Helping kids
Thumbs-up to the Seymour High School Riley Dance Marathon committee for finishing up its yearlong fundraising efforts at $23,211.58, well exceeding its goal of $15,000. That culminated with Saturday’s Dance Marathon in the school’s gymnasium. Money raised will go to Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis.
Marking a decade
Thumbs-up to Adam and Kim Nicholson for organizing the 10th annual Sertoma Benefit Concert, which was Wednesday night at Pewter Hall in Brownstown. In the first nine years of the event, they had raised more than $45,000 for the Sertoma Club of Jackson County’s annual Christmas Miracle project, which provides Christmas gifts to less-fortunate children in the county.
Sporting a new ‘do
Thumbs-up to Immanuel Lutheran School junior high social studies teacher Charlie Smith for challenging students to raise $1,000 for the school’s Relay for Life team, Immanuel Cancer Fighters. While the students came up short by raising $650 in the allotted time, they boosted their total to more than $1,500 for the school year. Smith felt they were close enough and invited former student Lindsey Eble to dye his hair bright pink in front of the whole school. He also agreed to dye his hair pink again if students can raise the additional $400 they came up short on by Christmas break, which would give him pink hair for Christmas into January.
Preparing for the future
Thumbs-up to the 32 companies that participated in the Brownstown Central High School senior mock interview program Nov. 8. The interviews are meant to be practice for seniors as they prepare for their futures after high school. A representative from each business interviewed seniors for specific positions available within their company.
Providing relief
Thumbs-up to members of local churches, including Seymour First Baptist Church, Immanuel Lutheran Church and Zion Lutheran Church, for heading to the areas of Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey. The most recent trip involved volunteers from Immanuel and Zion assisting Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod World Relief and Human Care through its disaster response unit, which assists in major disasters across the globe.
Serving the country
Thumbs-up to U.S. Navy Cmdr. Doug M. Reinbold for recently retiring after 21 years of service. The 1988 Seymour High School graduate last served as a Navy pilot/MQ-8 integrated transition team lead with Commander, Helicopter, Sea Combat Wing Pacific Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California. During his career, he accumulated more than 3,000 hours of flight time in 10 different types of aircraft.
Being an advocate
Thumbs-up to the award winners at The Arc of Jackson County’s annual dinner and awards banquet Nov. 9 at the Knights of Columbus in Seymour. Award recipients were Sabrina LaSpina, Educator of the Year; Wendy’s restaurant in Seymour as Employer of the Year for hiring people with disabilities; Jackson County Commissioners, who received the Community Service Award; ResCare employee Lori Shaw, who received the Anne Baxter Award for providing care and being an advocate for people with disabilities; and Shannon Blodgett, who received the Melvin Maynard Award for her work and efforts to become more independent and to help others living in her group home.
Lifting weight
Thumbs-up to Troy Burns of Crothersville for placing first in both his weight class and overall in the Illinois Strongman Association’s 2017 Record Breaker Championship competition in St. Anne, Illinois. The victory qualified him for a national weightlifting competition featuring more than 400 participants in the summer of 2018 in Tarrytown, New York. Burns recently rejoined the ministry as pastor at Bethany Baptist Church in Crothersville.