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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016
A birthday
Claire Gaus celebrates a
milestone by raising
money for the food bank
'Party with a Purpose'
With the honoree
Judy Crocker, left, and Susan Harper, right, congratulate Claire Gaus during the Sunday celebration of
her 85 th birthday, which was a fundraiser for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia.
As she approached her 85th birthday Claire Gaus of Com
merce wanted to do something special to mark that milestone.
She did. With the help of her wide circle of friends and family
she raised over $4,000 for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia
by holding a “Party with a Purpose” Sunday afternoon at the
First Baptist Church of Commerce. Guests were invited not to
offer gifts or cards, but to make donations to the food bank.
Gaus explained her “crazy lady idea” to attendees.
“Being 85 is such a gift,” she told the crowd, “and my heart
was so full of gratitude. I thought, ‘what can I do to express my
gratitude?’”
A supporter of the food bank, she came up with the idea of a
“Party with a Purpose” — the purpose being to support the food
bank. Eating at Huck’s Cafe one day last February, she ran the
idea by Rev. Carlton Allen, pastor of the First Baptist Church of
Commerce, and Rev. David Bowen, pastor of the First United
Methodist Church, who were seated nearby planning their
schedule of Lenten activities.
“Carlton offered the fellowship hall,” Gaus said.
Pretty soon, she had a volunteer band and a volunteer clown.
“It just mushroomed from there,” she said. “Everybody has
supported me in making a significant donation to the Food
Bank of Northeast Georgia.”
Several dozen people attended. Others, who could not
attend, sent checks to the food bank.
“So many people in this room have become so much a part
of my life and filled my life with love,” said Gaus, who volunteers
at the Commerce Public Library, owns a therapy dog that visits
the library and area nursing homes and who is known as Mrs.
Claus during Christmas events.
For the Party with a Purpose, those friends donated and pre
pared food and decorations and organized the Sunday event,
which featured games and other activities — in addition to an
abundance of cookies, sandwiches, chips, a cake and other
refreshments.
Among the decorations were drawings from children about
what those kids would do if they knew someone was hungry.
Finding his fortune
Willis Cook learns his fortune Sunday afternoon
during Claire Gaus’ “Party with a Purpose” that
raised more than $4,000 for the Food Bank of
Northeast Georgia in conjunction with the celebra
tion of Gaus’ 85th birthday.
“It made people aware there are hungry people all over, espe
cially in Northeast Georgia,” Gaus told her friends. “If you are aware
Explaining the concept
Claire Gaus explains to attendees of her “Party
with a Purpose” how she came to use her 85th
birthday as a means of expressing her gratitude
by raising funds for the Foodbank of Northeast
Georgia.
of the need for donations to the food bank, it’s all been worth it. It
was a party with a purpose. I think this is a pretty good purpose.”
Send in the clowns
Randall Wardlaw and David Sanders clowned
around at Claire Gaus’ “Party with a Purpose”
Sunday at the First Baptist Church of Commerce.
The event raised funds for the Food Bank of
Northeast Georgia.
Recognized by chamber
Banks County Chamber Convention and Visitors Bureau presented $500 to Dr. Faith Simpson,
assistant principal at Banks County High School (third from left), and Lynn Warren, CTAE Work Based
Learning Teacher (far right). The award was presented by Mary Greenwood chamber chairman (second
from left), and Alicia Andrews, chamber director of member services (far left). The funds will be used for
frames for the “CTAE Hall of Fame”
Please Recycle
This Newspaper
Commissioners
fill vacancies on
volunteer boards
Five people were
appointed to various coun
ty boards at Monday night’s
meeting of the Jackson
County Board of Commis
sioners.
Jimmy Mock and Tina
Brooks were reappointed to
the Jackson County Board
of Assessors for three-year
terms.
Jim Shaw was reappoint
ed to the Northeast Geor
gia Regional Commission
board of directors for a
three-year term.
Ronnie Norris was reap
pointed to a three-year term
on the Jackson County
Water & Sewerage Author
ity. Jim Smith was also
appointed to the JCW&SA
to a three-year term.
Other Business
In other business the
commissioners reviewed
three items to be voted
on at the board’s June 20
meeting:
• an update to the coun
ty’s payroll policies.
• a resolution to accept
$40,000 from the state’s
Hazardous Waste Trust
Fund.
• A plan to have CIV-
ICPLUS redesign the coun
ty’s website at a cost of
$35,960 paid over a four-
year period.
Headmaster’s
Comer
by
Steve Cummings
REMEMBERING D-DAY -
Monday, June 6, marked the
72nd anniversary of D-Day.
Nearly 160,000 troops landed
along the Normandy coastline
on June 6, 1944 - a day that
turned the tide for the Allied
forces.
Not by accident, the weath
er played a crucial role in the
invasion. Low clouds, winds,
and high seas led many Ger
mans to believe that an attack
was not possible. As a result,
dozens of German command
ers were away from their posts
when the largest seaborne in
vasion in history began on
five French beachheads.
At Athens Christian, we not
only teach the facts of history,
but we also teach how a sov
ereign God directs the course
of HIS STORY.
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970"
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
