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“We had many of our students place in the top 10 in their categories at the North Carolina competition, but these young ladies rightfully won a place in the nationals by qualifying in the top three in their particular event,” said Tona Turner, head of Ledford’s HOSA education. Combs, Whitney Davis and Abbey Davis combined on a March of Dimes related project, in which they educated people in the Thomasville-High Point area about ways to prevent birth defects. Specifically, these high school seniors pointed out how folic acid and vitamins can help prevent stinovisida and anacephaly. The first is when a child is born with an open spine and the second causes the baby to be born with only part of a brain. A child with anacephaly rarely lives longer than a few weeks. For her project, Luoma prepared a scrapbook documenting the many activities the Ledford HOSA group was involved in. Chandler took a nutrition test and placed third out of about 60 contestants. Smith finished second in her competition, which involved extemporaneous writing on a health-related subject that was unknown to the contestants until shortly before it was time to start writing. The group is still raising funds for the Dallas trip. Candy bars and T-shirts are for sale by the students. The HOSA T-shirts have the names of all 202 Ledford HOSA students on them. “I’m really excited about going to Dallas,” Turner said. “All six of our national contestants aspire to further their work in a university setting.” Smith is headed to the University of South Carolina. She plans to become a pediatric geneticist. Chandler is going to Meredith College, where she will study nutrition and minor in biology. Luoma will major in biology at High Point University and plans to seek a career in pediatrics. Combs also will be studying biology at High Point and will concentrate on pre-medical studies. Whitney Davis is going to the College of Charleston and plans to eventually become a physician’s assistant. Abbey Davis will major in biology at Appalachian State University and is interested in becoming a pediatrician. “They’re a wonderful group of young ladies,” Turner said of the national contestants. Turner is also proud of the fact that Ledford has the largest HOSA program of any 2A high school in North Carolina. Out of about 1,100 students, 202 of them are involved with HOSA. “HOSA is one of the fastest growing programs we have in our school and our system,” said Bill Butts, Ledford’s principal. “I’m proud of these kids. They see something they can get involved with at a very young age.” Butts gave a lot of the credit to Turner. “We have so many students involved in HOSA because of the leadership of Mrs, Turner and her colleagues,” he said. “She is definitely an example of an educator in it for the student. The knowledge she learned from her previous career has certainly helped her in the teaching field.” Prior to teaching, Turner had been a nurse. “I really believe in the HOSA program,” Turner said. “Not only does it teach the students in the classroom, but it gives them a chance to go out in the community in a variety of health care settings and find out, firsthand, what goes on in the workplace.” Turner also believes in the Ledford class of 2008. “This senior class is just so gifted,” she said. “I’m going to miss them.” Staff Writer Kevin Reid can be reached at 472-9500, or at reid@tvilletimes.com. | ||
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DREAMS COME TRUE
Bell, who is now 2 and a half years old, was diagnosed with a malignant brain stem tumor at the age of nine months. The tumor, deemed treatable, but not curable by medical personnel, will be a lifelong affliction for the young Bell. To date she has gone through more than a year of chemotherapy and radiation treatments; however, her parents say she doesn’t mind going to the doctors’ offices and hospitals. “It’s just something she has gotten used to doing,” said mother Wendy Bell. Luckily, this past February, doctors found that the tumor is shrinking. Because of this, Bell was given a break from treatment until mid-May, during which time she and her family took the opportunity to have one of her dreams come true through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. That dream being to meet the three princesses of Disney World and Pooh Bear. Bell and her family came into contact with the foundation through the children’s hospital this past December and on the week of March 22 through March 28, Bell got to make the trip down with her parents; grandmother; brother, Derek; and sister, Christina, to Kissemmee, Fla. to make her wish come true. During the course of the week, the family stayed at Give the Kids the World Resort, a nonprofit resort for children with life-threatening illnesses, which offers beautiful accommodations, free pizza and ice cream almost around the clock and a six-foot tall rabbit named Clayton as the mayor. The family visited many of the famed theme parks in the area, including the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios), Animal Kingdom, Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and Sea World. “I rode rides and the carousel,” said Cora of her time at the theme parks. However, the real magic for her came when she finally got to meet the princesses and Pooh Bear. Bell got to have a private meeting and the unique opportunity to have her picture taken with all three princesses at the same time. Parents, Wendy and William Bell, felt the vacation was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. With the amount of time Cora has to be in therapy and check-ups, the family rarely gets to spend time together. “We are always being pulled in different directions and this vacation gave us the chance to have some carefree time as a family,” said William. Both parents also praised how special the foundation made them feel. All accommodations, travel expenses, theme park tickets and food were covered. In addition, Bell got to wear a button that signified that she was a Make-a-Wish child. “With that button, we all got to be at the front of the line for the various rides and really got special treatment all around,” said Wendy. “We would recommend the foundation to anyone who is eligible to participate. It was really a wonderful experience.” The foundation, which was started in 1980 after a young boy named Chris Greicius realized his heartfelt wish to become a police officer, has now become one of the world’s most well-known charities, having granted some 161,000 wishes to date. To learn more about the foundation, inquire to participate or volunteer, check out their website at www.wish.org. | ||
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Lexington Youth Theatre to perform 'Bye Bye Birdie
“To see this play is seeing young people from this area do some really fine work,” said Emily Harris, president emeritus of Lexington Youth Theatre and director of the play. “People are so critical of young people, but this is a chance to support them.” “Bye Bye Birdie” was a popular Broadway play in the late 1950s, which was made into an equally popular movie in the early ‘60s. It centered around a teen-idol character called Conrad Birdie. Conrad Birdie was a play-on-words with Conway Twitty, who was a teen idol in those days (before he became a country music star), but most people considered Birdie to be an Elvis Presley characature. Playing the part of Birdie in the Lexington Youth play is Jesse Herndon, a 15-year-old who attends Central Davidson High School. “It’s really fun, but this part makes me feel a little bit awkward,” Herndon said. “I’m not really used to all the girls fainting and screaming when I walk by.” Another key role in the production is handled by Jaleel Cheek, who plays the part of Birdie’s manager. “This will be my last play, because I’m a senior,” Cheek said. “This play is fun, but I wish I could dance more.” Cheek, who is headed this fall to UNC-Greensboro, where he will major in theatrical dance, performs some tap-dancing in the play, which is his fifth for Lexington Youth Theatre. “Jaleel Cheek is one of the most talented young people we’ve ever had,” Harris said. “He is just a natural. Most musicals don’t require much acting, but this one does and he has taken it and run with it.” A Thomasville veteran of Lexington Youth Theatre plays is Ryan Jones, who played the Wizard in last year’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.” In this play, Jones plays a father of one of the teenagers in the play. “My character is very upset with the younger generation,” Jones said. “He even sings a song about how much trouble kids are.” Jones attends Westchester Country Day School, where his mother is school librarian. The 14-year-old’s father is music minister at Rich Fork Baptist Church. “It’s been a lot of fun,” the younger Jones said of the four plays he’s been in for Lexington Youth Theatre. “Every show we do is different than the last.” This is the first play for Cassie Campbell, another 14-year-old living in Thomasville. Campbell plays the part of a stage manager and sings in the chorus. “Being involved with Lexington Youth Theatre has been a lot of fun,” Campbell said. “It’s a great way to meet new people. I’m definitely going to try out for the next play, whenever it is.” Thanks to Harris, Kathy Young, who is assistant director for “Bye Bye Birdie, and others, youth in Davidson County and surrounding areas have been having fun since 1983. Harris, Young and their co-founders loved theater and wanted to give children in this area a chance to learn about it and participate in it. “My son, who was 9 years old, 25 years ago, was very shy before he got up on stage,” Young said. “He hasn’t stopped talking since. Harris has seen many other examples of how participating in the play is good for a young person’s self esteem. “If anybody can come out of a play with more confidence than they went in with, then we have accomplished our goal,” Harris said. “Whether they interview for college, interview for a job or speak in front of a large gathering, this experience will give them a heads-up.” Tickets for the show are $8. They can be purchased at the door, from a cast member or by calling 313-6159. Customers are asked to bring a can of food, which will be passed along to the Pastor’s Pantry. There are other events, surrounding the play. On Friday, March 28, a family sock-hop is being held at Rich Fork Baptist Church, from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. Tickets are $5 and participants are encouraged to wear ‘50s style of dress as they dance to the ‘50s music. It will feature a dance contest, costume contest and silent auction of affordable items. In addition, participants are being recruited for the Elvis impersonation contests, being held before the three evening plays. Thursday night will be for kids under 18 and Fridays will feature contestants 18 and over. Contestants supply their own wardrobe and music. Saturday night will showcase the top three from each of the previous two nights. More information on the play, the sock-hop and the contests can be found at www.lexingtonyouththeatre.com. Becky Marsh is the musical director for “Bye Bye Birdie” and Ellen Shoaf is the choreographer. “These young people have dedicated a huge amount of time for the production,” Harris said. “We have a great adult backing and a super board.” Staff Writer Kevin Reid can be reached at 472-95900, ext. 230, or at reid@tvilletimes.com. | ||
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Liberty Drive celebrates Dr. Seuss' birthday
Widely-known as author of classic children’s books, such as “The Cat in the Hat,” and “Green Eggs and Ham,” Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, penned and illustrated 44 children’s books, many of which were turned into animated television specials. His work earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 1984, as well as three Academy Awards. Dr. Seuss died nearly 17 years ago, yet his legacy lives on through the laughter and enjoyment his books still bring to children, and programs such as Read Across America. Liberty Drive Media Center Coordinator Pamela Turner said Dr. Seuss’s unique way of writing words and verses gets students excited about reading. “It gives them an insight into word usage, with rhyming of words, the various fun words he made into a funny sentence. They learn about reading through funny rhymes.” It’s books such as his that help lead children to a love of reading. “It’s very important for reading to be in their curriculum at Liberty Drive because you can do anything if you know how to read,” said Turner. “The children react with excitement and enjoyment at having a community leader visit their classroom.” Susie Truell, Thomasville City Schools Board of Education Chair and Liberty Drive volunteer, helps celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday and the Reading Across America program by donning her colorful “Cat in the Hat” costume — painted whiskers and all. Susie has been a very conscientious and dedicated leader at Liberty Drive School,” Turner said. “She is sincerely interested in helping our students get an education.” More commonly known as “Maw” at the school, Truell enjoys the interaction between local leaders and students during Reading Across America day. “I like to get the community involved with our city schools,” Truell said. “Reading Across America gives our children the opportunity to meet our local city and government officials when they volunteer with the school system. “Meeting our local dignitaries, such as the mayor, city council members, fire chief, police chief, county commissioners and sheriff really excites and motivates our students.” After guests read their favorite Dr. Seuss book aloud, students had the opportunity to ask questions of their guest. Community leaders participating in this year’s program were: Jimmy Chalflinch; City Council members David Yemm, Raleigh York Jr., Scott Styers, Pat Harris Shelton and Ricky Murphy; Kim Coltrane; Marge “Grandma” Hammond; Jessica Dreher; Chris Woods; Doug Croft, Thomasville Area Chamber of Commerce president; Thomasville Police Chief Ronald Bratton; Mayor Joe Bennett and his wife Carolyn; Ruby Beasley; Liberty Drive Principal Jeanne Croft; Dolly Hulin, Thomasville Fire Department Life and Public Safety Coordinator; Davidson County Sheriff David Grice; County Commissioner Billy Joe Kepley; Thomasvile City Sschools (TCS) Superintendent Dr. Daniel Cockman; TCS Asstistant Superintendent Keith Tobin; Thomasville High Sschool Principal Dirk Gurley; Edith Kindley; Tammy Stromko; Marie Culbreth, former city council member; Luz Lambeth; Mike Lambeth; and Truell. Editor Lisa Wall can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 229, or at editor@tvilletimes.com. |
