2A MOORESVILLE TRIBUNE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2007 WHAT’S UP Preserving history The Mooresville Public Library's Special Collections division and the Mooresville Museum, in conjunction with the Library of Congress, invite military veterans to the library today from 10 a.m. to noon to kick off the "Veteran's Oral History Project." The goal of the project is to collect the oral history of veterans and people who have played supporting roles in the USO or on the "home front," said Andy Poore, curator of Special Collections at the library. Those who participate will get a copy of their oral history to keep, he said. Also, oral histories will be available for checkout at the library. For more information, call Poore at 704-664-2927 or by email at: [email protected] 'Nutcracker' is Dec. 16 "The Nutcracker Suite Ballet" will be presented by The Academy of Dance and Fine Arts of Mooresville on Sunday, Dec. 16, at the Mooresville High School auditorium. The ballet will feature dance students age 5 and up, directed by Caroline Jones-Macke. Performances are at 2 and 6 p.m., and admission is $8 (children 5-12 are $5). For details, or information on how to purchase tickets, call 704-6633169 or visit: ww.adfadancestudio.com NEED TO REACH US? 704-664-5554 News – 704-696-2962 Classifieds – 704-696-2961 Front Desk Kay Allen – 6411 Retail/Display Advertising Tom Ellis Advertising Director – 6501 Lisa Tarlton Advertising Assistant – 6502 Advertising Consultants Kathy Crawford – 6503 Tracey Kimrey – 6504 April Rollins – 6506 Jason Nichols – 6507 Dana Pianowski – 6508 Tami Eckard – 6509 News Department Dale Gowing Editor – 6401 Nancy Baker News Production Editor – 6402 Karen Kistler Lifestyles Editor – 6403 Larry Sullivan Sports Editor – 6404 Megan Pillow Reporter – 6406 Melinda Skutnick Reporter – 6405 Larisa Farmer Production – 6407 Lake Norman Navigator 704-761-2939 Amy Fuhrman, Editor [email protected] Megan Sprague [email protected] MOORESVILLE TRIBUNE (USPS 362-380) Published every Wednesday and Friday at 147 E. Center Avenue MOORESVILLE, NC 28115-0300 Periodicals Postage Paid at Mooresville, NC MAIL SUBSCRIPTION RATES (Payable in advance) Iredell County (Includes tax) One Year ................................48.00 6 Months ................................24.00 13 weeks.................................12.00 Per Copy .......................... .50 cents Postmaster please send address corrections to: Mooresville Tribune, P.O. Box 300, Mooresville, N.C.28115 This newspaper is printed in part on recycled paper and is recyclable. STOCKS FOR TOTS Continued from 1A “We’re wanting to set a new record this year with our donation of toys and dollars,” said John Moloney, general manager of Penske Technology Group who organizes Stock for Tots. “We’re well on our way, but it’s going to require the community to come out and support (this event).” Stocks for Tots was started in 1989 by Don Miller, president of Penske Racing South. Since it’s inception, it has grown each year, raising more than $600,000 and distributing “truckloads” of Christmas toys to children in the Mooresville area. Last year’s event saw close to $70,000 in donations for SCAN, said Moloney. And with Miller’s recent humanitarian award of $100,000 from Home Depot – money he donated back to SCAN – $72,000 in projected donations from a “brick paver program” with JR Motorsports, a sizeable donation from Best Buy and past events benefiting this year’s Stocks for Tots, contributions for 2007 have already surpassed previous years. “We’ve raised close to $200,000 before we even got to the event,” noted Moloney. “That’s never been done in the history of the event yet. That just shows we’re gaining a lot of momentum.” The event includes live entertainment – performances from country music artists Brooke Morton, Laura Lynne and Lucas Hoag – concessions, a NASCAR collectibles auction, show cars, pit crew demonstrations and a driver autograph session with personalities such as Kyle Busch, John Andretti, Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace. “There’s a lot going on downtown and it’s really a nice holiday event for people to come out and check out for a few hours on a Tuesday evening,” said Moloney, adding that all proceeds from the event will benefit the SCAN organization. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, admission wristbands for the autograph signing portion of Stocks for Tots, which will begin at 7 p.m., will be dispensed at the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame on Knob Hill Road in the Lakeside Business Park with distribution continuing at the Charles Mack Citizen Center at 4 p.m. Any additional proceeds or toys donated during Stocks for Tots will be given to the Iredell County Department of Social Services and other local organizations benefiting needy families. For more information on Stocks for Tots, visit: www.stocksfortots.com MISSED A PAPER? If we missed your paper, call 704-6645554, press 1, between 7 and 11 a.m., Wednesday and Friday for redelivery service or email: [email protected] ALTERNATIVE GIVING: How to really make a difference Continued from 1A needing assistance this Christmas and community members wishing to create a better holiday for a family in need. “We have some individual families that have called us,” said Meletis. She said several members of the Marine Corps League have the names of families – aside from the many requesting the assistance of Toys for Tots – who could use a little extra help this month. People wanting to “adopt” a family this holiday season can contact Meletis at 704-807-7918. She also encourages donating to Toys for Tots if your budget cannot help an entire local family. With barrels located at many area establishments – including all Food Lion and Dollar General stores, and Pat’s Coffee Shop downtown – Meletis said the need this holiday season is greater than previous years. Teenagers between 13 and 17 could use the most help, she noted, because 90 percent of items donated to the Marine Corps League are for children under 12. “Because of the economy, because of people losing their homes, everything is factoring in,” she said. “What we’ve asked is to spread (donations) out through the whole family. If people will also donate gift cards, because sometimes the parent will have to decide what’s more important, a child’s toy or food.” With an anticipated 1,200 families to help this year through Toys for Tots, Meletis urges community members with ample means to help those who many not be as fortunate. “It’s amazing the heart that people have at Christmas time,” she added. FOP, schools have families Working in conjunction with the Marine Corps League and its Toys for Tots campaign, the Iredell County Fraternal Order of Police also serves as a resource for adopting a needy family. Ron “Duck” Wyatt, as a representative of the FOP, said he has been in contact with about a dozen families searching for Christmas help as the holiday approaches. “About half of the ones we get are usually due to a sickness in the family,” he said, recounting the story of one family whose medical bills were so high that a bountiful Christmas was unattainable without the help of others. If you wish to be connected to a family needing your help through the FOP, contact Wyatt at 704-528-6605. Local schools can also serve as a resource for finding a family that may need your donations this Christmas. At the Mooresville Graded School District, spokesperson Christy Labanowitz said community members wishing to donate to a family in need can contact school guidance counselors in the district. In the Iredell-Statesville Schools, donors can contact I-SS spokesperson Dawn Creason who will put them in contact with needy families through district schools. “Folks are welcome to give my office a call to help locate a family that needs extra help for the holidays, and I will, in turn, contact a school and speak with a guidance counselor to get that arranged,” said Creason, who can be contacted at 704-924-2032. “I wish our district office could do more. I know there are hundreds, thousands, even, of students who need so much,” she added. The Mooresville Christian Mission is working to provide Christmas for low-income families with children and [email protected] GOT NEWS? Call us at 704-664-5554 and press 5 for news! GETTING THEM READY: Ron Wyatt of the Iredell County Fraternal Order of Police sorts through donated toys at the Marine Corps League’s Toys for Tots warehouse on Thursday. for seniors over 62. Their “Christmas Angels” program allows individuals, families or businesses to adopt a “carefully screened” family or person. Those wishing to contribute will be given a “wish list” for each person that is sponsored. The deadline for this project is Saturday with gifts being distributed by the Mission on Dec. 15. For additional information, visit: www.mooresvillechristianmission.org Individual needs, too For individuals unable to help an entire family this holiday season, there are plenty of ways to make a difference in one person’s Christmas. Through the Iredell Council on Aging, adults age 60 and older can be assisted by generous community members. In-home aid coordinator Jackie Negley said she and nutrition coordinator Joyce Taylor can connect the person wishing to contribute with a senior who has Christmas needs. “We would, of course, contact the senior first,” said Negley. “Then just depending on what it is that (the donor is) looking to do, if they’re just wanting to get them some food or buy them specific pieces of clothing. “Anything that older adults get, they appreciate very much. Anything from food to blankets to slippers. A lot of times they are shut in they may not have family in the area, so any little trinket even, they appreciate it,” she added. To help an area senior this Christmas, contact Negley or Taylor at the Iredell Council on Aging, 704-8735171. Other avenues for giving Regional charities and community organizations are always in need of contributions, too. The Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce, 149 E. Iredell Ave, is accepting new unwrapped toys, personal care items and non-perishable food for less fortunate neighbors through Dec. 21. Items can be brought to the MSI Chamber Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call 704-664-3898 or send an email to: [email protected] The 19th annual Stocks for Tots event will be held Tuesday at the Charles Mack Center, raising money and toy donations for SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) and the Exchange/SCAN child abuse prevention and parenting centers of Iredell County. (See story on Page 1A.) The Mooresville Soup Kitchen, 275 S. Broad St., can always use donations to its food cabinet as well as monetary contributions. To make a donation or find out about volunteer opportunities, call 704-660-9010. The American Red Cross is continually in need of not only blood donations, but monetary donations to continue aiding emergency relief efforts. The Mooresville office is located at 145 W. Statesville Ave. For more information, call 704-664-4908. The Salvation Army can always use contributions of household items, clothing, furniture, etc. that are sold in thrift stores to benefit their Adult Rehabilition Centers (ARCs). The only ARC in North Carolina is located in Charlotte, but financial donations are welcome online or by contacting a local Salvation Army unit. The local unit is located in Statesville at 1361 Caldwell St. For more information or to donate, call 704-872-5623. Alternative gift giving options also include donating to local churches and childcare centers. These are organizations in need of the community’s generosity year-round. Other organizations and agencies that can benefit immensely through your dollars this Christmas season, or any time of the year, can be located through Iredell County’s Information & Referral Service at 704-872-2900. WANT TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TRIBUNE? Complete this form and mail, along with payment, to P.O. Box 300, Mooresville, NC 28115. Please allow one week for processing. ON VACATION? Want to stop delivery of your paper while you’re away? We need at least 3 days notice to put a stop on your subscription. Call 704-6645554, press 1 or email: PHOTO BY MELINDA SKUTNICK/MOORESVILLE TRIBUNE Name Address City State Zip ❏ 13 weeks ($12) Delivery instructions: ❏ American Express ❏ Mastercard ❏ Discover ❏ Check Phone ❏ 26 weeks ($24) ❏ Visa ❏ 52 weeks ($48) Number: Expiration: Signature: ❏ Automatically renew my subscription
© Copyright 2024