Kindness Corner Passes Out Gift Bags The Jan Rooney Agency of State Farm Insurance, in partnership with the Kindness Revolution, hosted its monthly Kindness Corner Wednesday, January 14 at the intersection of Cumming Hwy. and East Cherokee Drive. Braving cold and rain, the team of three individuals, including Jan, Kacey Jackson and Carly Osborne gave away 100 gift bags in about an hour. Januarys theme was fitness. Each bag contained an apple, a free 7-day VIP gym pass courtesy of Anytime Fitness, and a Kindness Revolution pay it forward bracelet. The bracelet is used to raise awareness and to bring back kindness and compassion through simple gestures. It is given to someone in an initial act of kindness and the receiver is encouraged to pay the act forward by giving the bracelet to others they witness acting in kindness. The Kindness Revolution is a national non-profit initiative with the mission to raise the awareness of kindness in our communities and schools. If you wish to pick-up free bracelets or for more information, Jans page can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kindness-Revolution-CantonCumming-Led-by-Jan-Rooney-Ins-Agency/479248458843897#!. The Jan Rooney Agency is located in central Cherokee County at 7768 Cumming Highway, Suite 400, Canton, Georgia, 30115.
Foundation Seeks Donations for Land Purchase for New Children's Park Remember Georgia's Children Foundation, a 501(3)(c) organization, is seeking donations to help fund the purchase of land for a new Children's Park of Georgia, to be located in Canton. The unique park will be a special place to celebrate the lives of all children, offering areas for natural play and quiet meditation along with opportunities to engrave children's names along the sidewalks and monuments. The Children's Park of Georgia will provide a place for children to play, explore and discover, as well as provide a place for parents to celebrate the lives of children present and lost. The park is being modeled after The Children's Park in Tyler, Texas. Christy Zeigler, executive director of Remember Georgia's Children Foundation, estimates the total cost of the project at $1 million, including approximately $90,800 for the land. The organization is working on purchasing land for the park that is located at Highway 20 near Butterworth Road. Donations through the grassroots fundraising initiative will be accepted through January 31, with the hopes of breaking ground in February. For more information, visit ChildrensParkOfGeorgia.org.
Farm Bureau Hosts Essay Contest Cherokee County students in grades 6-8 are invited to enter the Georgia Farm Bureau Middle School Essay Contest. The essay topic is "Make My Career Agriculture," which is designed to encourage students to study Georgia agriculture and learn how their food is produced and the contributions farming makes to our lives every day as they learn about career possibilities. "Many people have an antiquated idea of agriculture," said William Grizzle, president of Cherokee County Farm Bureau. "Farmers, just like any business owner, must manage our employees, manage our finances and manage our farms, which means taking the best possible care of our livestock and protecting the soil and water on our farms so our crops will grow. We depend on people in many different careers to make our farms successful and to meet consumer needs." The 1st Place County Winner of the Cherokee County Farm Bureau Essay Contest will receive a $50 Walmart gift card and the 2nd Place County Winner will receive a $50 Walmart gift card. Each school will also have a 1st and 2nd Place winner, each receiving a $25 Walmart gift card. The Cherokee County Farm Bureau Essay Contest winner will be entered in the Georgia Farm Bureau First District competition. The district winner will receive a cash prize of $100. The 10 district winners will compete for the state prize of $150 cash. Previous state winners are not eligible. Official contest rules and entry forms are available at GFB.org/Programs/AIC, or through the Cherokee County Farm Bureau at 770-479-1481. All entries must be received at the Cherokee County Farm Bureau office by February 20.
Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Promotes Five Five Cherokee County firefighters were promoted during ceremonies held recently at Cherokee County Fire Training Complex, located south of Holly Springs. Adam Dierdorff was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Dierdorff came to the department in 2005 and was promoted to sergeant in August 2008. The following firefighters were promoted to the rank of sergeant: David Burnaugh, Cheri Collett, David Miller and Nate Sullivan. David Burnaugh, Cherie Collett and David Miller joined the fire department in 2007; Nate Sullivan joined in 2010.
Mitchell Selected as New Police Chief Canton City Manager Glen Cummins announced that Assistant Chief of Police Mark Mitchell (pictured) has been selected as the new Canton Chief of Police. Mitchell will take over January 1, 2015, following the retirement of current Canton Police Chief Robert Merchant at the end of this year. Mitchell was selected for the position by an advisory committee, which included Merchant, Cummins, Mayor Gene Hobgood and city council member John Rust. Mitchell graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., after earning a master's degree in criminal justice from Troy University. He began his career in law enforcement with the Newton County (Ga.) Sheriff's Office, where he earned the rank of captain in 2012. He has served as Canton Police's assistant chief since July 2013.
Cherokee County Farm Bureau Receives District Awards Cherokee County Farm Bureau (CCFB) received several awards for outstanding member programs during the recent Georgia Farm Bureau 1st District Annual Meeting. The GFB 1st District includes 15 county Farm Bureaus in Northwest Georgia. William Grizzle is the CCFB president. The CCFB Young Farmer Committee, chaired by Molly Childs, received the 2014 GFB 1st District Outstanding Young Farmer Committee Award. The committee's activities included a Farm Safety Camp for children at Lazy D Farm this past June. The camp featured safety classes for children ages 8-12; 69 children attended and learned about safe practices involving animals, tractors, ATVs, water, guns, electricity, weather and the Internet. The CCFB Legislative Committee, chaired by Len Cagle, received the GFB 1st District Outstanding Legislative Program Award. The committee sponsored a political forum this past April for CCFB members and the general public. The event was attended by 35 candidates for various government offices and more than 400 people. CCFB members Ben and Vicki Cagle received the 1st District Young Farmer Achievement Award. Ben and Vicki raise beef cattle, operate a you-pick garden and host educational farm tours. Their agri-tourism activities include a corn maze and hay rides in the fall, which have attracted more than 65,000 visitors. CCFB Office Manager Shirley Pahl received the 1st District Outstanding Office Manager Award. Pahl has worked with CCFB since 1992. She coordinates all of the organization's agriculture advocacy activities in the county while serving as the CCFB point of contact for the general public. GFB and CCFB also are accepting applications for college scholarships. The GFB scholarships will be awarded to the top 10 students who confirm they are majoring in agriculture or an agriculture related field. The top three students will receive a scholarship of $3,000 each, with the remaining seven students each receiving a $750 scholarship. In addition, CCFB will award a $50 scholarship to an individual winner at each local high school, along with a $1,000 scholarship to two county winners. The winners will be announced in May 2015. Contact the CCFB for an application: 770-479-1481, ext. 0.
Girl Scouts Collecting Prom Dresses for House of Hope Maddie Avillar, 13, of Canton, and Girl Scout Troop 2819 are collecting prom dresses, shoes, and accessories for House of Hope's Hope Closet as part of the troop's Silver Award project. The House of Hope serves Cherokee County by assisting primarily with food and clothing; the Hope Closet is a division of the House of Hope and provides clothes for infants to adults in need. Donations of prom dresses, shoes, and accessories will be distributed to teen girls in need throughout Cherokee County to help fulfill their dream to attend their high school prom. Girl Scout Troop 2819 will be collecting items through February 28, 2015. For more information or to arrange pick-up of items, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
MUST Ministries Receives $100,000 Grant to Fight Hunger MUST Ministries is among the Georgia charitable organizations that combined will receive more than $54 million in cash and in-kind contributions from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. MUST Ministries will receive a $100,000 grant as part of the larger grant award to Georgia charities. The financial support will provide critical dollars for helping the thousands of clients who rely on MUST for food. "MUST distributes just under a ton of food every weekday through our food pantries," said Ike Reighard, president/CEO of MUST. Pantries in Marietta, Smyrna and Canton provide groceries to those in need. In addition, free breads and sweets are distributed daily at each location and at the homeless campus. The MUST feeding program also includes holiday meals and Thanksgiving boxes. Plus, 77,000 meals are served annually at the Loaves and Fishes Community Kitchen. Shelter clients eat breakfast and lunch there each weekday, and all three meals on weekends. Weekday lunches are open to anyone who is hungry. The feeding program is a vital part of the charity's $8.2 million programming. Reighard said MUST is also grateful to some individual Walmart stores that have made cash donations in the past. "Walmart is focused on addressing hunger relief and so are we," he said. "The partnership is ideal because they help supply the funds and we implement the programs. We are deeply grateful to Walmart for their generosity to the 31,000 people we serve throughout the year."
Service League of Cherokee County to Award $30,000 in Community Impact Grants The Service League of Cherokee County is accepting applications for Community Impact Grants. The success of the League's annual fundraisers, such as the Riverfest Arts and Crafts Festival, the annual Run for the Children "Reindeer Run" 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run, and the Annual Ball and Dancing for the Children Celebrity Dance Challenge, allows the League the opportunity to channel funds directly back into the community to other charities and organizations serving children in need throughout Cherokee County. The League is currently seeking to assist with new ideas and new projects throughout the community that will make a positive impact on children. A total of $30,000 will be awarded through this program, and anyone whose project aims to serve families with children in Cherokee County may apply. Copies of the Community Impact Grant application and rubric are available at ServiceLeague.net. Applications must be postmarked by November 7, 2014, and winners will be notified by November 17, 2014. Grant winners must be prepared to complete a grant evaluation report at the completion of their project.
Canton Moose Lodge Honors Local Firefighters The Canton Moose Lodge, located at 208 Moose Loop Road in Canton, honored several firefighters and staff members with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services during the organization's annual Community Service Awards Banquet, held recently at the local Moose Lodge. The event included dinner and the awards presentation. Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services employees recognized at this year's banquet were: Cheri Collett, Battalion 1 Firefighter Award; Sgt. Phillip Carlisle, Battalion 2 Firefighter Award; Lt. Mike Jones, Battalion 3 Firefighter Award; Mark Cornelius, Volunteer Firefighter Award; Nate Sullivan, EMS Employee of the Year Award; Tamarin Gullett-Tyrrell, Fire Administration Award; Sgt. Babette Davis, Fire Prevention Award; and Capt. Frankie Martinez, Special Operations Award.