EDITORIAL: Round of Applause

Published 9:00 am Saturday, June 10, 2017

Here’s another round of applause for individuals and organizations doing great things in our region.

Second Lt. Joseph Woolfork graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York. Woolfork is the son of retired Capt. Monikka (Johnson) Woolfork of Valdosta, and retired Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Woolfork of San Antonio, Texas. Grandparents are Joe (Juanita) Slater, Gerald Johnson of Valdosta, and Almedia Woolfork of San Antonio. Woolfork is a commissioned officer in the Army.

Horizon Academy staff wore red noses in support of Walgreens’ initiative to support programs that keep kids safe, healthy and educated. Jennifer Porter, Tracey Sirmans, Jenifer Mercer, Annette Williams, Dale Harper, Tonya Bailey, Christy Thompkins, Kathy Lattin, Howard DuVall, Ann Carroll, Jordan Lee and Lucas Brooks participated in the Red Nose Day.

Coleman Talley LLP won its sixth consecutive Georgia Legal Food Frenzy competition with 141,000 pounds of food. The Valdosta based law firm received the Bar President’s Award for collecting the most pounds overall in the statewide food-collection competition. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is one of the competition sponsors. He announced the state’s legal community raised 1.34 million pounds of food during the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, an annual competition sponsored by the Georgia Food Bank Association, the Young Lawyers Division, and the Attorney General’s office. Valdosta-based law firm Coleman Talley LLP received the Bar President’s Award, given to the firm who tabulated the highest number of pounds overall among the 215 competitors throughout the state of Georgia.

Aspen Dental locations, including the Valdosta site, will be provided free dental care to veterans June 24. The service is part of Aspen Dental’s “Healthy Mouth Movement.” The day of service is the fourth annual and the largest single-day oral health initiative targeted at veterans, said Laura Davenport in an Aspen Dental press release. Veterans can call 1-844-ASPENHMM to schedule an appointment. Hours for the services will be 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Appointments are required and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. “Dentists will address the most urgent need first to make sure veterans are out of dental pain, whether that’s a filling, extraction, denture repair or cleaning,” said Nicole Almeida on behalf of Aspen Dental.

Valdosta State University Enactus placed in the Top 16 at the 2017 Enactus United States National Exposition. “I can’t even begin to describe in words how excited and proud I am to be a part of the VSU Enactus team,” said Alison Mgbeke, outgoing president of VSU Enactus. “Even though our Enactus team doesn’t do it for the recognition, this win goes to show that the more than 15,000 hours our members have put in this school year alone are truly making an impact on not only our local community but also the world. This is great encouragement for us to continue doing what we do best, which is helping others.” VSU Enactus qualified for the 2017 Enactus United States National Exposition after winning first place at the 2017 Enactus United States Regional Competition in March in Atlanta, according to a VSU press release.