More Top Picks Shark Vertex
player ready...Did you know this is National Volunteer Week, and the majority of volunteers in our area are committed to volunteering all year? Most volunteers, whether they are 8 or 80, volunteer for more than one activity, too. So, if you haven’t decided where or what to volunteer for, please go to nwivolunteer.org, where you are sure to find a place for you. The possibilities are endless.
This Saturday, April 18, the 2015 Youth Day of Caring, high school students throughout the area are invited to volunteer at Taltree Arboretum and Gardens from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help keep the place beautiful. What a neat way to meet students from other schools, enjoy a cookout with live music, and walk away with a T-shirt and pride for your caring. Register at nwivolunteer.org. Hurry, though. Time is going fast.
Just last Saturday, some bald heads were shining at Valparaiso University as more than 100 staff members and students had their heads shaved to raise money for children’s cancer research. There were plenty of giggles, shocked looks and iPhones taking snapshots of the before and after look.
Special kudos to university President Mark Heckler and his wife, Veronica, along with Vice President Rick AmRhein, for being part of this wonderful fundraiser, which collected more than $52,000. AmRhein told me that having his head shaved is an “interesting” feeling, and he notices the wind temperature more without his hair. It just made the reason for being a part of the fundraiser even more important.
On Tuesday evening, members of the Valparaiso High School Key Club said so long to their “old” officers and installed the new crew. Also included were awards for members who had exceeded their hours of service throughout the year. It was so heartwarming to listen to the long list of givers.
At the top of the list was Kennedy Pony with more than 100 hours of community service just through Key Club. I am sure that most — no all — of these young people are givers wherever they are. Our future will be in good hands.
No matter whether your gift of giving of yourself is large or small, whether it is for a club, church or agency, whether it is for a friend or neighbor, your gift of your most precious time to help others is, often times, worth more than dollars. To every volunteer in our area, a sincere thank you for your caring. You are my pet persons of the week and I hope you continue to find fun in volunteering.
I’m sure you are all aware of the continuing fight against alcohol and drug abuse facing our young people throughout the nation, so it is always especially rewarding to be a part of the Red Ribbon committee, headed by Jackie Sterling. This is a cause that is dear to her heart, and always brings a ray of hope when schools throughout the county have elementary students who create artistic place mats and high school students whose posters depict reminders of staying drug free.
It is then the committees responsibility to choose the place mats that will be printed to be used at local restaurants, and the posters that will adorn the windows at businesses. It is such a hard choice, as most members would love it if there were funds to print them all.
The toughest choice to make is the high school senior who will be awarded a monetary scholarship to be used for college. The students write a personal essay as to what impact the drug scene has had on their lives, and why they feel it is of utmost important to be drug-free. If 20 letters are submitted, it would be great to award 20 scholarships, but the one who is handed that award knows how very special it is to be drug-free.
The Red Ribbon awards breakfast will be held at Old Town Banquet Center in Valparaiso on May 5, and that’s when all the winners will be announced and applauded. And even though there might not be an award attached to those not chosen, every one of the students who feel strong enough to stay drug-free are winners and deserve accolades.
Do you think the warm weather is here to stay? I sure hope so, but, boy does it show the next project loud and clear. Our yard is in dire need of attention — from sticks and tree seeds to the need for fertilizer and general cleanup. I’m great at procrastinating, so hopefully by June, I’ll get the spring cleanup bug.
Meanwhile, I hope you have a great day because you deserve it. Thanks for reading. Fly your flag.
Lorrie Woycik is a freelance columnist.