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Riders rev up for Red Cross
Published April 3, 2006
When area motorcycle enthusiasts get together to rev their collective engines for a good cause, it’s music to the ears of those in need, as well as the agencies entrusted with their care.
Toy runs and school supply drives are traditional philanthropic staples for the riders, but March 26 they also marked their third year of riding to aid the Red Cross as about 170 motorcycles roared through the county on a warm, windy Sunday.
The event, sponsored by the Brazosport Harley Owners Group and Goe Cycles, raised a record $5,445 for the county chapter.
On the heels of a 2005 that saw the United Way stretched to the limit because of hurricane evacuations, the donations couldn’t come at a better time, said Brazoria County Red Cross Executive Director Toni Klasel. The United Way pays for about 64 percent of the county Red Cross chapter’s services.
She said the Red Cross provides a number of services, including helping evacuees of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, keeping military families in touch with their loved ones, providing support to fire victims and offering classes in safety, first aid and baby-sitting.
The community spirit shown by the motorcyclists who take part in the rides deserves plaudits, she said.
“It’s a tremendous help,” Klasel said. “You can’t ask for any better people than the motorcycle riders around here.”
Head Start volunteers recognized with awards
Head Start is all about leveling the playing field for preschool children from low-income families.
One of the true success stories among federal programs, it more than pays for itself by helping to break cycles of poverty through education.
Those countless successes and the many volunteers who help make them possible were the focus at Head Start and Early Head Start of Brazoria County’s 23rd annual banquet. The 1960s theme had the Angleton Knights of Columbus hall dotted with Afros and rainbow-hued, tie-dyed shirts.
But more than just about the look, the March 23 event also took the crowd back to a time when civil rights leaders were fighting for equality, the core value at the foundation of Head Start.
The banquet was a time to say thank you to people like Maria Alvarez, who has volunteered at the organization’s Alvin Center for 13 years, serving as a bus monitor, classroom helper and kitchen helper — all while battling brain tumors. Alvarez received the Friend of Head Start and Early Head Start Award.
Volunteers of the year were named for the county’s seven Head Start centers. They were: Natosha Solis, Alvin; Jessica Cantu, Angleton; Tomasa Perez, Brazoria; Nornell Hudson, Freeport; Yvonne Ramirez, Lake Jackson; Bridget Giles, Pearland; and Terrie West, Sweeny.
Since the organization focuses on learning, it was only appropriate that scholarship winners were named as well: Chikee Hobbs, Head Start Parent Scholarship; Shaakira Haire, Early Head Start Scholarship; and Kristin Weeks, Memorial Scholarship.
About 10,000 children have participated in the local Head Start program in the past 31 years, said Bob Garcia, board president-emeritus of the Child Development Council of Brazoria County.
He called it one of the most successful programs in the state, and said one of the reasons is because of the leadership of Executive Director Evelyn Moore.
Moore, her staffers, volunteers and families who take part all deserve praise for their efforts.
Sweeny hospital prepares for WMDs
The in-service program recently instituted at Sweeny Community Hospital is a sign of the times, according to David Filipp, the director for Sweeny/West Brazos EMS.
He recently relayed information acquired at a U.S. Department of Homeland Sercurity-sponsored weapons of mass destruction seminar to 10 hospital staff members. They learned about harmful agents and how to handle patients, as well as their roles in combatting disaster in the event of a WMD release.
“You will never see a mosquito sprayer in the same way,” Filipp told the hospital’s first in-service class March 23. “It’s unfortunate you have to think like that, but it is good that we are going to be prepared and we have a plan. You are only as good as your plan.”
All of the hospital’s 120 medical professionals are required to attend one of the training sessions that will take place throughout the year, but Filipp said he hopes other staff members will elect to attend as well.
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