Fundraisers, zookeepers, awards and more in this week's community news
Mary E. Bivins Foundation Challenge Grant to benefit Interfaith Hunger Project
The clock is ticking on a remarkable opportunity to double the impact of your generosity. Thanks to a Challenge Grant from the Mary E. Bivins Foundation, you can help turn $30,000 into $60,000. All to benefit the Interfaith Hunger Project.
The Bivins Foundation has a rich history of supporting initiatives that enhance the quality of life for individuals across the Texas Panhandle, especially seniors. Now, their generosity extends to our mission of alleviating hunger in our community. Here’s the challenge: If Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle can raise $30,000 on its own for the Interfaith Hunger Project between Feb. 15 and Aug. 15, The Bivins Foundation will match it dollar for dollar. As of now, with pledged money and contributions received for the program, the total is more than $22,800.
To participate, simply make a donation earmarked for the Interfaith Hunger Project and postmarked by Aug. 15.
Discovery Center announces fundraising campaign to replace blue roof
The Don Harrington Discovery Center has launched its "Raise the Roof!" public fundraising campaign, with the goal of raising $500,000 to replace the center's iconic blue roof by the end of this year.
Installed over 40 years ago by ARLO Environmental Inc., the blue roof has become a beloved and essential feature of the center. However, due to its age, the roof is now experiencing significant issues, including leaks, loss of air conditioning, and structural damage. Discovery Center staff has already raised over half of the budget through insurance proceeds, grants, and individual donations, and is now asking the community at large to invest in this important icon of our town.
The Discovery Center is calling on community members, local businesses, and philanthropists to contribute to this significant capital campaign. The funds raised will ensure that the new roof continues to meet the high standards of safety, sustainability, and the iconic look that the center is known for. All donations are tax-deductible, and will be recognized on donor signage to celebrate the completion of the campaign.
How the community can help: Please consider a donation of any amount to help continue providing a safe, engaging, and inspiring environment for all visitors. Visit their campaign page at www.discoverycentercollective.org ordonorbox.org/raise-the-roof-2024 to make a secure online donation, or visit the Discovery Center’s front desk to make a donation in person. Businesses and organizations interested in sponsorship can contact Dani Ramos, dramos@dhdc.org for more information on supporting the capital campaign at various recognition and exposure levels. High visibility sponsor levels are still available. And help spread the word by following them on Instagram and Facebook, and sharing their campaign posts to help them reach a wider audience.
“Almost 50 years ago, Amarillo citizens believed they could build up our community by creating more educational and career opportunities for our region,” says Chief Executive Officer Wendy Taylor. “Now is the time for our community to come together once again to invest in the lives of everyone in Amarillo, and the legacy of the Don Harrington Discovery Center.”
Region 16 names Superintendent, School Board of the Year
Region 16 Education Service Center proudly announces Wade Callaway, Superintendent of Gruver Independent School District, as the 2024 Region 16 Superintendent of the Year.
Callaway will represent Region 16 in the Texas Association of School Boards' annual Superintendent of the Year award program, which has recognized exemplary superintendents for excellence and achievement in educational leadership since 1984.
“Superintendent Callaway is a remarkable choice for Region 16 Superintendent of the Year,” said Tanya Larkin, Ed.D., Region 16 Executive Director. “He has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership and innovation within his district. We are confident he will represent our region exceptionally well at the state level.”
In addition, Region 16 is proud to announce the Wellington Independent School District Board of Trustees has been named the 2024 Outstanding School Board of the Year for the region. Education service centers across the state nominate school boards in their region for this honor. The award is presented by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA).
“The school leaders at Wellington ISD are truly deserving of the 2024 School Board of the Year award,” Larkin said. “Their unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation, combined with visionary leadership, has set a high standard. By prioritizing student success and fostering community engagement, this board has consistently empowered students to reach their full potential.”
School boards nominated to represent their regions are in the running to be named one of five Texas Honor Boards, one of which is chosen as Texas' Outstanding School Board. The Wellington ISD Board of Trustees will represent Region 16 at the 2024 TASA/TASB Convention this September in San Antonio, where the Superintendent of the Year will also be announced.
City of Amarillo recognizes National Zookeeper Week
The late Steve Irwin – better known as “The Crocodile Hunter” – was a major influence on a young Noah Mitchell. For Kenzie Morris, she grew up at the Amarillo Zoo, serving as a volunteer during high school. Sarah Stuckey loves animals, and wanted to find a job that would allow her to pursue her passion. The trio have found their calling at the Amarillo Zoo.
Mitchell, Morris and Stuckey are new zoo employees – all three have about a month under their belt at the zoo. Their unique jobs and love for animals are primary reasons for National Zookeeper Week, a national event that ran through July 27.
Mitchell is from Borger, and has wanted to work at the Amarillo Zoo specifically for about two years. “Steve Irwin was a big influence on my life,” Mitchell said. “The job has been exactly what I wanted, and I love it.”
Morris is an Amarillo native who volunteered at the zoo as a high school student. “The Amarillo Zoo was always on my radar,” Morris said. “I just graduated from Lubbock Christian University, and I feel really blessed with this opportunity. The atmosphere here is really special.”
Stuckey, who recently got married, is from Abilene and always wanted to work with animals. “I really thought this could be a cool job, and it is,” Stuckey said. “It has been much more than I expected – and in a good way.”
Their jobs start around 8:30 a.m. each day with feeding the animals and cleaning the animal enclosures. However, there is much more than daily maintenance. Zoo employees know the animals on a personal level, even helping name each animal. So – the obvious question: Which animal or animals is their favorite?
Stuckey: The bobcat brothers – Hampton and Huckleberry.
Morris: Dudley – the pot-bellied pig.
Mitchell: Stitch – the tortoise.
Which is the most difficult animal? All three were pretty much in agreement – either the lemurs or Daisy the camel. Which animal is the most intimidating? All three mentioned Bagheera, the black jaguar. “When you try to lock his gate Bagheera will put his paws up on the gate and try to sniff you,” Stuckey said. “It is cute, but sometimes scary.”
RMA: Universal Breakfast Program to continue
The Richard Milburn Academy Texas, Inc. (RMA) this week announced it will continue to operate the Universal Breakfast Program under the National School Breakfast Program for the 2024 – 20254 school year. This will allow all students at all schools/sites to be served breakfast at no charge.
The ability for Richard Milburn Academy Texas, Inc. (RMA) to offer this special alternative rests upon the success of the school in receiving a completed application for free and reduced-price meals for the National School Breakfast Program from each household in the school. Applications will be furnished by the Richard Milburn Academy Texas, Inc. (RMA) and can be obtained at the local RMA Campus or online at rmaschools.org. Call Amy Wood, Director of Student Services at 726- 800-6239 to ask questions.
Completed applications can be returned to RMA locations in Amarillo and Lubbock, as well as Corpus Christi, Fort Worth, Houston, Killeen, Midland, Odessa and Pasadena. The contact information for Amarillo and Lubbock is as follows:
RMA Amarillo, 4106 SW 51st St., Amarillo, TX 79109 - phone: 806-463-2284
RMA Lubbock, Attn: Lubbock SCL, 2333 50th St., Lubbock, TX 79412 - phone: 806-740-0811
TTUHSC Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy accepts national award for community service
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy accepted the 2024 Lawrence C. Weaver Transformative Community Service Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). The award was presented to TTUHSC team members at a ceremony at the 2024 AACP annual meeting on Sunday, July 21.
This honor is presented annually to one college or school of pharmacy demonstrating a major institutional commitment to addressing unmet community needs through education, practice and research. “We accept this prestigious award with great pleasure and excitement,” TTUHSC Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy Dean Grace M. Kuo, Pharm.D., Ph.D., said. “We are among elite company as we join other schools of pharmacy who have received this honor. It is truly a testament to our faculty, staff and students' dedication and passion to the communities we live in and serve.”
The award highlighted the school’s work in medication safety through programs like Medication Cleanout, which has collected more than 83,000 pounds of medications and sharps from homes in its 15-year history; the school’s production of viral transport medium and administration of life-saving vaccines during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic; the school providing pharmaceutical care to thousands of patients at its two outpatient pharmacies in Amarillo and Lubbock; the special population services provided to underserved people and incarcerated individuals in Texas; and the research collaboration and training taking place at campuses, schools and communities across the region.
For more information on the 2024 Lawrence C. Weaver Transformative Community Service Award, visit www.aacp.org.
AC Police invite community to join in observance of National Night Out in August
From axe throwing and face painting to free food and engaging giveaways, National Night Out will be a welcoming celebration at Amarillo College that the whole family is sure to enjoy.
The AC Police Department will host the family friendly event 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6 in the Durrett Hall parking lot (on the south side of 22nd Street) on the Washington Street Campus. Ample parking will be available immediately north of 22nd Street in the campus’s largest lot. The event, with free hotdogs, chips and ice cream for everyone, is being conducted in conjunction with National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.
“We love the idea of building rapport and strengthening our ties with the community,” AC Police Chief Aaron Huddleston said. “Police and their neighbors shouldn’t have to come together only in times of emergency; we can have fun and get to know each other in more of a social atmosphere, too.”
In addition to all the free food, visitors have a chance to enter drawings for prizes such as bicycles and movie passes, and participate in activities like face painting, axe throwing, cornhole and more.
WT researchers win grant for AI-Inclusive Plan to boost Hispanic students in STEM
CANYON — A team of West Texas A&M University researchers recently won a $500,000 federal grant for a project designed to incorporate both family support and artificial intelligence in a plan to increase collegiate STEM success in Hispanic students.
“Our project addresses a pressing issue: Hispanic students, including many women and first-generation college students, often find it especially challenging to succeed in STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and math,” said Dr. Azi Tabei, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science in WT’s College of Engineering. “Despite numerous programs aimed at supporting these students, they continue to face significant obstacles that can hinder their progress and prevent them from completing their degrees.”
The project, “HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: STEM Student Empowerment through Mentorship, Family Centric Innovation Activities, and Artificial Intelligence Research,” won the grant through the National Science Foundation. It will include a “robust mix of initiatives” designed to involve students and their families, Tabei said, and the team also will place a strong emphasis on AI.
Tabei is the principal investigator for the project. Other team members include Dr. Behnam Askarian, assistant professor of electrical engineering; Dr. Audrey Meador, associate professor of mathematics; and Dr. Vinitha Subburaj, associate dean and associate professor of computer science.
Amarillo VA reaches milestone: 20,000 completed toxic exposure screenings
The Amarillo VA Health Care System (AVAHCS) recently passed the mark of 20,000 toxic exposure screenings (TES), signifying a milestone in their mission to fulfill the goals of VA’s PACT Act, a law that expands VA health care benefits and eligibility for veterans.
The PACT Act was signed into law on Aug. 10, 2022, and expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. This law helps the VA provide generations of veterans — and their survivors — with the care and benefits they have earned and deserve. As of March 5, VA expanded health care to millions of veterans, years earlier than called for by the PACT Act.
Recently, over 75% of the AVAHCS veteran population has been screened, allowing AVAHCS healthcare teams to consider each veteran’s specific health requirements to include medical conditions considered for presumptive status under the PACT Act. Veterans who are not enrolled, but who are eligible to enroll, have an opportunity to enroll and receive a quick 5–10 minute screening to identify any potential exposures to toxins during their military service and connect them to additional resources if they have any concerns. After a TES, veterans may be eligible to file for more benefits with Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA).
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town briefs for July 28, 2024
