Meals on Wheels of Plant City receives $1,500 donation
The Ladies of the Elks presented a $1,500 check to George and Karen Newman, president of Meals on Wheels of Plant City on Aug 23. The money was raised through a fundraiser that sold chances to win $600 worth of gift cards to restaurants.
Meals on Wheels of Plant City was founded in 1990. It pays $6 per meal at Winn-Dixie for approximately 13,000 meals a year and asks clients to pay $4.50, if possible, for each meal. Less than 10% of people pay, but everyone is fed regardless of if they can afford it or not.
Newman said Meals on Wheels is completely volunteer run and relies on donations from civic clubs and other groups to provide the service to the community. He said the organization is desperate for volunteers and anyone interested should call 813-754-9932 to get involved.
Durant graduate receives $60,000 scholarship
A graduate of Durant Senior High School recently received a $60,000 Foundation Scholarship for Western Michigan University. Virginia Ramos, from Oaxaca, Mexico, plans to study psychology at WMU.
She was chosen, along with eight other winners, from a pool of 50 applicants. To be eligible she had to have a GPA of 3.7 or higher at the end of her junior year. The winners had an average of 4.23 GPA and should graduate during the 2020-21 academic year. Ramos and the other winners will be awarded $15,000 annually over four years based on academic performance and demonstrated financial need. The recipients of the scholarship also become members of WMU’s Lee Honors College, which is one of the oldest in the nation.
Plant City Chamber hires new community relations manager
Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce president Christine Miller created the community relations manager to replace the former event coordinator role, a decision, she said in a news release, that was a better fit for the chamber and the city.
Sophia Hyde took over the new role in August and is in charge of overseeing the events and programs the chamber offers for the community. Hyde has lived in Plant City since 1997. She worked at Focus Magazine for seven years and served for four years as a Chamber Ambassador.
Sonny’s BBQ celebrates local teachers
Sonny’s BBQ is inviting friends and family members to nominate a deserving teacher at SonnysBBQ.com/RABBQ. Winners, along with their loved ones, will be awarded a surprise barbecue bonanza to honor what they do for the community.
The deadline for the nomination of kindergarten through grade 12 teachers is Sept. 11.