Thumbs up to the Ohio Poultry Association and Ohio egg farmers who have — for the third consecutive year — donated thousands of eggs to the local Shared Harvest Foodbank and 11 other foodbanks through a partnership with the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks in Columbus. According to a prepared statement, Shared Harvest will deliver about 27,000 eggs to local food pantries to share with needy families during the Easter season. "Acquiring eggs is not an easy task for foodbanks, so we appreciate the generosity of egg farmers who help out at this time of year," said Tina Osso, executive director of Shared Harvest, the primary food supplier for a network of 120 pantries and shelters in Butler, Warren, Preble, Darke and Miami counties.
Thumbs up to Bill Fugate, winner of the Janet Clemmons Community Service Award, which was presented on March 27 by SELF (Supports to Encourage Low-income Families). Fugate, one of the four directors of SHALOM (Serving the Homeless with Alternate Lodging of Middletown), a church-based homeless shelter there, is also active with his church's youth missions board and volunteers with Citizens Against Domestic Violence, Hope House Homeless Mission, Heart & Soul Food Mission and the Middletown Pregnancy Center. We think that the late Janet Clemmons, a Butler County commissioner who founded SELF, would be pleased with this year's honoree.
Congratulations to Rhythm Express, the Fairfield seventh- through ninth-grade choir, which won its first national championship on March 25 at the Fame Show Choir Nationals in Nashville, Tenn. In addition to the national award, the group won a number of other awards, including best choreography, best vocals and best combo band. Fairfield's all-girl choir, Pure Elegance, earned first runner-up honors, while the Choraliers, Fairfield's main high school show choir, was second runner-up. Good job.