Augusta focus. ([Augusta, Ga.) 198?-current, December 19, 1996, Image 9

Augusta focus., December 19, 1996, Page 9A, Image 9

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Newspaper Page TextOrgan donation Give the gift of life this season The holiday season is a time for giving and receiving,. cher ishing friendships, family and loved ones. But it is also a time to spread good fortune and help others. In fact, one of the best holiday gifts this year is free, and noone has tofight the crowds to participate. Signing an organ and tissue donor card and telling family members about the decision can be the greatest gift of all —the gift of life. That’s right: no mon ey, no crowds and most impor tant, lives can be saved. With more than 900 Georgians wait ing to receive an organ trans plant, and nationally, a new Mass appeal United Negro College Fund enlists help of Michael Jordan, Spike Lee FAIRFAX, Va. Basketball superstar Michael Jordan lends his considerable screen presence to the latest pub lic service announcement for The College Fund/UNCF. The spot entitled, “Two Michaels” pairsthe famed basketball player with UNCF chairman Michael Jordan to ask people to support The Col lege Fund, which helps financial ly disadvantaged students attend college. The PSA, directed by not ed filmmaker and UNCF alum nus Spike Lee, is set to air nation wide starting in December. “We are pleased to have some one with the type of name recogni Taking care of mom and dad By Connie Daughtry University of Florida GAINESVILLE, Fla. Blacks are twice as likely as whites to care for their aging rel atives, University of Florida re searchers report. The finding holds true even when factors such as economics, education, geography and health wereruled out, the two-year study reveals. “These findings arein stark con trastto publicimages ofthe down fall of the black family in Ameri ca,”said lead researcher Raymond T. Coward, director of the UF In stitute for Gerontology. Study findings were presented recently at the 49th Annual Sci entific Meetings of the Gerontological Society of America in Washington, D.C. In 1993, researchers began tracking 1,200 adults ages 65 and older living in urban and rural areas in Florida. From this group, they identified 192 elders who were in good health at the study’s start, but who experi enced a decline during the two year period. “Black families were much more likely to provide help when the health of an older person made it difficult for themto prepare meals, wash dishes, shop for groceries or clean the house,” said Chuck W. Peek, a sociologist at UF’s College of Medicine and the study’s co author. “About 75 percent of the time that black elders had a dis ability, they received care from family members. Among white el ders, we found only half of those who had a functional limitation received care from family mem bers.” There were no differences be tween the two groups in the help they received from agencies and X Look-N-Good Hair Styling “Where Looking Good Is Understood.” 700 Old Edgefield Rd. North Augusta, SC 29841 Call Us: (803) 279-0368 name being added to the list ev ery 18 minutes, it is crucial that more people become organ and tissue donors. Across the country, nearly 50,000 people await life-saving organ transplants, and thou sands more are in need of tissue transplants to improve their quality of life. Each year, more than 3,000 people die while wait ing for organ transplants. Unfortunately, the need for organs and tissue far outweighs the supply, with only a small percentage of potential donors actually giving up their organs. Although many Americans sup port organ and tissue donation, tion as Michael Jordan to support The College Fund in such a high profileway,”said William H. Gray ITI, president and CEO of The College Fund. “He has demon strated a clear commitment to enabling our organization to pro vide meaningful educational op portunity for thousands of young people who cannot afford a college education.” “Two Michaels” is thelatestina series of award-winning public service announcements created by advertising powerhouse Young & Rubicam since 1971 for The Col lege Fund. It features chairman Jordan on abasketball court miss formal healthcare providers. “Previous research suggested the help of family members was a vital part of an older person’s at tempts to remain living indepen dently,” Coward said. “Indeed, mostolder people whoreceive help from others for their health im pairments depend on family mem bers.” : Why blacks are more inclined to provide care for their elders is not yet clear, the researchers Why cook? Let Chef Calvin fix your Homestyle Dinner to go! “‘" We Deliver . e “ I We Want Your Business. f:i:».“ V |~; g Broad St. ; é g x; %‘ 8 3 Was,,m%”/? . gm y v ; ‘ % o 5 T Experience the Flavor for H ?f%? Breaf(fast, Lunch and Dinner Dine In * Take Out * Catering Hot Foods By Calvin 2027 Broad Street Augusta, Ga. 30906 (706) 738-5666 Closed Christmas Day Closer Look most do not share their decisions with family members, which is critical to ensure their wishes are followed. “We are strongly encouraging people to consider this altruistic gift by signing organ and tissue donor cards this holiday season,” said Lisa Tunnell, chairperson for The Georgia Coalition on Donation. “By signing organ and tissue donor cards and sharing their decision with loved ones, people can personify the true spirit of the holidays.” The Georgia Coalition on Do nation is a statewide alliance of organ procurement organiza tions, transplant centers and oth- ing shot after shot while discuss ing the need to empower young people through education. NBA Jordan then appears to sink a difficult shot and deliver the line “...we could all use a little help.” The chairman then turns to his namesake and challenges him to a game of one-on-one. The 30- second spot, directed by Lee, is the latest in a series distributed by the Ad Council which includes “Disappearing Mind” in which the familiar slogan, “A mind is a terri ble thing to waste,” first appeared and “The Power Education” fea turing Colin Powell and his wife Alma. said. Cultural norms and values could be deciding factors. Gainesville resident Denotra White, 64, is black and cares for her 83-year-old mother, Melvenia M. Robinson. White credits a strong religious back ground in making that decision. “Putting my mother in a nurs ing home is a last resort,” said White, who retired from her job as a certified nursing assistant in Chicago to care for her moth- %FOREIGN & DOMESTIC LIBERTY HILL AUTOMOTIVE GENERAL REPAIRS ON ALL CARS & TRUCKS 455 Liberty Hill Rd. ¢ N. Augusta, SC 29841 Phone: 442-9465 Kenny Chavous Irvin Malcom Beeper: 826-2190 Beeper: 794-3213 er groups that support the cause of organ and tissue donation. Founded in 1995, The Georgia Coalition is one of 36 regional alliances affiliated with the na tional Coalition on Donation. The Georgia Coalition on Donation’s goal is to save and improve lives by educating the public about the crucial need for organ and tissue donation while encourag ing individuals to sign donor cards and discuss their decision with family members. For a free brochure on organ and tissue donation or to receive an organ donor card, call 1-800- 355-SHARE. The College Fund/UNCEF is a consortium of 40 private, histor ically black colleges and univer sities. It isthe oldest and most successful minority higher edu cation assistance organizationin the country. The College Fund currently administers more than 350 educational programs that give students access to higher education and career opportuni ty, and to strengthen its member colleges. Itisranked firstamong education organizations by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. To date, more than 300,000 men and women have graduated from UNCEF colleges and universities. er. “I would only do that if her health was so bad I could not take care of her in my home. My mother has made many sacrific es to care for me and my 10 siblings. I believe actions speak louder than words and the bond between us is too great for me not to care for her.” Researchers found no differ ences between older blacks and whites who needed help with basic personal care. AUGUSTA FOCUS December 19, 1996 g ; ’A;gt 29 Ba 2 I ot LS L L 9 ;57 & {% s ‘%f ik Open letter of encouragement to the T. W. Josey Eagles In deep appreciation to an out standing group of young men who have single-handedly proved to the unaware and doubtful that because the odds are against you on the gridiron, the classroom and theinner-city streets doesn’t mean one has to submissively buy such negative opinion. The T.W. Josey Comprehen sive High School Eagles have done nothing but make us proud: that being the school, the alum ni, and the community. Not only have they made outstanding marks in rushing, passing, tack ling and receiving on the grid iron, but also in the classroom and these life-threatening streets, These young men are among our endangered species. Better yet, these are our precious green, white and gold jewels we should be extra proud of. For they are championing survival — every day oftheir lives. Most come from very humble homes, mostly sin gle-parent homes. At the same time, many of them are making exceptionally great academic marks that stand out not only at Josey, but among prep athletes in the CSRA. On my journey to and from Thomasville, Georgia for the game that became the inevitable premature end of the run for the second consecutive state title, I could not help (and still can’t) but to have a warm feeling inside [about] how much of true cham pions these young men are all around. Yes, the loss against Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets was quite painful, espe cially for the outgoing seniors, but these young men need to remember one thing: WE ARE NEITHER ASHAM&I&OR DISAPPOINTED IN LBS When I played on the Eagle squad(l9Bl-84),it never dawned on me that one day this program would escalate [by] leaps and Send letters to the editor to AUGUSTA FOCUS 1143 Laney Walker Bivd. Augusta, Ga. 30901 J 3 UCKHEAD. EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAY SHOPPING. As% D 4 Ry ,".:7 e[ G 4 A | - Ll b i ; RN L 1 A k f 1 1 i 8 Yy ¢ f . e R Y e @ )T S 3 mm""m Wil ” P ; b DI RAel L ‘ ,(\ o M‘% : . ‘ .’;Z" 4 P 'f’/’, ;: b, 4 wire i‘i S A * v Phe ) 5 (2l A ~ , SR SERRACE GARDEN HOTEL. THE PLACE TO WRAP IT ALL UP. G ‘ 7 et your gift giving off to a great start at the Terrace $ % Garden Hotel Buckhead with our Holiday Shopper’s Package. Just steps to Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza and two blocks from MARTA, the Terrace Garden Thurs-Sun Hotel is within walking distance from everything Buckhead has to offer this holiday season. In addition to newly refurbished accommodations, with our Holiday Shopper’s Package you'll receive a Terrace Garden Hotel Buckhead shopping bag, a complimentary glass of champagne in The Corner Hearth, and free gift wrapping. A weekend at the Terrace Garden Hotel Buckhead is certain to make your holidays happier. For reservations call 800-241-8260. ’ \ { i ;b/ Bl ea) -8 ¢ 4 Buckhead’s most intimate hotel 3405 Lenox Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30326 ¢ (404) 261-9250 * FAX (404) 848-7301 * Per rom, per mught. Offer valid Thursday-Sunday. Limuted asailabiis and applcable taxes. oes not apply 1o meetings comventions, groups v .ﬂlim promotumal offers and 1s subject to change without notice ertam blackiout dates apply. Exprres |2/30/96 Augusta Focus wishes all readers a Happy Holiday! bounds now reached. These young men have made multi-fac eted history: The first state foot ball title in the school’s history, the first state football title in Richmond County in 40 years from the GHSA (ARC) and in 30 years overall (Lucy C. Laney — GISA), the first team among the city’s two inner-city schools to bring a home a modern-day title since integration, and made a significant title run after two short years since the arrival of coach-extraordinaire John Starr. Josey has created a winning tradition in a program that for years has been short of recogni tion and respect. How did they do it? Under the direction of Coach Starr, athletic director Charles Carpenter, and the rest of the Green Machine’s staff, the team utilized a seldom-used tool in achieving a new winning tra dition: VISION. I'm a firm be liever that, if used properly and consistently, it will deliver your goals. I want these young men to re member that, no matter what happened on that fateful night in Thomasville, they are still in the state and national books as the 1995 Class AAA State Champions —noone cantake that away from you — EVER!! Take what you have learned from Coach Starr and your games and use it as your launching padforthebiggest game you'll ever play —the game of LIFE! As Godis my witness, you're gonna need it! Love you guys! Thanks for a beautiful season! Let’s doit again in’97! Best wishes to Deon Grant, Armark Tolbert, Jermaine Brooks, Torenzo Washington, John Fielding and the rest of the outgoing senior class. Let’s not Ff.ugt to @apportithe chiampion- - ship-bound Air Eagle men’s and women’s basketball teams. Mark Oliphant Class of 1985 9A