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NAG breakfast, development partnership golf outing, Community Action meeting, Kelly Miller Circus, writing club, Woofstock, dog wash, Lincoln Woman's Club, LCU Golf Scramble, Musical Offering for World Hunger, blood drive, Lunch and Learn, Together for Lincoln, Community Action LIHEAP applications, VFW essay competitions

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[September 19, 2012]  NAG annual breakfast Sunday in Elkhart

ELKHART -- The Needs and Goals organization will host its annual fundraiser breakfast Sunday at Hudson's Talk of the Town in Elkhart. Serving will begin at 8 a.m. and run until noon.

Donations will be accepted at the door. Carryouts will be available.

This year NAG is raising money for Christmas decorations for Main Street.

NAG is a not-for-profit organization that supports the needs of Elkhart residents and special projects within the community.


Date change for development partnership's night golf outing in Atlanta

The Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership fall fundraiser, which had been scheduled for this Friday at North Greens Golf Course in Atlanta, has been postponed to Sept. 28. The registration deadline has been moved to Sept. 25.

This is a night golf scramble with shotgun start at 7. The course will be lit with glow sticks by tee boxes, fairway markers, flags and holes. Hazards, such as water, will also be marked.

Prizes will be awarded for first- and second-place teams for longest drive, longest putt and closest to the pin.

The registration fee is $50 per person or $200 for a four-person team. The fee includes the nine-hole green fee, golf cart, one glow ball, one glow stick, one glow necklace per participant, two wristbands per cart and happy hour snacks.

Extra glow items will be available for purchase on check-in, as well as mulligans and alcoholic beverages.

Sponsorships are still available for hole sponsor, $100; putting green sponsor, $200; and happy hour sponsor, $400.

Those interested can contact the Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership at 217-732-8739 or see the partnership's website at www.lincolnlogan.com for more details and a registration form.

The Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership is a nonprofit charitable organization with the goals to develop new business, retain current business and enhance the quality of life in Lincoln and Logan County.


Community Action board meeting notice

The next regularly scheduled corporate board meeting of the Community Action Partnership is scheduled for Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be at Community Action's corporate offices, 1800 Fifth St. in Lincoln.

For transportation to the meeting, contact the resource specialist at your county office:

  • DeWitt County:
    Anita Russell, 217-935-2455

  • Logan County:
    Cyndi Campbell, 217-732-2159

  • Mason-Fulton County:
    Anna Richardson, 309-543-6988

  • Piatt County:
    Wendy Dotson, 217-762-2421


Tickets on sale now for Kelly Miller Circus

The Kelly Miller Circus is coming to Lincoln. The circus will roll into town on Oct. 6 to set up on the front lawn of the Best Western Plus on Lincoln Parkway and historic Route 66.

Everyone is invited to come out and watch the animals being unloaded and fed, as well as the elephants raising the big top. Activities will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the tent will be raised at 9 a.m. Throughout the day as setup continues, guides will be furnished for school groups and anyone attending.

The day will be filled with activities, all to raise funds for the preservation project for The Mill on 66, spearheaded by the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County.

The Railsplitter Antique Auto Club will once again host their annual cruise-in to support The Mill. The car show will be at the corner of Fifth Street and Lincoln Parkway between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The traditional, "old style" circus will present performances at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Circus tickets are now on sale at several locations throughout Lincoln. Beck's Travel Plaza, all State Bank of Lincoln branches, Kroger, the Information Station and the Best Western Plus all are selling adult tickets at $10 each and children's tickets at $6 each for the big event.

The circus promises to be more exciting than ever with many new acts and entertainers to amaze and amuse you. Come out and enjoy a day of fun-filled excitement.


Lincoln Writer's Club will meet Oct. 9

Lincoln Writer's Club will meet Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Alumni Room of the Lincoln College dining hall.

Suggested topics: story about autumn, harvest time or Halloween.

All are welcome.

For more info, call 732-2723.


'Woofstock' -- Humane Society fundraiser

Bring your furry friends and join Anytime Fitness and the Humane Society of Logan County at Kickapoo Creek Park on Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for "Woofstock." This is a furry friends and fitness fair fundraiser to benefit the Humane Society. Walk and shop with your pets and purchase items to help support the organization.

At the event there will be hound and human health vendors, face painting, games for kids, a balloon artist, hot dogs, chips and drinks.

There will also be contests and an auction. Auction items include a recliner from Jake's Furnishings, power tools from R.P. Lumber, a freezer from McEntire's Direct Maytag and many more. A raffle will also take place, and you do not have to be present to win.

For more information or to get involved, call Anytime Fitness at 217-732-1155.


Dog wash Saturday

The Humane Society of Logan County will have its last dog wash of the season on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Graue Inc., 1905 N. Kickapoo.

The event will be inside. Go behind the building to the Detail Shop.

Donations are accepted for the wash. Nail clipping is available for $7.


Lincoln Woman's Club meeting announcements

Steve Sauer, coordinator of Liftoff, a youth development program, will speak to members of the Lincoln Woman's Club during a 1 p.m. tea on Wednesday at the Woman's Club Building, 230 N. McLean St.

The Liftoff program is funded by the Woods Foundation and administered by the Academic Development Institute.

Devotions for the meeting will be given by Marilyn Maffett. Judy Lumpp and Mary Boatman will be greeters, and Judy Fairfield and Carol Farmer are in charge of social arrangements.

An activity day is planned for Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Members will accept donations from the community for the club's Operation Santa project for military personnel serving far from home. Donations of food items, toiletries, personal items and money for postage are being accepted.


LCU athletics to host golf scramble

The Lincoln Christian University Athletic Department will host its second annual Athletic Department Golf Scramble on Oct. 5 at the Lincoln Elks Golf Club. The shotgun start will be at 10 a.m.

Each participant's donation to the LCU Athletic Department will include 18 holes of golf with cart, meal, prizes and an update on the status of the athletic programs at LCU.

The cost is $75 per person and $300 per team.

The deadline for registration is Sept. 28. Participants can register and pay online or mail the registration form and check to:

Lincoln Christian University
Attn: Mac Ingmire
100 Campus View Drive
Lincoln, IL 62656

For more information, contact Mac Ingmire at 217-732- 3168, ext. 2224, or at mingmire@lincolnchristian.edu.


Lincoln Christian Church presents 20th Musical Offering for World Hunger

This year's Musical Offering for World Hunger will be on Oct. 14 at 2:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Christian Church sanctuary.

2012 marks the 20th year for the Musical Offering for World Hunger. Linda Storm and Tim Searby developed the idea for a "musical offering" in the early years of Harvest of Talents at Lincoln Christian Church for musicians to have a way to share their talents in helping to feed hungry people around the world.

Throughout the years the musical offering has included music from the masters to Broadway, and this year is no exception. The concert will include organ, piano, vocal solos and duets, choir, handbells and the H.O.T. vocal ensemble.

A freewill offering will be taken, and all proceeds will be given to Harvest of Talents to feed hungry and hurting people all over the world.

Participants this year are Linda Storm, Tim Searby, Gail King, Kay Dobson, Laurin Hill, Dinelle Frankland, Darrin Akin, Paula Landess, Deb Parker, LaVerne Tesh, Paula Knopp, Donnie Parker, Bev Kurka, Jennifer Ramsey, Barry King, Bob Kurka, Cheryl Baker, Rich Knopp, Mike Vernon, Lorna Searby, Randy Storm, Brenda Maddox, Julie King, Brandon Davis, Lincoln Christian Church Sanctuary Choir, John Stein, Zach Ramsey, Lincoln Christian Church Bell Choir and Jeremy Goeckner.

Immediately following the concert, the ministry team for Harvest of Talents for World Hunger will host a punch and homemade cookie reception in celebration of the 20th anniversary. Everyone attending the concert is invited to attend the reception, offering them an opportunity to express their appreciation to the musicians.

Harvest of Talents is celebrating 29 years of ministry, and the musicians involved in the musical offering are delighted to share their talents in support of this vital ministry.

 


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Upcoming blood drive in Logan County

To help ensure an adequate blood supply for the region, the Central Illinois Community Blood Center is offering another opportunity to donate blood in Logan County:

Thursday, Sept. 20

  • In Elkhart -- Christian Church, 113 S. Gillett; 3-6 p.m.

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.cicbc.org. Walk-ins are also welcome and truly appreciated.

Central Illinois Community Blood Center, a not-for-profit organization, is the provider of lifesaving 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 over 180,000 units of blood annually and serves 80 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.


'Lunch and Learn' Sept. 25 at Oasis Senior Center

The Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland, in cooperation with Senior Citizens of Logan County, has scheduled a "Lunch and Learn" program for informal caregivers of older adults and for grandparents and other relatives raising children. It will be at noon Sept. 25 at the Oasis Senior Center, 501 Pulaski St. in Lincoln.

Barbara Greenwood, of VRI -- with the motto "Be safe. Live well." -- will present "Minimizing the Risk of Falls in the Home by Implementing Simple Changes."

Lunch will be provided, and preregistration is required. There is no charge to attend.

This presentation is part of a series of Lunch and Learn programs. The goal of the series is to provide practical information that will help caregivers continue to provide quality care to others while maintaining balance in their own lives.

Informal caregivers are those unpaid individuals such as family members, friends and neighbors who provide assistance to someone who is to some degree incapacitated and in need of help with tasks such as grocery shopping, bill paying, cooking or personal care. Grandparents or other relatives raising grandchildren are those who have accepted primary responsibility for raising one or more children through age 18.

To register or to learn about this program, contact the Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland at 217-787-9234 or 800-252-2918.


Together for Lincoln seeking volunteers

As Together for Lincoln nears its Sept. 29 community service project day, it has plenty of projects to complete. In order to complete the projects, organizers are in need of several hundred more volunteers. These volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks, which range from visiting people in the nursing home to constructing wheelchair ramps. Of the 107 projects already submitted, about a third involve installation of windows for weatherization projects.

"This is the first year we have taken on weatherization projects, and we have been amazed by the response," said Norm Newhouse, Together for Lincoln president. "We need volunteers for all projects, but especially for carpentry projects such as window installation."

Newhouse went on to say that TFL would help to equip anyone with basic carpentry skills in order to prepare them to install windows.

"We are in dire need of expert carpenters, but we also really need those with basic to intermediate carpentry skills as well," he said.

While Together for Lincoln is no longer accepting applications for home improvement, volunteers are still being accepted. One of the volunteer coordinators, Caroline Higgins, requests that volunteers sign up as soon as possible, as the pairing of projects and workers will begin within the next week.

"Volunteer numbers are behind normal so far," says Higgins. "It will take several hundred more volunteers to complete all of the projects."

Those wishing to volunteer for any project area may do so by signing up at http://togetherforlincoln.com/
GetInvolved.aspx
, or they may pick up a paper application from the State Bank of Lincoln Wal-Mart location, Oasis Senior Center or through partner churches.

Together for Lincoln is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. In its four previous annual community service days, over 3,200 volunteers representing at least 15 area churches have worked together to complete more than 400 service projects.


Community Action utility assistance program begins

The Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois announced that Tuesday was the beginning of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP. Community Action administers the program, providing a one-time benefit toward utilities to eligible households in DeWitt, Logan, Mason, Menard and Piatt counties.

To qualify during the priority period of Sept. 4-28, individuals must have incomes of no more than 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Seniors or disabled residents can apply.

Beginning Oct. 1-31, accepted applications will be expanded to include households that have families with children under 5 and disconnected households.

All other households that meet the 150 percent federal poverty guidelines will be eligible for the program beginning Nov. 1 and will continue to May 31, 2013, or until all funds are depleted.

The amount of utility payment is determined by the household income, size, fuel type and geographic location in the state. Source of gas does not have to be natural gas or electricity in order to receive assistance. Payments are made directly to vendors on behalf of the households.

Interested participants can contact their local Community Action Agency Partnership of Central Illinois office to schedule an appointment:

  • Logan County: 217-732-2159, ext. 226

  • Menard County: 217-632-3878

  • Mason County: 309-543-6988

  • DeWitt County: 217-935-2455

  • Piatt County: 217-762-2421

Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois Agency serves low-income, disabled and elderly households in six central Illinois counties. For more information, visit www.capcil.org.


Local student could win $5,000 in college money

Commanders of Veterans of Foreign Wars posts across Illinois have announced the kickoff of this year's VFW and Ladies Auxiliary "Patriot's Pen" essay competition. Middle school students in grades six to eight in this area have the opportunity to compete in the annual competition and win thousands of dollars.

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/
.


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