Published: July 19, 2008 11:30 pm         

YWCAhonors given to very deserving volunteers

THUMBS UP

Thumbs up to Louise Milacek and Tena Ruggia, who were honored last week by Enid YWCA.

Milacek is the group’s 2008 Woman of the Year, and Ruggia is Volunteer of the Year.

Milacek has been involved in a variety of activities throughout the years. She was a kindergarten teacher for 32 years, is a driving force in the Garfield County Master Gardeners program and has been project director for Enid Summer Chautauqua in the Park.

Ruggia volunteers as sexual assault victim advocate in YWCA’s women’s crisis center. She also is attending CASA training, is the Enid area chapter leader for Compassionate Friends and president of University Place Christian Church Disciples Women.

Congratulations to both. These honors are richly deserved.



THUMBS UP

Thumbs up to Jon Bellona and his creation, Run for the Fallen.

Bellona, of Clinton, N.Y., organized the run after his college roommate, Mike Cleary, was killed in 2005 in Iraq.

In Cleary’s honor, Bellona organized the effort to cross the United States, paying tribute to the servicemen and women who have died in Iraq. They started the run June 14 outside Fort Irwin, Calif., and will end up Aug. 24 at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C.

At each mile, the runners leave an American flag and a small placard telling a little about one of our fallen heroes.

Last week, they passed through northwest Oklahoma.



THUMBS UP

Advance Food Co. has joined several other individuals and organizations in providing $288,500 to Oklahoma State University to create an endowed animal science professorship.

Advance’s part of the donation comes to $125,000. When the money is matched by T. Boone Pickens’ $100 million chair match commitment and Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education the endowment will total more than $1.1 million.

Thumbs up to Advance Food for this generous donation.



THUMBS UP

Rescue workers often don’t get to find out what happens to the people they work so hard to save.

For a group of Enid rescue workers, last week was a great time. They got to see the little boy they kept from becoming a drowning statistic.

Colton Henkle, 5, was visiting Enid last December when he fell into a swimming pool of half-frozen water. He was pulled out by his father, and emergency responders took over from there.

Colton survived his ordeal and made a full recovery. It wouldn’t have been possible without the work of so many people, many of whom were honored at last week’s Enid City Commission meeting.

Congratulations on a job well done.