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The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Frank Callen Boys & Girl Club Receives Major Donation From
Sarah Mills Hodge Foundation
L-R: FCBGC Djuan Tinsley, Latifah Best, Hodge Foundation Chairman Paul Pressly, FCBGC Sr. Unit Director
Karen Hamilton, CEO Mark Lindsay, FCBGC Board Chairman John Brooks, and Executive Assistant Brenda Wiley
The Frank Callen
Boys & Girls Club received
a significant donation of
$100,000 from The Hodge
Foundation. Sarah Mills Hodge
herself was instrumental in
assisting the Club with the
purchase of the land it is now
located on in the Historic Dis
trict. The donation is of great
significance, as it will be used
to renovate the gym with new
floors, backboards, bleachers,
and other renovations. The
project is expected to start this
summer and be completed in
the fall.
Mark Lindsay, CEO
of the Frank Callen Boys
& Girls Club, expressed his
gratitude for the donation and
praised The Hodge Founda
tions Trustees for their support
of the Club and its mission.
Said Lindsay “This donation is
a significant piece of the budget
needed to give our members
and community a revitalized
gymnasium, which for decades
has been a fixture for Savan-
nahians. Thousands of alumni
members, including freshman
LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson,
honed their athletic and social
skills in this gym and we owe
it to our next generation to give
them an up-to-date facility for
them to flourish.”
Chairman of The
Hodge Foundation, Dr. Paul
M. Pressly, former Headmas
ter of The Savannah Country
Day School, also expressed his
excitement about the donation
and its impact on the Club. “I
loved walking into a basketball
court and seeing the kinds of
interaction with young people
who could grow and learn and
develop some leadership and
teamwork skills. And when
I walk in here now, I see that
same thing.”
Sarah Mills Hodge
was a Savannah philanthropist
who left a legacy of supporting
many organizations and her
legacy lives on at Sarah Mills
Hodge Elementary School and
Sarah Mills Hodge Hall at Sa
vannah State University. The
epitaph on her grave reads “be
cause I have been given much,
I too shall give; because of thy
great bounty Lord, each day
I live, I shall divide my gifts
from thee with every brother
that I see who has the need of
help from me”.
To learn the rich his
tory of Georgia’s first Boys &
Girls Club and how you can
volunteer and/or make a do
nation, call (912) 233-2939 or
visit: http://www.fcbgcsav.org/
SPD Celebrates Promotions To Assistant Chief and Major
Mayor Van Johnson, SPD Chief Lenny Gunther, Maj. Michelle Halford, Assistant Chief DeVonn Adams,
Maj. Shinita Young, Assistant Chief Robert Gavin, and City Manager Jay Melder gather after a badge pinning
ceremony celebrating the appointment of two officers to assistant chief and two to major.
Four career SPD of
ficers celebrated their appoint
ments to the rank of major and
assistant chief during a badge
pinning ceremony at the Sa
vannah Civic Center on March
14.
DeVonn Adams and
Robert Gavin were appoint
ed to assistant chief. Michelle
Halford and Shinita Young
were appointed to major.
“These are outstand
ing professionals,” Mayor Van
Johnson said at the ceremony.
“Every single one of them are
individuals who are tried and
true. They’re well trained.
They’re well credentialed, and
they can serve aptly in any
police force across the county,
and that’s proven to us.”
Each officer has more
than 20 years of experience at
SPD.
In their new roles,
Adams will lead the depart
ment’s Field Operations Bu
reau, heading the department’s
efforts and initiatives to con
tinuously reduce crime. Gavin
will lead the department’s Ad
ministrative and Management
Operations Bureau, heading
the department’s efforts dedi
cated to systems improvement
and quality assurance. Halford
will be over Management Ser
vices, and Young will be over
Field Operations. The depart
ment has one additional major,
Ben Herron, who is currently
over Criminal Investigations.
“I need you to under
stand that your appointments
weren’t gimmes,” Chief Len
ny Gunther said to the four
during the ceremony. “Assis
tant chiefs, it wasn’t because
of your tenure or your senior
ity or because the second time
is a charm. Majors, it wasn’t
because I needed women in
my executive staff. You put
the hard work in, constantly
displayed dedication and for
titude, and most importantly,
you put our officers, our de
partment, our community, and
our city above all else. It’s be
cause you’re leaders amongst
leaders. It’s because you’re the
best of the best.”
Each officer was cer
emoniously pinned by their
loved ones during the ceremo
ny.
The Links ,
Incorporated
Linked m fnendship, ConnKtcd At Service
Savannah (CA) Chapter
Saturday. March 25.2023
1:00 PM TO 4:00 PM
GREENBRIAR CHILDREN'S (ENTER CAMPUS
3/09 Hopkins street
Savannah. Georgia 31405
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Information vendors
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Kids corner
Teddy bear clinic
Get tit with the links zone
Dental screenings
Slood pressure checks
Healthy snacks
Educational and fun for the whole family!
The Eichholz Law Firm
Announces Community
Partnership Program
The Eichholz Law
Firm, a Savannah-based per
sonal injury law firm, is now
accepting applications for its
community partnership pro
gram. Nonprofits serving Bry
an, Bulloch, Chatham and
Effingham Counties are en
couraged to apply.
“We know the val
ue our local nonprofits bring,
and the heart of our business is
dedicated to building a strong
community,” said David Eich
holz, owner of The Eichholz
Law Firm. “This program will
open more doors for us to build
fruitful partnerships and allow
us to support even more causes
that will help our community
thrive.”
The Eichholz Law
Firm has a strong history of
working with various area non
profits and being a leader in
community outreach and social
responsibility. The firm has set
the bar high for its community
involvement, participating in
several established initiatives
and spearheading new ones, in
cluding its annual scholarship
program and frequent team
volunteer events.
Applicants are asked
to provide a detailed descrip
tion of the requested support,
community impact and how
they would like to partner with
the law firm. To submit a part
nership request, visit thejus-
ticelawyer.com/community.
The Sixth Episcopal District of
the African Methodist Episcopal
Church will hold the 157th
Session of the Georgia Annual
Conference in Savannah
Rt. Reverend
Reginald T. Jackson
The Conference
opens March 29,2023 and con
tinues through March 31,2023.
The host church for
this year’s event is St. Philip
A.M.E Church located at 613
Martin Luther King, Jr. Boule
vard, Savannah, GA. Reverend
Jai S. Haithco is the host Pas
tor.
Church leaders, min
isters and delegates from the
Sixth Episcopal District and
visitors from other districts will
attend the event. During the
session, participants will take
part in church business meet
ings and a series of worship
services led by various organi
zations of the church. All wor
ship services are open to the
public. Pre-Conference activi
ties include the Young People’s
Division (YPD) celebrating
their Annual Day on Saturday,
March 25. The Debutants and
Masters Ceremony will take
place on Sunday, March 26.
Evening worship services be-
Reverend Jai S. Haithco
gin at 7:00 pm each night. The
Women’s Missionary Society
will lead Tuesday’s morning
service and the Sons of Allen
men’s ministry will lead Tues
day’s evening service. The Lay
will lead the Wednesday eve
ning service, and the Women In
Ministry will lead Thursday’s
mid-day service. Ordination
and Communion service will
take place Thursday evening.
The Rt. Reverend
Reginald T. Jackson is the
Presiding Bishop of the Sixth
Episcopal District. His wife,
Christy Davis Jackson Esq.
serves as Episcopal Supervisor
for the district. The host Pre
siding Elder is Reverend Billy
McFadden. Reverend Jai S.
Haithco is the host Pastor.
“God Our Father,
Christ Our Redeemer, The
Holy Spirit Our Comforter,
Humankind Our Family”
Ron Wallace
Public Relations Chair
St. Philip AME Church
Student Chapter of 2 Legit 2
Lit Campaign to Host
Community Cleanup
Alderwoman Kesha
Gibson-Carter is teaming up
with the Jenkins High School
student chapter of her 2 Legit 2
Lit anti-litter and cleanup cam
paign for another community
cleanup.
The Jenkins Chap
ter cleanup will be Saturday,
March 25, from 10 a.m. to
noon. Volunteers will meet at
the Jenkins High School staff
parking lot at 1800 E. Derenne
Ave. To get your school in
volved, call 912-346-4235.
The City of Savan
nah Sanitation Department will
provide all litter collection ma
terials.
Fort Pulaski’s Phone Number
is Now 912-219-4233
To streamline com
munication efforts at Fort Pu
laski National Monument the
park now has a new phone
number: 912-219-4233. The
old phone line will no longer
be monitored and will direct
callers to use the new phone
number until the end of the
year. We understand there may
be some confusion and frustra
tion caused with this change,
however, having one number
for our visitor services, facili
ties, and administrative offices
will prove a beneficial in the
long term. We appreciate your
assistance and patience.
Fort Pulaski Nation
al Monument is located on
U.S. Highway 80, 15 miles
east of Savannah. For more
information, please visit the
park website at www.nps.gov/
fopu or call (912) 219-4233.
You can also follow the park
on Instagram at www.insta-
gram.com/FortPulaskiNPS, on
Twitter at www.twitter.com/
FortPulaskiNPS, or like the
official Fort Pulaski National
Monument Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/FortPu-
laskiNPS.
Disney on Ice is THIS WEEK,
Thursday, March 23th & Friday,
March 24th! The Savannah
Tribune only has a few tickets
left to give away. Enter our
social media contest NOW!