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Students are invited to write a 300-
to 400-word essay on a patriotic theme. The theme for 2012-2013,
which is the 18th year of the contest, is: "What I Would Tell
America's Founding Fathers."
Students begin by competing at the
local post level. Post winners advance to district, and district
winners participate in the state competition. The state winners
compete for $46,000 in awards, and first place wins $5,000.
Each year, around 126,000 students
participate nationwide.
Deadline for student entries is
Nov. 1. Interested students and teachers should contact their local
VFW post for more information.
For details, visit
http://www.vfw.org/Community/Patriot-s-Pen/.
 Local
high school student could win trip to Washington, DC, and $30,000
scholarship
Commanders of Veterans of Foreign Wars posts across Illinois have
announced the kickoff of the 66th year of the VFW and Ladies
Auxiliary Voice of Democracy Scholarship competition. Local high
school students have the opportunity to compete for thousands of
dollars in scholarships and a trip to Washington, D.C.
The Voice of Democracy Scholarship contest is an annual
nationwide audio essay competition designed to give ninth- to
12th-grade high school students, ages 15-19, an opportunity to voice
their opinion on their responsibility to our country. Home-schooled
students are also invited to participate.
Students must write and record a three- to five-minute essay on
this theme for 2012-2013: "Is Our Constitution Still Relevant?" The
recording is to be on an audio cassette tape or audio CD. Students
competing enter their recording, typed essay and entry form at their
local VFW post. The deadline is Nov. 1.
Post winners advance to district judging, and then the
first-place district winners advance to the state competition in
Springfield. All state winners receive a four-day trip to
Washington, D.C.
A total of $152,000 is awarded to national finalists. First place
is a $30,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American
university, college or vocational-technical school.
Annually the VFW provides more than $2.3 million in scholarships.
Around 50,000 students participate in the competition each year.
The Voice of Democracy contest was started by the National
Association of Broadcasters in the late 1940s, and the VFW became
involved in the late 1950s. The VFW took over primary sponsorship in
1961, when the broadcasters could no longer sponsor the program
nationally. Then in 1964, the VFW Ladies Auxiliary joined in
sponsorship of the program.
Because of the active program promotion and participation, the
national scholarship funds have steadily increased from four
national winners in 1962, with total scholarships of $3,750, to the
current level of 63 national scholarships totaling $152,000.
For more information about the Voice of Democracy competition,
contact the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in your area. If you are
unsure of the post in your area, contact Illinois VFW headquarters
in Springfield at 217-529-6688.
For more information, visit
http://www.vfw.org/
Community/Voice-of-Democracy/.
Class
of 1957 news
The Lincoln Community High
School Class of 1957 invites the Classes of 1956 and 1958 to a reunion mixer
on Friday, Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus.
Upcoming
blood drive
To help ensure an adequate blood supply for the region, the Central Illinois
Community Blood Center is offering opportunities to donate blood in Lincoln
before Labor Day weekend. Friday, Aug. 31
For your convenience, call toll-free 1-866-GIVE-BLD
(1-866-448-3253), ext 158, to sign up, or schedule an appointment
online at
www.bloodcenterimpact.org. Walk-ins are also welcome and truly
appreciated.
Central Illinois Community Blood Center, a not-for-profit
organization, is the provider of life-saving blood for 12 hospitals
throughout central Illinois, including Memorial Medical Center and
St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. CICBC is a division of the
Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, which collects more than
180,000 units of blood annually and serves 80 hospitals in Illinois,
Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.
Lincoln
Writer's Club next meeting Sept. 11
Lincoln Writer's Club will meet Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 6:30 in the Alumni
Room of the Lincoln College dining hall. Suggested topics: a story using your
favorite food as the main character; a winter mishap; or a proud
achievement.
All are welcome.
For information, call 732-2723.
Humane investigator training program
The Humane Society of Logan County is now
accepting applications for its humane investigator training program.
Classes, which are the first step to
becoming licensed to investigate cases of abuse, neglect or cruelty,
are scheduled to begin soon. The classes are designed to prepare
candidates for taking the state licensing test.
People interested in interviewing
for the training program to become a humane investigator should call
Wanda Stevens at 217-648-2703 or email
wstevens@ccaonline.com.
Annual
Grandparent Breakfast Sept. 9
The annual Grandparent Breakfast
sponsored by the Oasis Senior Center will be at the American Legion
in Lincoln on Sunday, Sept. 9. The hours for the breakfast are 8 to
11 a.m.
Everyone is invited to come out and
enjoy a great meal and bid on a special pie at the silent auction.
Tickets will be available at the
door.
Lincoln
Pregnancy Resource Center's Rock 4 Life event
A five-hour charity "rock-a-thon" is planned for Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3
p.m. at the Lincoln Christian University Restoration Hall, The Dowling
Auditorium. The Rock 4 Life
event will benefit the Lincoln Pregnancy Resource Center. Entertainment and refreshments will be provided throughout the day,
and there will be a prize for the top rocker.
Planners are looking
for captains to organize teams, with each team made up of five
rockers -- family, friends, co-workers, neighbors -- one for each
hour in the Rock 4 Life. Every rocker in the team collects donations
for the hour they rock.
Are you ready to rock? Call Linda Nelson or Amanda Stidham at
217-735-4838 or email them at
lincoln@hopeforafuture.com.
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Mothers
of Preschoolers starting up in Atlanta
ATLANTA -- If you are the mother of a child
from birth through kindergarten, Mothers of Preschoolers, or MOPS, is the
group for you. It's a place for moms to connect with other moms of
preschool-aged children. It's a place to experience mothering support,
personal growth and spiritual hope while meeting new friends.
The group will have its first
meeting on Sept. 5 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Atlanta Christian
Church. Meetings will be on the first and third Wednesday of each
month from September through May.
MOPS encourages moms to value
mothering, whether they are working or stay-at-home moms. The group
helps to equip each participant as a mother, woman and leader to be
the best mom possible.
A typical meeting will involve
mothers dropping off their children in the nursery, where they will
be cared for by volunteers. Then the mothers will be free to enjoy
time with the other moms. The meeting will start with refreshments
and conversation. Then there will be a speaker, presentation or
demonstration on a variety of topics. There will also be a craft
project, just for fun, while the moms get to know each other. The
meeting will conclude with small group time, when the moms are
divided into smaller groups for discussion time to get to know one
another better.
Simply put, MOPS is a safe place
where moms can go and know that they are not alone in their
mothering journey. MOPS provides resources and even mentor moms
(moms who have "been there and done that") to help along the way.
For registration information,
contact Melissa Smith at 217-520-9516 or the Atlanta Christian
Church.
Hunter
safety course to be offered at Mount Pulaski
MOUNT PULASKI -- The Mount
Pulaski American Legion will be the location for a two-day hunter safety
training course. The classes will be on Sept. 14 from 6 to 10 p.m. and on
Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A noontime meal will be served on
Sept. 15. For anyone under
the age of 16 wishing to attend, they must be accompanied by a
second party who is at least 16 or older.
Reservations for the class can be
made by calling 217-792-5658.
There is no charge for this class.
Elkhart
Historical Society presents 'An Enchanted Evening at the Cro'Hurst
Mansion'
ELKHART -- The Elkhart Historical Society concludes its summer
events program with an evening on Elkhart Hill. "An Enchanted
Evening at the Cro'hurst Mansion" is planned for Sept. 9 from 5 to 8
p.m.
The event will include finger foods, drink and music as attendees
immerse themselves in the late-summer beauty of Elkhart Hill.
Those who attended last year enjoyed a memorable evening as they
visited with friends and neighbors. This is a perfect way to say
goodbye to the long, hot summer.
The cost is $30 per person.
Call 217-947-2238 for reservations; then download a
reservation form from the Elkhart Historical Society website,
www.elkharthistoricalsociety.org, or pick one up at
Horsefeathers in Elkhart.
For further information, contact Gillette Ransom at 217-947-2238
or email Gini Bertoni
gini.bertoni@yahoo.com.
Register now for 2nd annual Moving Forward 5K
Registration is open for
the second annual Moving Forward 5K Run/Walk, scheduled for Oct. 13 at
Edward R. Madigan State Park. At 9 a.m., rain or shine, walkers and runners
of all fitness levels will take off on a route that meanders through
grassland and woodland. All are encouraged to join friends and family and
enjoy the fall scenery while being active. The event is brought to the community
by the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation and Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Hospital's Sportscare.
Runners and walkers can register
online at:
https://almh.proeventreg.com/
movingforward#register.
For those who register before Sept.
15, there is a discounted registration of $20, which includes a
men's or women's dry-fit race shirt. After Sept. 15, the
registration fee will increase to $25. Shirts are not guaranteed for
late registrants.
"Our mission is to improve the
health of the people and communities we serve, and what better way
than through exercise," said Todd Mourning, physical therapist and
manager of rehab services at ALMH. "I hope that this event
encourages people of all fitness levels to get moving forward
towards good health."
The event's lead sponsor is
Gehlbach Law, PC. Other sponsors are Blue Dog Inn, Clinical
Radiologists, Eaton Corp., Nikles Chevrolet, Nobbe Eye Care, Linda
Barrick at Brady Realtors and Tracy Olson Insurance Agency.
The Abraham Lincoln Healthcare
Foundation will use proceeds from the Moving Forward 5K Run/Walk to
support community wellness programs.
Sportscare at ALMH is a full-service
athletic training program for young athletes and active adults.
Services include performance enhancement, injury prevention,
concussion management, training zone programs, high-tech knee and
shoulder treatment, and more.
For more information about the
Moving Forward 5K event, call the rehabilitation department at ALMH
at 217-605-5500.
Community
Action Head Start Logan County recruitment
Community Action Head Start, a free program for income
eligible-families with children from birth to age 5, is recruiting
in Logan County for the 2012-2013 program year.
Head Start is a federally funded preschool program that serves
income-eligible families and children between the ages of 3 and 5
years. Logan County Head Start provides center-based preschool
services and runs during the school year, beginning Aug. 27.Early
Head Start is a child development program that serves
income-eligible children and families including pregnant mothers,
infants and toddlers up to age 3. Early Head Start provides
home-based services throughout Logan County and runs the full
calendar year, beginning Aug. 27.
Children do not have to have a
disability to qualify. The program welcomes all eligible children.
Additional services, including screenings and access to medical,
dental, vision services are what set Head Start apart from other
child development and preschool programs. Transportation is
available to children and families to participate and receive full
benefit of the program.
To apply for Head Start or Early Head Start, contact Brittany
Feese or Cathy McIntosh, family partnership specialists, at
217-732-3448, or Leticia Cook or Amber Wright, family partnership
specialists, at 217-732-2159.
The following documentation is
required to complete the application:
-
Completed 2011 tax
forms or W-2
-
Copy of child's
birth certificate or medical card
-
Proof of Social Security, TANF and cash
assistance (if you receive it)
Logan County Community Action Head Start is sponsored by the
Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois, which serves the
low-income and senior populations of six Illinois counties. For more
information, visit www.capcil.org
or
facebook.com/capcil.
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