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The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, October 7, 2009 - 3
SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS
Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance
Day Association to hold Annual
Community Giveback Program
Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Martin Luther
King Jr. Observation Day
Association, Inc.’s “Annual
Community Giveback
Program" is our way of
thanking the Savannah-
Chatham community for its
support and generosity. This
is our nineteenth year of hon
oring Dr. King’s legacy with
this program.
The 2009 program will give
back to local organizations
for the outstanding services
they provide to the commu
nity and the tremendous con
tribution they make in keep
ing Dr. King’s dream and
legacy alive. This celebra
tion will be held on Tuesday,
October 13, 2009, 6:00 p.m.
at the St. Luke Baptist
Church, located at 418 West
38th Street, Rev. Lexcie E.
Aiken, Pastor. Music will be
provided by the youth choirs
of the church.
We realize that without the
tremendous support we
receive from this community
the Association could not
honor our community friends
and partners in this manner.
We cordially invite everyone
to join us as we honor these
most worthy recipients.
For additional information,
please call the Association’s
office at 912. 234.5502 or
President Carolyn S.
Blackshear’s office at
912.341.0042.
SSU Gospel Choir Earns Second
Runner Up Position in Competition
The Savannah State
University (SSU) Wesleyan
Gospel Choir earned sec
ond runner-up in the
Competition of Black
College Gospel Choirs,
which was held as part of
the 23rd annual National
Black College Alumni Hall
of Fame Foundation week
end in Atlanta, Ga., Sept.
25- 27, 2009.
The Competition of
Black College Gospel
Choirs, hosted by leg
endary gospel music pio
neer Bobby Jones of BET’s
Bobby Jones Gospel Hour,
gives HBCU gospel choirs
a showcase for their musi
cal talents.
As the second run
ner-up, the choir received a
$1,000 cash prize and the
opportunity to perform at
the 23rd annual Bobby
Jones International Gospel
Industry Retreat which is
scheduled to be held in
Nov. in Las Vegas, Nev., or
Nashville, Tenn.
Since its inception in
1971, the SSU Wesleyan
Gospel Choir has cultivat
ed a special niche for itself
in the local gospel music
arena. Well-known for its
“fire-brand” style of
gospel, the choir's reper
toire includes everything
from soul-soothing sounds
to the foot-stomping, rous
ing contemporary sounds
of many contemporary
gospel artists.
Established in 1890,
Savannah State University
is on the move to become
the best value-added uni
versity in the nation.
The university’s
approximately 3,800 stu
dents are enrolled in 23
undergraduate degree
majors and five graduate
programs in three colleges:
Liberal Arts and Social
Sciences, Business
Administration and
Sciences and Technology.
SCCPSS* 21st Century Community
Learning Center Receives Grant
SCCPSS’ Academic
Affairs division is proud to
announce that its 21st
Century Community
Learning Center (CCLC)
grant has been awarded by
The Georgia Department of
Education (GDOE) in the
amount of $350,000.00 for
the 2009-2010 school year.
The money awarded
from the new 2009 grant will
establish three new 21st
CCLC after-school programs
for students at White Bluff
Elementary (Grades 3-5),
Hubert Middle School Risers
Academy and Scott
Alternative Learning Center.
The original 2008
grantees will continue to
operate their programs at the
following sites: East Broad
Elementary (Pre-K), Haven
Elementary (Pre-K), and
Thunderbolt Elementary
(Pre-K), Garrison
Elementary (Grades 3-5)
and the new schools at
Savannah High (Grades
9-12).
The grant application
was made in partnership with
the YMCA of Coastal
Georgia and the Chatham
Savannah Youth Futures
Authority (YFA). The goal
of the grant is to improve
schools by providing aca
demic enrichment activities
that will support student
learning during non-school
hours and provide family lit
eracy and educational devel
opment activities.
For more information
about the 21st Century
Community Learning
Centers (CCLC), contact
Aldric Dekle at 395-5686.
Savannah Association for the Blind,
Inc. Sponsors Big Thrift
Sale and Bazaar
Savannah Association
for the Blind, Inc. will spon
sor a Big Thrift Sale and
Bazaar October 16 and 17,
2009 at 214 Drayton Street.
You can help the
blind and visually impaired
by shopping for slightly
used treasures, or by rent
ing a space for only $25.00
and selling your own items.
A Bazaar, featuring
handmade items made by
the visually impaired
clients, will be held Friday,
October 16, 2009 from
9:00 A.M.-5:00P.M.
The Big Thrift Sale
will be held Saturday,
October 17, 2009 from
8:00 A.M.-2:00P.M.
New and slightly used
items will be on sale.
If you would like to
rent a space and sell your
own items, or donate items
for the sale, please call
(912) 236-4473 or (912)
232-6048.
The Knights of
Columbus will support this
effort by selling hot dogs
during the Thrift Sale on
Saturday.
The agency is urging
the entire community to
come and have a fun-filled
day shopping and and/or
selling.
Savannah Association
for the Blind is located at
214 Drayton Street (just
pass
Liberty Street - next to
Parker's Market). Just fol
low the One Way sign to
the parking lot at the back
of the building.
All proceeds will ben
efit Savannah Association
for the Blind's visually
impaired clients.
Please come and sup
port this worthwhile cause.
YMCA Playground to Strengthen
Community and Benefit Children
More than 200 volun
teers from The Home Depot,
the West Broad Street
YMCA, and organizers from
the nonprofit organization
KaBOOM! will join together
to build a state-of-the-art,
3,000 square foot playground
in one day. The playground
will provide a safe, fun envi
ronment for the children in
the community.
The playground is fund
ed through a $61,000 grant
from The Home Depot
Foundation along with a
$7,500 contribution from the
City of Savannah. As a
founding partner of
KaBOOM!, The Home Depot
provides financial support,
materials and numerous vol
unteers for play space proj
ects across North America as
part of its ongoing commit
ment to give back to the com
munities its stores serve. In
2009, The Home Depot
became the official
Sustainability Partner of
KaBOOM!. Both organiza
tions will work together to
make sure each playground
project is as environmentally
friendly as possible as well as
educate children and commu
nities about this important
issue.
For this project, all
materials will be recycled and
any unused materials remain
ing after the completion of
the build will be donated to
other organizations. In addi
tion, volunteers plan to plant
several gardens surrounding
the playground.
The Y also announces
that an anonymous gift to the
West Broad Street YMCA
will provide full and partial
scholarships for qualifying
families for its early learning
for children 6 weeks to 5
years.
The gift will cover reg
istration fees for all families
and others will receive schol
arships based on family size
and income. The target is for
families who are trying to
find work or continue their
education and need childcare
to do so. These funds, antici
pated to only last a short
time, will help families get
back to work and school so
that they can move ahead.
For more information
contact Peter Doliber at 233
1951 or stop by the West
Broad Street YMCA at 1110
May Street.
Founded in 1947, the
West Broad Street YMCA
was formed to serve Blacks
in then legally segregated
Savannah. While this is no
longer its purpose, the West
Broad Street YMCA is locat
ed between two Housing
Authority Neighborhoods,
and it continues to serve by
building strong kids, strong
families, and a strong com
munity.
One of the key pro
grams offered by the West
Broad Street YMCA is an
early learning center for chil
dren from six weeks to five
years, as well as a before and
after school program for chil
dren Pre-K to middle and
high school.
9
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Joyce Coleman
Employee of the Year for 2007
7110 Skidaway Road
Vita Davis
Employee of the Year for 2008
701 M. L. King, Jr. Blvd
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lanoui uareerMate Bank?-
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Bank on Savannah Accounts are available.
Two great locations to serve you
701M. I. King. Ir. Blvd. 7110 Skidaway Hoad
rstatebank.com
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