teacher; and fishy-grams in April and May benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. |
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| Collection tops 1,300 items London Elementary School turned a food collection into a learning opportunity this month. Students, such as (from left) second-grader Josh Colvin, fifth-grader Ryan Pitt, and second-grader Destiny Adams, donated canned and boxed goods for the Food Thru Faith food pantry. The donations were stacked outside the media center, making them accessible to all classes for counting exercises, nutrition lessons and more. The community service was a competition of sorts, too. This year, the third- through fifth-graders donated 698 items, narrowly surpassing the total donated by the pre-kindergarten through second-graders, 669. What was the prize? “Bragging rights and knowing they helped other people,” said organizer Ann Beathard. Last year, the school collected 1,000 food items; this year, the total is 1,367. Students also held a pet food drive for the Humane Society of Madison County. |
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| Lions donate $3,000 to food pantries The London Lions Club presented $1,000 checks to three Madison County food pantries. On hand for the presentation were: (from left) Howard Reynolds, Lions treasurer; Dr. Michael Chakeres, Lions member; Moe Wilson of the Madison County Food Pantry; June Hughes, Lions third vice president; Cathy Fisher, Lions president; Dick Hughes, Lions tail twister; and George Alexander of Food Thru Faith. Dee Heilman of HELP House is not pictured. |
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| London Correctional gives food On Nov. 24, members of London’s Public Information Team delivered food to families in need at Thanksgiving. A total of $567 was collected during a Jeans Week sponsored by the PIT Team, as well as monetary donations by staff. In addition, staff donated food items, and 15 staff members donated a turkey for each family. This outpouring helped 15 local families at HELP House, as well. |
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| Meal vouchers help the hungry Sherry Rarey (right) presents a certificate of appreciation to Nikki Long, Save-A-Lot office manager, and Thad Helber, store manager, to acknowledge Save-A-Lot’s participation in the Madison County Food Pantry’s Christmas meal voucher program. Fraternal Order of Eagles 950 funded this program in 2007 and 2008. |
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| Canada Goose gives to hospital The Canada Goose Gallery in Waynes-ville, Ohio, presented the Madison County Hospital Foundation with a check for the breast cancer initiative. The gallery sells the work of artist P. Buckley Moss. Over $1,100 was generated from buyers who purchased Moss’ work using a special card indicating that 10 percent of their purchase be donated to the breast cancer campaign. Cards were distri-buted during Moss’ recent visit to London. On hand to accept the check were MCH Development Coordinator Kelly Snyder (left); Laura DeRamus, Canada Goose Gallery (center); and Sue Besinger, R.N., patient navigator (right). Discount cards are still avail-able at the Madison County Hospital Foundation Office. Call 740-845-7050 for more information. The Canada Goose Gallery is located at 275 Miami Street in Waynesville. For more information on the gallery, call 513-897-4348 or go online to www.canadagoosegallery.com. |
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| Making the cut Arielle Frederick, 12, holds up the length of hair that stylist Jennifer McWhinney has just cut off at Eva Marie’s Salon in London on Dec. 11. Frederick let her hair grow long this past year so that she could donate it to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who are under 18 years old and suffering from long-term medical hair loss. |
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| Drug dog visits St. Patrick Members of the third- and fifth-grade classes at St. Patrick School received a treat when Adolph, the Madison County Sheriff’s drug dog, paid them a visit. Dolph demonstrated his prowess under the direction of his handler, Deputy Nick Liska. The visit was arranged by D.A.R.E. officer, Lt. Teena Gallagher, to reinforce the D.A.R.E. program. It also provided an opportunity for the students to see how a properly trained dog assists law enforcement in the war on illegal drugs. Pictured here are: (from left) third-grade teacher Karen Brougher, Gallagher, Liska, and students Cassie Anders, Will Cooley, Hans Harris, Caleb Huffman, Laine Higgins and Claire Van Horn. |
