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The ADVANCE, December 6, 2023/Page 12A
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Photo by Makaylee Randolph
PARENTS & STUDENTS SIGN - Parents also signed the students' REACH Scholarships, as
they pledged to help and support their student throughout high school, Front row, L to
R: Zakyria Williams, Eion Ryals, Charlotte Powell, Lauren Hardnett, and Madisyn Corbett.
Back row, L to R: Martina Williams, Curtis Ryals, Katrina Ryals, Amanda Powell, Sequoia
Durant, Tonya Glasper, and Jerrod Corbett,
New Vidalia REACH Scholars Sign
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
In exchange for a
$10,000 scholarship after
graduation, five more J.R.
Trippe Middle School 8th
grade students promised
to maintain good grades,
attendance, and behavior
throughout high school
while also meeting regu
larly with mentors who will
help guide them through
the experience. The stu
dents made their prom
ises official at the annual
REACH Scholarship Sign
ing on November 17.
The REACH Schol
arships are an extension
of the Georgia REACH
Foundation, the first needs-
based mentorship and col
lege scholarship program
in the state. The program
has a mission of being the
VOF
continued from page 5A
ing his catalog of songs to
over 100M streams.
A native of small town
Dudley, Georgia, Austin
Snell grew up in a family
environment with a mod
ern rock-loving father and
a mother drawn to country
radio. It wasn’t until joining
the Air Force that music
became a passion.
Nineteen years old,
1,000 miles from home
and alone for the first time,
he passed the long eve
nings with a cheap acoustic
guitar, belting out the same
tunes he grew up on with
a few clumsy chords. Aus
tin will be sharing his hits
“Muddy Water Rockstar”,
“Send You the Bill” and
“Pray All the Way Home”
with the onion festival
crowd.
Vidalia Onion Festival
most effective champion
for Georgia’s children in
need and unlocking the
full potential of the future
workforce. Today, REACH
serves all 180 school sys
tems across Georgia and
more than 3,600 scholars,
and has committed over
$36 million in scholarships.
To gain this honor,
students must undergo a
tedious selection process,
including completing an
application and an inter
view. This ensures that the
students selected will work
to make the most of this
opportunity, and hopeful
ly, will leave Vidalia High
School with the scholar
ship in hand.
“This group of kids
is really an outstanding
group,” J.R. Trippe Middle
School Assistant Principal
Lee McCloud emphasized.
Committee Chairman Jake
Cleghorn spoke about the
anticipated economic im
pact that the 2024 Festival
will have on the area.
“A typical year for us
with just a regular concert
and festival, we would see
an influx of maybe 10,000
people into the town, but
we could see 20,000+ peo
ple come into town for the
air show,” he emphasized.
“It significantly doubles, if
not triples, the amount of
people we pull in from out
of town and people in town
that come to take part in
the events going on.”
Cleghorn said, “We’ve
had several studies done
through the years, and on
an air show year with the
Blue Angels, it could be
well over a $1 million im
pact on the economy just
for that week for the city
ofVidalia and surrounding
communities. All the mo
tels will be full; restaurants
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“These are the kids that
smile and tell you, ‘Good
morning!’ each day, which
is a big deal in 8th Grade.
They’re wonderful, and
I know they will do well
throughout high school.”
J.R. Trippe Middle
School Principal Eric Mc
Donald also spoke on the
students’ accomplishment.
“We are so proud of these
students and so grateful to
have the opportunity to
give them this chance at a
scholarship. They are very
deserving, and I’m excited
to see what all they do as
they continue through life.”
Signees’ family mem
bers and friends were also
in attendance at the event,
as they pledged to support
the students throughout
high school to help them
achieve their goals and suc
ceed in their education.
will be full here and in sur
rounding communities. It
brings a lot of exposure for
our town and downtown
shops.”
“We’re excited for peo
ple to be able to see what
is coming in the Spring,”
he emphasized. “We’ve al
ready received texts about
people seeing [Blue Angel
7] fly over, and that’s just
what we want - we want
people’s eyes to be opened
and to see what all will be
coming for the festival this
year. This community is
very familiar with the Blue
Angels and what they bring,
but to see the respect from
our community - people
showing up in awe of the
equipment and this group
and their talents and abili
ties and what it stands for
our country - it’s exciting
to begin that momentum.”
L to R: Chuck Overstreet (Pineland Paper Co, General Manager), Clint Hutcheson (The
Mercy Ministries Executive Director), and Judy Waller (Retired Pineland Paper Co. em
ployee and Committee member).
Pineland Paper Donates
to The Mercy Ministries
re-
Courtesy of
The Mercy Ministries
Pineland Paper
cently presented a $15,000
check to The Mercy Minis
tries, marking a significant
contribution in a larger
history of generosity. Years
ago, Guy Branch of Pine
land Paper Company initi
ated a practice of donating
paper goods to The Mercy
Ministries. Shortly there
after, he established an an
nual golf tournament as a
means of bringing together
lifelong friends and busi
ness partners. During the
inaugural tournament, The
Mercy Ministries was cho
sen as a beneficiary of the
raised funds, which includ
ed a $5,000 cash donation.
However, the generosity
didn't end there.
Some of the prizes
awarded to the winning
golf teams were paper prod
ucts, prompting the teams
to generously redirect these
prizes to The Mercy Min
istries. In addition to the
$5,000 cash donation, The
Mercy Ministries received
over a year's worth of tissue
and paper towels that year.
After Guy’s passing, a
group of Guy’s friends and
community members de
cided to get together and
throw a party, play some
golf and give money away
to charitable causes, things
Guy would love. To date,
the tournament has con
tributed a total of $45,000
to The Mercy Ministries.
This year's sponsors,
including Essity, Marcal,
Handy Andy, McDaniel
Supply Co., Ken and Faye
Mosley, The Dumplin
Shoppe - Mary Hill Dump
lings, and Pineland Paper,
exemplify the power of col
laboration in doing good.
The success of this event
stands as a testament to
what can be achieved when
friends invite others to join
in the pursuit of benevo
lence.
The Mercy Ministries
extends a heartfelt thank
you to everyone who par
ticipated in the 2023 L.
Guyton Branch Memorial
Golf Tournament.
To discover more
about Pineland Paper or
The Mercy Ministries,
please visit their websites at
https://www.pinelandpa-
per.net/ and https://them-
ercyministries.org/.
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Made in US T A
107 Jackson Street Vidalia
912-386-1217