Donations, a ribbon cutting and more: Good news in Ocala/Marion County | Nov. 6, 2022
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Breanna Su, Ocala, Biola University
Local woman collects donations for Hurricane Ian survivors
More than $1,000 in cleaning supplies, personal care products and food were collected from Oct. 6-11 by Mary Savage and friends for Hurricane Ian survivors, according to an email from Savage.
“My northeast Ocala home was a dropoff point for donations,” Savage wrote in the email. “I sent emails to friends and word-of-mouth got around, resulting in more than $1,000 in cleaning supplies, personal care products and food. (We) donated all the items to VFW Post 4209 that also was collecting items for the Hurricane Ian survivors,” Savage continued in another email.
Donors included members of Indivisible Stone Creek, who gave enough food and supplies to fill the back of an SUV, the email said. Others who helped included Pat Hawk, Delphine Herbert and Pat Valerga and her neighbor.
The supplies were taken to Ocala VFW Post 4209, which relayed them to Candler Post 4493. Post 4493 delivered everything to the Fort Myers area, where VFW posts in District 13 served as distribution relief sites for the public.
Family history conference makes history
The first Ocala Florida Stake Family History Conference was held on Oct. 22 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ocala, according to a church press release. The conference theme was "Forget Me Not," and it was attended by 51 people of various faiths and backgrounds.
Genealogy presentations at The Villages
The Villages genealogy group, New England Special Interest Group, invited Temple and Family History consultants from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to present family history and genealogy information on Oct. 20, according to a church press release.
GFWC donates clothing to charities
GFWC Greater Ocala Woman's Club recently distributed thousands of dollars worth of new clothing from CC's Wish List to nonprofit organizations throughout Ocala and beyond, a press release from GFWC said.
Some items were driven to Boggy Creek Camp, the GFWC Florida president's project, the release said. This camp focuses on children and teens with life threatening illnesses.
The GFWC thanked Charlene Earl for organizing this venture and also thanked CC's Wish List.
Ribbon cutting ceremony celebrates Champion Manufacturing addition and 70 new Ocala jobs
Champion Manufacturing LLC held a ceremonial groundbreaking and ribbon cutting event on Oct. 22 to mark the ongoing construction of a 54,000-square-foot expansion to the company's current Ocala facility, 5516 SW First Lane, according to a press release from Champion Manufacturing.
The building addition will allow Champion to grow its employee base by 45% (70 new positions) and increase production capacity (going from three production lines to six) of its hand-crafted chairs, the release said.
Approximately 150 employees and family members were on site for the ceremony. Also there were local dignitaries and the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) President and CEO Kevin Sheilley and Director of Job Creation Bart Rowland.
The facility currently produces Winco and TransMotion products and will begin to produce Champion product line chairs on-site when the expansion is completed. Construction is already in progress and is expected to be completed in March 2023.
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This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Good news in Ocala, Florida includes help for Hurricane Ian victims
