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

 

The 11th annual prom for people with disabilities was an enchanted evening at Mathis City Auditorium. About 100 people, dressed in their best outfits, danced and sang the night away for the Enchanted Forest-themed prom. The Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority hosted the prom where anyone with developmental disabilities is welcome to attend. The event followed a traditional high-school prom setting where a prom king and queen were crowned, a DJ played dance music and food and refreshments were served. Wes Sewell Photography took photos. Tammy Crosby, parks and recreation therapeutics coordinator, said the prom’s primary focus is community awareness. She said the parks and rec authority strives to provide a safe, loving and comfortable environment for guests. “It brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it honestly,” she said in a previous interview. “It’s just a warm, welcoming, loving feeling.”

 

Tears of joy and celebration filled Moody Air Force Base as family and friends welcomed airmen home from a six-month deployment to the Horn of Africa. Brittany Geoffroy waited eagerly with her daughter, Scarlett, 2, for their airman, Lt. Col. Kevin Geoffroy, to arrive. Brittany said she was most looking forward to hugging her husband. “He missed her second birthday so we are excited to celebrate now that he is coming home,” Brittany Geoffroy said. Approximately 50 airmen from the 41st Rescue Squadron, 38th Rescue Squadron and the 723d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron were reunited with their loved ones. “During this deployment, these members provided a robust personnel recovery capability in support of AFRICOM and EUCOM security objectives,” according to a statement from MAFB.

 

 

A pair of Valdosta State University students recently gained access to the inner workings of one of the world’s most famous brands through a week-long internship with Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, which bottles and distributes Coke products throughout the southeastern United States. McCulley Cregger and Ben Heller, from VSU’s Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration, experienced a whirlwind week that included tours of Coca-Cola facilities throughout the region, marketing meetings with Coca-Cola employees and numerous inspections of stores, gas stations and universities where Coca-Cola products are sold, university officials said. The students learned firsthand what makes the large company run successfully, from strategic product placement in stores to specialized marketing strategies that vary by community to strong relationships with each Coca-Cola buyer, no matter how small, they said.