“We believe that addressing hunger requires a collective effort,” said Deborah Patterson, executive director. “The Winning Hand Gala is not just a celebration — it’s a call to action. Together, we can ensure that no one in our community goes hungry.”
Schwarber has made a significant impact in Major League Baseball, playing for the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox and, currently, the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Middletown native has also given back to the city through the founding of the Middie Way Baseball league and Schwarber’s Hometown Heroes, a program that honors first responders and pays tribute to his father, a former police chief; his sister, a Middletown police officer; and his mother, a dispatcher and nurse.
In November 2025, Schwarber returned to Middletown High School for a homecoming rally, where the city announced the ballfield at Goldman Park — home of Middie Way Baseball — would be renamed “Kyle Schwarber Ballfield.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The late Bishop Rudolph Pringle died in August 2025 at age 92. Friends said he left behind a legacy of kindness, respect and steadfast advocacy for those in need.
Celeste Didlick-Davis, president of the Middletown NAACP, said Pringle “never met a stranger.”
Pringle began pastoring Apostolic Faith Church in Dayton in 1970, serving for 55 years until July 4, 2025. He was also affiliated with Bethlehem Temple First Pentecostal Church in Middletown.
For more than 25 years, he served as chaplain for Middletown Middies track, football and basketball teams and sat on boards for Arts in Residency, the Sorg Opera House and Middletown Regional Hospital.
Credit: RICK McCRABB/STAFF
Credit: RICK McCRABB/STAFF
The Rev. Elmon Prier, also being honored posthumously, died at age 78 on Easter Sunday 2025.
Prier, a native of Rhine, Ga., began his teaching career in 1969 with Middletown City Schools, where he taught for decades. He was an associate member of United Missionary Baptist Church and was as committed to ministry as he was to his students.
The basement of his Middletown home served as a counseling center and ministry that never closed. Community members sought his guidance at all hours.
Writer Rick McCrabb contributed to this report.
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The Louella Thompson Feed The Hungry Project works to combat hunger by providing meals, outreach and community support services to individuals and families in need.
Proceeds from Saturday’s gala at the Hard Rock Casino, 1000 Broadway St. in Cincinnati, will directly support the organization.
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