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The ADVANCE, August 31, 2022/Page 2A
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NUTRITION AND WELLNESS GRANT — Vidalia High School received a $4,990 grant for its
Consumer Science courses. L to R: VHS Consumer Science Teacher Amanda Mosley;
VHS Assistant Principal Eric McDonald; VHS Teacher Amy Gilles; Rural Health Works,
Inc,/Community Health Works Director of Programs Ursula Spence.
VHS Nutrition/Wellness
Class Receives Grant
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The Vidalia High
School (VHS) Food
Nutrition and Wellness
Class has been awarded a
$4,990 grant from Rural
Health Works, Inc./Com
munity Health Works in
Macon.
Consumer Science
Instructor Amanda Mose-
ly has been teaching the
subject for three years
and said that the money
received in this grant will
be used to create a class
room environment that
provides hands-on experi
ences and individualized
knowledge about each
student’s overall health
and fitness.
“Upon completion of
my first year in this posi
tion, I realized that a large
number of high school
students do not put much
thought into what they
eat, or prioritize their
physical fitness,” she ex
plained. “For most of my
students, food choice is
heavily reliant on con
venience and price. This
grant will enhance my
curriculum and students’
knowledge of their overall
wellness and physical fit
ness.”
Mosely previously ap
plied for two mini-grants
in November with the
help of Ursula Spence,
Director of Programs for
the Rural Health Works,
Inc./Community Health
Works. She received the
first of these mini-grants,
which totaled $450, over
the summer and used
the funding for the class
garden. Mosely says that
Spence reached out to
her later in the summer
to let her know her sec
ond grant for $4,990 had
been approved. This grant
is being used to purchase
equipment and products
geared to promote healthy
nutrition and exercise
taught in two of the sub
ject’s classes.
Each semester, 35 stu
dents participate in each
of the 2 classes within the
subject area, which focus
on exercise and nutrition
through various eras of
life.
L to R: Jeffrey Harden, STC President Larry Calhoun, and Brandon Boston.
First Meeting for Two
New STC Board Members
Two new Board of Di
rectors members attended
their first Southeastern
Technical College (STC)
board meeting last week.
Brandon Boston, J.D.
Dickerson Primary School
Principal, joins the board as
representation for Toombs
County. Boston moved to
Toombs County in 2014
and has spent the last seven
years working with Vidalia
City Schools.
“I look forward to serv
ing on the board and help
ing the community,” said
Boston.
Jeffrey Harden, Chief
Nursing Officer at Memo
rial Health Meadows Hos
pital for the last five years,
will represent Toombs
County.
“Our hospital has had
a close relationship with
Southeastern Tech for
many years and we value
the education Southeast
ern provides,” said Harden.
Board members are se
lected from a wide variety
of occupations, businesses,
schools, and industries
across STC’s service area of
eight counties to have in
put from all communities.
The new members
will be sworn in during the
September board meet
ing. They will also attend
the upcoming Technical
College System of Georgia
(TCSG) Leadership Con
ference in Savannah, where
they will attend the Techni
cal College Directors Asso
ciation (TCDA) session to
further orient themselves
with the latest updates and
offerings of technical edu
cation. The TCDA work
shops during the two-day
conference will earn them
board certification.
For more informa
tion on STC, visit www.
southeastemtech.edu or
call (912) 538-3100 (Vi
dalia) or (478) 289-2200
(Swainsboro).
Altamaha Down Syndrome Society
To Host Area’s First Buddy Walk
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
INSPIRED BY HER DAUGHTER — Altamaha Down Syn
drome Society Founder Stacie Randolph, above, said
she was inspired to create the organization in honor of
her daughter, Brantley Grace, shown in Stacie's lap, who
has Down Syndrome, but the group is designed to sup
port all special needs individuals within the area.
The Altamaha Down
Syndrome Society will
be hosting its first official
event on Saturday, Octo
ber 1, as the group holds
a Buddy Walk for All Spe
cial Needs individuals.
The walk will begin on
the Montgomery County
Courthouse Square in
Mount Vernon.
“A Buddy Walk is ba
sically an event for every
one to come together and
show their support for the
special needs communi
ty,” ADSS Founder Stacie
Randolph explained. “It
really unites everyone and
reminds us that differenc
es aren’t something to be
afraid of.”
Randolph began the
organization alongside her
daughter Makaylee and
other parents of children
with Special Needs last
fall after discovering that
there was not a very active
organization for these in
dividuals in the area.
“I have become a huge
advocate for the special
needs community after my
youngest daughter Brant
ley Grace was born with
Down Syndrome,” she re
marked. “For the past sev
eral years, we have loaded
up and attended Buddy
Walks and events for the
special needs community
in places like Savannah. I
thought it was time that
we have that kind of sup
port and advocacy here in
our own backyard.”
She also shared that
though the name of the
organization refers to
Down Syndrome, the
group is focused on help
ing individuals with all
sorts of special needs. “We
named it the Altamaha
Down Syndrome Society
after being inspired to ad
vocate for this population
through Brantley Grace,”
Randolph added. “How
ever, this community is
small, so we want to make
sure that all special needs
are included.”
Currently, the ADSS
is working to raise funds
to be able to provide these
individuals with opportu
nities they may not other
wise have. “A lot of times,
these kids are limited in
their activities because
of things like sensory is
sues,” Randolph said.
“We want to be able to
rent out places, like movie
theatres or roller-skating
rinks, so that we can help
to tune down the sensory
overload and allow these
people to bond and enjoy
activities. We also want to
provide resources to doc
tor’s offices so that when
a child is diagnosed with
special needs or a preg
nant woman finds out her
unborn baby may have
special needs, they have
an experienced parent to
talk to.”
The group is hold
ing this Buddy Walk as a
part of that fundraising
and plans to also use it as
an opportunity to bring
the community together.
“We are so excited about
October 1,” Randolph em
phasized. “It’s going to be
a great time to meet new
friends and bond, as well
as enjoy some fun activi
ties.” She said the event
will begin with an Open
ing Ceremony and 1-mile
walk to the festival area,
where participants can
shop from vendors, enjoy
kids’ activities, and fellow
ship.
For more informa
tion on the Buddy Walk
for All Special Needs, visit
the Altamaha Down Syn
drome Society Facebook
page, or contact Randolph
at (912) 253-3356. The
event is currently accept
ing registration for ven
dors, sponsors, volunteers,
and participants.
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