Grapevine by Alex Vukoder
by Alex Vukoder
The fifth-grade students in John Faust’s and Sandy Kahoe’s classes at Bath Elementary School devoted a morning to creating winter wreaths for senior citizens at two local nursing homes. The room parents expertly handled the preparation and planning of the craft, and the students enthusiastically brought the wreaths to life. They delivered 38 wreaths to the residents at the Inn at Apple Ridge, and the remaining ones were sent to the Village of St. Edwards to provide warmth and encouragement. It was a heartwarming opportunity to spread some cheer.
Bath Volunteers for Service collected an impressive 53 pints of blood, surpassing their goal of 45 pints, at their bi-annual Red Cross blood drive hosted at the Bath United Church of Christ. BVS members organized the event, led by president Saule Narbutaitis. The organization credited the achievement to the delicious homemade soups, sandwiches and desserts members provided including Donna Axson, Kathy Price and Elaina Goodrich.
A remarkable donor, state Rep. Bill Roemer (R-District 31), achieved his 10th gallon of blood donation (80th pint) at this event.
Bath Township Trustees Sharon Troike, Sean Gaffney, Elaina Goodrich and Township Administrator/Police Chief Vito Sinopoli joined Roemer to commemorate this achievement. The CEO of Northeast Ohio Red Cross, Adm. Michael Parks, also attended to extend congratulations to Roemer on this remarkable milestone. Reflecting on his two-decade-long commitment to blood donation, Roemer expressed pride in reaching this significant milestone and reflected on the positive impact he has made by contributing to the Red Cross. He emphasized the importance of blood donation, stating, “Just one donation can save up to three lives.”
Gratitude to the Bath Community Fund of the Akron Community Foundation for their generous support to the community, providing 17 grants this cycle totaling $50,000. One grant is dedicated to facilitating skill building and mentorship between the Revere Recreational Youth softball players and the Revere High School team. This initiative aims to not only nurture better athletes, but also confident, well-rounded individuals who carry lessons learned on the field into all aspects of their lives and the community. The program is part of the expanded offerings for recreational softball.
The “PTA Reflections Program,” affiliated with the National PTA, celebrates K-12 students’ achievements in six areas of art: literature, music composition, photography, visual arts, dance choreography and film production. At Revere, this program is proudly sponsored and coordinated by the Revere Council of PTAs. The dedicated team includes Karen Smik as the president, and Natalie Rainey, Theresa Berry and Hillary Ash serving as chairpersons.
There were 42 Revere students that submitted an art piece to the national PTA Reflections Program. Photo submitted.
This year, our district saw the creative endeavors of 42 students who submitted a total of 50 entries, all inspired by the theme “I Am Hopeful Because.” Each submission required a title, and students skillfully conveyed the connection to the theme through artistic statements.
Each student submitting an entry was honored with a certificate and a special participation ribbon at a reception hosted by the Revere High School PTSA. Twenty-eight students were chosen to advance to the Ohio PTA round. The judging process, conducted by individuals independent of the Revere School District, evaluated entries on artistic merit/creativity, mastery of medium and interpretation of the theme. Successful participants from Ohio will advance to the National PTA for the final judging round in May.
Students with art advancing to the next phase in Columbus include: Revere High School students Andrew Ash, Donovan Farrow, Julia Grandon and Samantha Heider; Revere Middle School student Mallory Bernatovitcz; Bath Elementary School students Eleanor Corman, Lillian Corman, Ilana Dickstein, Cate Groce, Audrey Ihasz, Justin Kaminski, Gwenneth Kelly, Sophie Klinger, Alex Loescher, Leo Patterson, Teodora Pauna, Aadhya Reddy, Luca Rozo, Vivian Rozo, Maya Sarno and Vivian Vukoder; and Richfield Elementary School students Isah Ahmed, Aadhya Ausuri, Jax Donahue, Adelaide Gleason, Lena Gurm, Molly Klinger and Chloe Shannon.
Congratulations to all the talented young artists who participated this year, generously sharing their original works of art with the community. Your creativity and dedication are truly commendable!
The Women’s Board of Akron Children’s Hospital hosted its 120th charity ball on Dec. 29. Several young women from Bath were honored in recognition of their parent’s and grandparent’s volunteer contributions to the local community. This year’s honorees included the following Bath residents: Mia Clark, daughter of Kristen and Scott Clark; Mary Hanlon, daughter of Jennifer and Aron Hanlon; Lydia Kefalas, daughter of Dr. Sarah Babai and Dr. Costas Kefalas; Giana Mutersbaugh, daughter of Lisa and Steven Mutersbaugh; and Marissa White, daughter of Torina and Brian White and Revere High School graduate. To continue the commitment of service demonstrated by their families, the participants volunteered with Project Linus to make blankets for Akron Children’s patients.
Wishing you all a year filled with joy, growth, and countless moments of fulfillment. Thank you for sharing your stories of community building and good deeds. Please continue sending them to me at avukoder@gmail.com. ∞