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The ADVANCE, September 27, 2023/Page 9A
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
GENEROSITY LIKE NO OTHER - Chairman Chris Hopkins said that the generosity and
volunteer effort of the Greater Vidalia community is unlike anything he has seen be
fore, as he addressed the REACH program volunteers before they divided into teams,
choosing names and individual goals. L to R: Greater Vidalia Chamber Chair-Elect
Stephanie Williams, Ben Allen, Pam Fountain, Angela Lane, Jennifer Crutchfield, Pete
Frost, and 2023 REACH Chair Chris Hopkins,
REACH Announces $265,000 Goal
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The Greater Vidalia
Chamber REACH Cam
paign officially kicked off
on Thursday September
21, as volunteers met to
determine their individual
team goals and names.
Each year, the Cham
ber raises funding for the
upcoming year through the
REACH campaign, which
allows businesses to pur
chase memberships, spon
sorships, and event tickets
for the numerous events
that the organization will
hold throughout the up
coming year. Last year,
the Chamber set a record,
gathering over $233,000,
which was $8,000 over the
$225,000 goal.
“We are just getting
started and you are already
in the home stretch moving
toward that goal,” Cham
ber Chair-Elect Stephanie
Williams told the volun
teers. “It is really, really im
pressive. I can’t wait to see
where we end up this year.”
She emphasized that
having been both a Cham
ber Board member and a
small business owner she
learned the true value of
being involved with the
REACH Program. “This
is awesome,” Williams re
marked. “Sometimes, small
business owners are doing
a little bit of everything,
and it’s a lot to keep up
with where we can spend
our dollars the best and
how we can help out and
be a part of the communi
ty. We are always struggling
with that, and this REACH
program allows me and
other small business own
ers to sit down and do it all
at one time and really build
on how we want to give and
support the chamber.”
“Then, I got on the
Board and got another per
spective,” she added. “As
a Board member, what I
am seeing now is that the
REACH program really
frees up the staff and Board
members to do what they
need to be doing, and it al
lows us to draw from peo
ple in the community that
really share our vision and
support what we’re doing.”
Williams reminisced
on the past years for
REACH, as the program
began in 2019 with a goal
of $145,000, which was
exceeded by $5,000. Since
then, the program has
grown, and currently, at the
beginning of the 2023 cam
paign, almost the entirety
of the goal has been raised.
Chris Hopkins, 2023
REACH Program Chair
man, also spoke on this
year’s success so far. “Ap
pointing me for chair of a
program like this is about
the same as me being the
man holding the steering
wheel of a rocket ship. I am
really not in control - you
are in control,” he told the
volunteers. “What you’re
doing is awesome.”
Hopkins shared that
the group has already met
76% of this year’s goal - a
feat which has never been
accomplished before.
“These are race horses —
the Chamber itself, this
community, and the vol
unteer leadership. I’ve said
it many times, but in this
community the volunteer
effort people put forth -
whether it’s United Way or
something like this - I’ve
never seen anything like it.
It’s good to be a part of it, to
just be able to be associated
with you and the volunteer
effort you do.”
Hopkins offered his
help in making contacts
with others throughout
the program, and encour
aged the group to continue
to move forward with the
same enthusiasm which
they had shown thus far.
At the end of the kick
off, the volunteers divided
into teams to choose their
team names and individual
team goals, which were an
nounced at the end of the
event.
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DISTRICT YOUNG FARMERS AWARD - Montgomery County Extension Agent Lauren
Stanley and her husband, Michael Stanley, were awarded the Georgia Farm Bureau
Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award for the 7th District at a
meeting on Monday, September 11. This award spotlights young individuals for their
understanding of agriculfural issues, leadership experiences and achievement, and
their ability to communicate their agricultural story. L to R: Georgia Farm Bureau 7th
District Director Ben Boyd, Lauren Stanley, Michael Stanley, Georgia Farm Bureau 7th
District Director Gary Bell, and Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall.
Riekhof Retires from COS
Greg Riekhof, Vice
President of Supply Chain
for Chicken of the Sea In
ternational/Thai Union,
has announced his plan
to retire from COSI at the
end of October 2023. Greg
joined Chicken of the Sea in
September 2016 as the Ly
ons Plant General Manager,
serving 5 years before be
ing promoted to VP Supply
Chain, headquartered in El
Segundo, CA, with respon
sibility for international Lo
gistics, US DCs, Customer
Service, Demand Planning,
and Specialty Fish Procure
ment.
Prior to Chicken of the
Sea, Greg led large complex
Consumer Products and
Goods facilities for com
panies such as Post Foods,
Hostess Brands, Ball Corp
and Owens-Corning. Greg
states he “enjoyed leading
people and driving continu
ous improvement over his
career. Leading during peri
ods of change has provided
many rewarding challenges.
I am pleased to have the op
portunity to successfully
Greg Riekhof
develop and promote so
many people over my ca
reer.”
AndyMecs, EVP Com
mercial for COSI, said, “I
have found Greg to be a
true professional, with a
high level of passion, pride,
ethics, and dedication to
his company and colleagues
throughout his tenure with
COSI. As General Manager
of the Lyons Plant, Greg
was a leader and a reassuring
presence through very chal
lenging times, including the
COVID-19 pandemic. In
2021, Greg accepted a pro
motion to VP Supply Chain
to help transition the plant
and the Supply Chain team
during a critical period. We
appreciate Greg’s dedica
tion, leadership, resiliency,
and integrity throughout
his tenure with Chicken of
the Sea and Thai Union.”
Greg grew up on a rural
family farm in Missouri and
is a graduate of the Univer
sity of Missouri. Greg says
he has enjoyed living in
Vidalia and supporting the
community and helping
it grow. Greg’s wife Kathy,
also a native of Missouri, is
employed at Vidalia High
School. Their oldest son,
Ben, resides in Atlanta and
is Director of Training for
Bolst Realty. Riekhof's
youngest son, Evan, better
known in the community
as EZE Photography and
Graphic Design, plans to
continue his support of the
many community events
and businesses. Greg looks
forward to pursuing oppor
tunities in the area that help
Greater Vidalia continue to
grow and prosper.
EGSC’s Annual Family
& Friends Fun Day
returns September 30
Students Delve Deep into Human Skin
During a Sensitivity Lab in Anatomy
L to R: McKinzie Williamson and Suzet Medrano.
L to R: Ian Scott and London Wilson.
East Georgia State
College's (EGSC) Annual
Family and Friends Fun
Day is returning this year
on Saturday, September
30. The event will be held
from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
on the campus of EGSC-
Swainsboro. The Bobcat
Regatta will begin at 11
a.m. EGSC faculty, staff,
students, and the commu
nity are invited to enj oy the
free event.
.The event will offer
fun for the whole family
including bounce houses,
games, and the Bobcat Re
gatta.
The Bobcat Regatta
is a competition made up
of teams who build boats
out of cardboard and duct
tape - nothing else. Awards
will be given to the over
all team that crosses Ezra
Pond the fastest. A Titanic
Award will be given to the
team whose boat sinks
the most dramatically, and
the Most Creative Award
will be given to the team
the judges believe has the
most creative boat. This
year a high school category
has been added. Area high
schools are invited to cre
ate a duct tape boat for
a chance to race against
other high schools. High
schools are allowed to have
multiple groups compete
from their school.
A sidewalk chalk art
contest will also be held
during the event. Partici
pants may begin working
on their designated area at
9 a.m. the day of the event.
All drawing must stop by 1
p.m. for judging. Winners
of the competition will
be selected by a panel of
judges. Participant’s draw
ing must consist entirely of
chalk (please no paint, oil
pastels, or other material).
To enter, please register be
fore the event with Desmal
Purcell by emailing dpur-
cell(a)ega.edu.
For more information
about EGSC’s Family and
Friends Fun Day, visit ega.
edu/events/fun-day/.
Courtesy of
Wheeler County Schools
In Wheeler County a
group of students from Mrs.
Copeland’s Anatomy class
embarked on a fascinating
journey into the depths of
human skin, unveiling the
mysteries of the integumen
tary system. These young
scholars conducted an ex
periment that not only en
riched their knowledge but
also contributed to their un
derstanding of the intricate
world of the skin and the
skin's sensory capabilities.
During this Sensitivity
lab, the students precisely
crafted probes using a no-
tecard, toothpicks, ruler,
and tape. The probes were
used to detect light touch
that test the Meissner’s
corpuscles, a major part of
the integumentary system.
One of the most astonish
ing findings of the lab was
the profound variation in
sensitivity across different
parts of the body. The stu
dents discovered that cer
tain areas, such as the fin
gertips and lips, exhibited
an extraordinary sensitivity
to touch stimuli, while oth
er regions, like the inside
forearm, displayed lower
responsiveness.
Understandingthe sen
sory capabilities of the skin
is crucial not only for anat
omy enthusiasts but also
for medical professionals in
fields such as dermatology
and neurology. Witnessing
the students actively engage
in hands-on experience
that could potentially influ
ence their understanding
of sensory perception and
its clinical applications is
truly exhilarating. This class
experience is a testament
to the boundless curiosity
and the spirit ofinquiry that
drives young scientists. It
promises a brighter future
for the field of anatomy and
medical science, with our
students as its trailblazers.
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L to R: Bridgette Worth and Kaylee Smith.