Newspaper Page Text
Page 8B
The Braselton News
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Christmas concert set for Dec. 8
MCHS senior
The Jackson County Comprehensive High School Chorus will hold
its 2007 Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 8, at 7 p.m. at the
JCCHS Cafe.
The chorus will perform Christmas carols. The $1 admission fee
includes dessert and coffee.
New speed bumps on Mill
Creek Drive to be lowered
After numerous complaints from parents and community members,
Mill Creek High School Principal Jim Markham announced that the
newly-installed speed bumps on Mill Creek Drive will be lowered.
According to Markham, the speed bumps were installed correctly and
are in compliance with specifications. The school received numerous
calls from frustrated drivers who complained that the bumps were too
high and required vehicles to come to a complete stop before proceeding
over the humps.
Local elementary schools receive
educational materials on autism
The Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation Fund, Inc. (GCPSF)
has provided “The Autism Acceptance Book and Teacher Guide” to 66
elementary school media centers.
The books were purchased by GCPSF and the Autism Speaks orga
nization. The book is designed to be used in classrooms to help raise
awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families and
society.
Gwinnett School Foundation
receives scholarship funds
Terri Johndahl of CAB Inc. recently presented the Gwinnett County
Public Schools Foundations Fund with $2,500 to establish a scholarship
for DEC A students.
The Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) is an associa
tion for high school students interested in marketing and management.
The scholarship will help Gwinnett DECA students compete in
regional, state and international competitions.
VGA alumni to meet Jan. 15
A “Dutch treat” informational meeting on the establishment of the
Jackson County chapter of the University of Georgia Alumni Association
will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m.
The event will be held at Jeffrey’s Sports Bar and Grill, located off Ga.
Hwy. 211, at 6332 Grand Hickory Drive, Braselton.
For more information, e-mail daniellegriceaustin@yahoo.com or
audraedwards @ hotmail.com.
BY KRISTI REED
Mill Creek High School senior
Tori Rodriguez believes every girl
should have the opportunity to
feel like a princess, even if it is
only for one day. To help make
that possible, Rodriguez has orga
nized a special initiative aimed at
helping hundreds of teenage girls
in foster care.
Prom-o-rama is not an ordinary
clothing drive. The goal of Prom-
o-rama is to allow underprivi
leged girls to enjoy prom with
their peers by providing evening
gowns, shoes, jewelry, accesso
ries, makeup and personal care
items.
Rodriguez, Junior Miss Mill
Creek 2006, said the idea originat
ed with Mill Creek pageant orga
nizer, Carol Higgins. Rodriguez
said Higgins shared the idea with
her and other pageant winners.
“She presented us with this
and said she wanted us to run
with it and make it our own,”
Rodriguez said. Rodriguez is
currently working on the proj
ect with Sophomore Miss Mill
Creek 2006. Laurie Strickland,
Freshman Miss Mill Creek 2006
Dalena Coleman, and others.
So far, Prom-o-rama has received
over 125 donated dresses. The
original goal was to collect 100
items including dresses, shoes
and makeup. Rodriguez’s mother,
Mill Creek Spanish teacher Lisa
Rodriguez, said the response has
been overwhelming.
“It’s unbelievable,” Lisa
Rodriguez said. “The amount is
way bigger than she ever thought
she’d get.”
Lisa said her daughter has been
inspired in part by her personal
experiences with children in foster
care. The Rodriguez’s neighbors
are foster parents. Tori has seen
numerous children pass through
her neighbor’s care.
“I see kids come in and out of
that house,” Tori said. “My next
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makes prom special for foster children
DRESSES DONATED
Tori Rodriguez holds just one of the 125 dresses that have been donated so far to help teenage girls
in foster care experience the prom of their dreams.
door neighbors take the best care
of them.”
Foster parents can only do so
much though, Tori explained.
After getting to know a teenage
foster child living next door, Tori
learned more about the needs of
children in foster care.
“I think it helps if you have met
somebody and know their situa
tion,” Tori’s mother said. Tori has
gone to [school club] meetings
and talked to them about foster
children and their needs. She has
really spread the word.”
Tori said in addition to help
from various school clubs, she has
also had help from the dance stu
dio she attends and Mill Creek’s
media specialist who sent an
email to other county schools
telling them about Prom-o-rama.
Tori said approximately 10 other
schools have sent donations as a
result.
“A lady approached me one day
at my dance studio and said ‘I have
a dress for you’,” Tori said. The
lady had heard about the clothing
drive at Rock Springs Elementary
School. “It was amazing to know
that she had heard about it over at
Rock Springs.”
All items collected for Prom-o-
rama will be taken to the Foster
Children’s Foundation, a non
profit organization dedicated to
providing for the economic, emo
tional and educational needs of
foster children.
Tori said the items will go to
the Foster Children’s Foundation
Resource Center, a store where
foster children can select whatev
er items they need at no charge.
Tori has plans to partici
pate in other Foster Children’s
Foundation projects.
“We’re trying to not only do
Prom-o-rama, but other things as
well,” she said.
While the dress collection has
been going well, Tori said they
are still in need of personal care
items, such as shampoo, deodor
ant, toothpaste, hairspray and
makeup. Prom-o-rama also wel
comes donations for teenage boys,
such as suits, tuxedos, shoes, ties
or dress shirts.
Anyone wishing to donate
clothing or personal care items
for Prom-o-rama can leave items
in the front office of Mill Creek
High School. Tori said she hopes
to collect at least 25 more dresses
before the drive ends.
Tori hopes Prom-o-rama will
become an annual tradition. She
plans to pass responsibility for
next year’s drive to Junior Miss
Mill Creek 2007. Tori feels it is
important to help foster children
to not only have an unforgettable
prom, but to also help provide for
their year round needs.
“A lot of kids end up in foster
care with nothing,” she said.
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