Honoring a legend

Thumbs up to Donna Sullivan, who has spent 53 years coaching girls sports, including basketball at Seymour High School from 1971 to 2001. She won 344 games, 10 sectionals and five regionals as coach of Owls. Sullivan, who is still a girls basketball assistant coach at Trinity Lutheran High School, was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and became this first woman to become president of the hall. A related thumbs up to everyone, including her former players, who helped organize a Donna Sullivan Legacy Celebration on Saturday.

Riding to remember

Thumbs up to the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders for including a stop Sunday at the war memorial on the lawn of the Jackson County Courthouse in Brownstown for a ceremony to remember Marine Lance Cpl. Hunter “H.D.” Hogan of Norman. Hogan, who was killed in action June 23, 2012, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, is one of 16 serviceman from southeastern Indiana who have died in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2005 and are remembered each year during the organization’s Ride to Remember.

Saluting Old Glory

Thumbs up to the members of Seymour Elks Lodge 462 and others for conducting the annual Flag Day ceremony on Wednesday at the lodge in downtown Seymour. A related thumbs up to the Seymour Young Marines, who served as flagbearers for the ceremony, which included a history of the U.S. flags.

A related thumbs up to the organizers of the 48th annual Crothersville Red, White and Blue Festival and the many volunteers who helped out and made it happen this past weekend. The list includes members of Crothersville Boy Scout Troop 522, who presented a flag-folding demonstration while explaining the meaning of each flag during the festival.

Flying high

Thumbs up to the 11 pilots who volunteered their time to give airplane rides Saturday to those attending Airplane Ride Day at Freeman Municipal Airport in Seymour. The annual fundraiser is designed to give the community access to flying, provide some family fun and raise funds for the Freeman Army Airfield Museum. The museum preserves and promotes the history and artifacts of Freeman Army Airfield, which trained more than 4,200 pilots from 1942 to 1945 as part of World War II.

The gift of life

Thumbs up to everyone who donates blood through the American Red Cross, Versiti Blood Center of Indiana and other organizations. Thursday was World Blood Donor Day, and the Red Cross thanked the more than 7 million annual blood donors, including those in Jackson County. This annual day raises awareness of the ongoing need for a safe and available blood supply and recognizes individuals who voluntarily save lives through blood donation.