Kilmeade named 2018 Georgia Christian School speaker

DASHER, Ga. — FOX News personality and author Brian Kilmeade will be the featured speaker for the annual Georgia Christian School banquet.

Kilmeade is the latest in a series of famed speakers booked by Georgia Christian School for its annual banquet, said Brad Lawson, GCS president, and Ryan Warren, GCS board member.

Past GCS speakers have included former President George W. Bush, former First Lady Laura Bush, former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, legendary quarterback Terry Bradshaw, country music star Vince Gill, former FOX News pundit and author Bill O’Reilly and former coach Lou Holtz.

The annual banquet has become the premier event for the area, Warren and Lawson said. Ever since booking President Bush a few years ago, the school has almost no trouble booking any guest.

Organizers rotate between sports, political and entertainment guests as speakers. They chose Kilmeade for his affiliation with “Fox & Friends,” the network’s morning show, and his popular series of history books with co-author Don Yeager: “George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring that Saved the American Revolution,” “Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History” and “Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America’s Destiny.”

The banquet is scheduled for Oct. 18, Valdosta State University, Student Union Ballroom. Sponsorships are available. For more information, visit www.georgiachristian.org. Sponsorships often sell out the GCS banquet prior to individual tickets being sold.

One final Run for John planned

DALTON, Ga. — A decade after the inaugural race, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church hosts the final Run for John on Saturday as a celebratory fun run in memory of its namesake (John Bruner) and in honor of the event’s impact in the past and in the years to come. For more information about this year’s Run for John, visit www.therunforjohn.org. Registration begins at 8 a.m. followed by the race at 9. There will only be on-site registration. There is no charge to run.

Arbor Day celebration planned for Friday

LIVE OAK, Fla. — An Arbor Day celebration will be held on Friday from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

The program will be at the Heritage Park and Gardens.

Paul Williams, Suwannee County Senior Forester, will make a brief presentation on the history of Arbor Day and Tree City USA.

Carolyn Saft from the Suwannee County Extension Office will give a brief presentation on proper tree planting.

A Live Oak tree, provided by the Florida Forest Service, will be planted.

The program will conclude with free seedling trees given away and answers to any questions about the proper planting and care of trees.

Contemporary quilt show to open at Plough Gallery

TIFTON, Ga. — The Tift County Recreation Department will be offering a pair of sessions for American Red Cross lifeguard training. The cost is $200 per student for the lifeguard class and $150 per student if the class is for recertification. The first session will be April 27-29, with classes Friday (5-9 p.m.) and Saturday and Sunday (both from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) The same course will be held May 23-25, with May 23 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 24-25 are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Participants must be at least 15 years old at the time of the course and must complete all blended learning sessions prior to the first day of class. Participants also must complete swimming requirements. The blended learning portions allow students to watch videos on their own time, available at http://redcrosslearning.com/course/73031950-15c1-11e7-b4e0-51657ecd06af. For more information, contact Tift County Recreation Department at 229-382-3262 or recreation@tiftcounty.org. Durst can be contacted at bubblebeeswim@gmail.com or at 702-728-9792.