Cantonment Church Helping Haiti One Bucket At A Time
February 2, 2010
A Cantonment church is spearheading a countywide project that will provide hope to the families of Haiti, one white 5-gallon bucket of food at a time.
It’s called “Buckets of Hope”, a program of the Florida Baptist Convention’s Florida Disaster Relief program. The concept is simple — fill a clean 5-gallon bucket with beans, rice, sugar, flour, cooking oil and other essentials. It’s enough to feed a family of four for about a week, plus they have the bucket to reuse to haul water, store food items or even move rubble in the earthquake stricken land.
For less than $30, the bucket and food items can be purchased, according to Drayton Smith, associate pastor at the First Baptist Church of Cantonment.
“This is something anyone can do and know they are helping a family in Haiti,” Smith said. He hopes that other churches, schools, business and community groups will become involved in the bucket program.
You don’t have to be a Christian to be involved in this,” said Ronnie Gilmore, a First Baptist Church member. “You just have to have a caring heart.”
Florida Baptists are committed to helping Haiti in both the short and long term, Smith said, with help provided in over 800 locations across the country.
As Region 1 chaplain coordinator for Florida Disaster Relief, Smith learned of the program at a training session recently in Orlando. When he learned of the Buckets of Hope program, he knew he was ready to become involved.
“The Bible tells us to do that and help others,” he said. “We have a passion for the world, and we love people. We just want to share the love.”
The filled Buckets of Hope must be returned to the First Baptist Church of Cantonment by March 15. They are also being collected at Gilmore Services at 31 East Fairfield Drive in Pensacola.
Smith said financial donations, or donations of any of the bucket items, can also be given in lieu of a full bucket. He said 100 percent of material and financial donations go straight to Haiti; none of the money is use for administration or other fees. Florida Disaster Relief does ask that persons donating buckets also donate $10, if possible, to offset the cost of shipping the bucket to Haiti.
Every bucket must be exactly alike with a specific list of items inside. Detailed instructions must be followed exactly to ensure that every bucket quickly passes through customs and into the hands of the Haitian people.
For a complete list of food items and instructions on how to pack the bucket, click here (pdf).
Pictured top: First Baptist Church of Cantonment Associate Pastor Drayton Smith explains the Buckets of Hope program Tuesday morning. Pictured inset: Church members Barbara Reynolds explains how to pack a Bucket of Hope. Pictured below: The bucket and food items can be purchased for less than $30. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Students Of The Month Named
February 1, 2010
Escambia County Students of the Month for January have been named by the Escambia Association for Administrators in Education. The awards are presented monthly to two students from participating schools.
The following students were named from North Escambia area schools:
- Bratt Elementary: Devon L. Cohen, second grade; Mallory O. Gibson, fifth grade.
- Jim Allen Elementary: Haleigh V. Dove, first grade; Amanda P. Mills, first grade.
- Molino Park Elementary: Leia M. Grantham, first grade; Nathaniel B. Mickel, first grade.
- Ernest Ward Middle: Penny N. Banda, seventh grade; Cheyenne R. Gray, sixth grade.
- Ransom Middle: Jon W. Walker, eighth grade; Forrest R. Biddle, seventh grade.
- Northview High: Dakota W. Stuckey, 12th grade; Hillary K. Byrd, 11th grade.
- Tate High: Stephanie A. Evans, 12th grade; Eric D. Cook, 11th grade.
Pictured top: Hillary Byrd and Dakota Stuckey, Northview High School’s Students of the Month for January. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ready, Set, Go: Bratt Church Holds Pinewood Derby
January 31, 2010
There was some small-scale, fast-paced racing action Saturday afternoon in Bratt as the First Baptist Church of Bratt held its “nearly annual” Pinewood Derby.
The cars begin with a block of pinewood that is cut and shaped into a car. Add wheels, paint, weights and other personal touches, and it’s a pinewood derby racer as long as it is under five ounces. During workshops on Wednesday nights in January, the participants sanded, weighed, painted and wheeled their cars.
The cars are 1:25 scale. Reaching about 8 mph on the short wood track equates to a full scale speed of about 200 mph.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the event, click here.
The First Baptist Church of Bratt “nearly annual” Pinewood Derby race winners were:
Mission Friends
- First (tie): Anna Lee, Luke Amerson “Luke Duke”
- Third (tie): Rachael Sanders “Princess Car”, Lizzie Amerson “Lizzie Dizzie”
Girls In Action
- First: Juliana LaBorde
- Second: Mary Sanders
- Third (tie): Annah Amerson “Hanna Montana”, Victoria Amerson “Dorothy’s Tornado”
Royal Ambassadors
- First: Zachary Holland “Black Hawk”
- Zachery Payne “Alexander the Great”
- Colby Morris “The Gator”
Youth/Adults
- First: Greg Wilson
- Second: Dawn Turner “Hildegard”
- Third: Pete Amerson “First Place”
- Fourth: Sidney Amerson “The Tank”
Grand Finals:
- First (tie): Anna Lee, Zachery Payne “Alexander the Great”
- Third: Zachary Holland “Black Hawk”
- Fourth (tie): Trace Presnall “Thunderbold18″, Juliana LaBorde “The Faithmobile”
Pictured top and bottom: Scenes from the Pinewood Derby at the First Baptist Church of Bratt Saturday afternoon. Pictured inset: Anna Lee was one of the grand champions in Saturday’s racing. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
North Escambia Resident Honored As She Turns 103 Years Old
January 30, 2010
North Escambia resident Elmira Gandy Crapps turned 103 this week, with congratulations pouring in from friends, family and political leaders.
Century Mayor Freddie McCall designated an Elmira Gandy Crapps Day in the Town of Century. Florida Governor Charlie Crist offered his congratulations, as did Congressman Jeff Miller.
Crapps was born in Butler County, Alabama, near Georgiana in 1907. Theodore Roosevelt was president. A loaf of bread cost four cents. A gallon of milk was 29 cents. A new Ford? That would set you back 600 bucks.
She moved to a farm with her family in the Gandyville community in 1925, and still lives just down the road from that home.
As of just a few months ago, she was still driving, mostly to three places: the Piggly Wiggly for groceries, her church and her hairdresser. She’s still an active member of Poplar Dell Baptist Church, and very quick to give the Lord all the credit for her age and her health.
When asked her secret for a long life, she quickly replied that there was no secret. “It’s good living and a love of God. I’ve been blessed by the Lord and walk with Him,” she said. “The Lord always takes care of me.”
When asked about the biggest change in her lifetime, she said “the way people wear, or don’t wear clothes”.
She never had children, but has “a ton” of nieces and nephews. Her father, John Oxford Gandy lived to the age of 108. In 1973, the Florida Legislature named Gandyville after him. He, by the way, had a first cousin that also lived to be 108.
Celebrating a 103rd birthday seems like a big deal to everyone — everyone but Elmira Gandy Crapps.”Everybody has birthdays,” she said.
Pictured above: Elmira Gandy Crapps receives a proclamation in her honor from Century Mayor Freddie McCall at Poplar Dell Baptist Church. Pictured inset: North Escambia resident Elmira Gandy Crapps turned 103 Sunday. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Good Business: Northview FBLA Students Place At District
January 30, 2010
Several Northview High School students placed at the Future Business Leaders of America District I Leadership Conference held at the University of West Florida recently.
The Northview High students that placed in the FBLA competition were:
- Kassandra Lett—2nd in Business Presentation team event
- Courtney Merritt–2nd in Business Presentation team event
- Katie Wieborg–2nd in Business Presentation team event
- Taylor Byrd—2nd in Introduction to Business Communications
- D. J. Robinson—2nd in Introduction to Technology
- Elizabeth Wright—2nd in Public Speaking I
- Brittany Pete—3rd in Business Procedures
- Jessica Bloodsworth—3rd in Job Interview
- Erin Fremin—5th in Business Calculations
- Lindra Street—6th in Business Math
Pictured above: (front, L-R) Courtney Merritt, Erin Fremin, Lindra Street, (back) Katie Wieborg, Jessica Bloodsworth, Elizabeth Wright, D. J. Robinson and Brittany Pete. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pajama-Rama Reading
January 29, 2010
Byrneville Elementary School celebrated Literacy Week in a variety of ways, including a Family Pajama-Rama Night Thursday evening. Parents and students spent the early part of the night at the school with blankets and pillows, bedtime snacks and lots of good bedtime stories.
During the week, guest readers also stopped by the school to read to the students. Thursday morning, NorthEscambia.com visited with Mrs. Thorton’s first grade class to read “If You Take A Mouse To School”.
Pictured above: Mrs. Thorton’s first grade class at Byrneville Elementary School after a Thursday morning story time. NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Care Center’s Gong Show
January 28, 2010
The staff and residents at Century Care Center recently took part in their own version of the old television series “The Gong Show”.
The Gong Show series, which first aired in 1976, featured variety entertainers in front of a panel of judges that could strike a large gong to force a particularly bad performer to stop.
During the Century Care Center Gong Show, Elaine Hill was gonged and won the prize for worst talent for her comedy routine.
For a look at the acts, click here for a photo gallery.
Pictured top: “The Unusual Supremes” Christy, Wendy and Gwen. Pictured inset: Jeannie Tweeter with her version of “Pants On the Ground”. Submitted photos by Mae Hildreth for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Walnut Hill Fire Dept. No Longer Feeling Blue
January 26, 2010
Things are no longer blue around the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue. Monday, workers began the process of repainting the outside blue building. Once they complete all four sides, the trim on the building will be painted a complimentary color New hurricane doors were installed on the station last year. Painting and other upgrades are also being done inside the building.
Pictured above: The process of repainting the outside of the Walnut Hill Fire Station started Monday. Pictured below: The building as seen in January, 2004. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Angel Mitchell Named Miss Northview High School
January 24, 2010
Freshman Angel Mitchell was crowned Miss Northview High School for 2010 Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd in the school’s theater. First Runner-Up was junior Caitlyn Brown, and Second Runner-Up was Sarah Killam, a junior.
The Top Ten consisted of: Caitlyn Brown, Lauren McCall, Charleigh McPherson, Lindsey Holderfield, Ariel Holland, Sarah Killam, Amber McMillan, Caroline Prater, Angel Mitchell and Felicia Settle.
Felicia Settle was named Miss Congeniality, and Lauren McCall was named Miss Physical Fitness. Miranda Burkett was named Miss Hospitality, and Caroline Prater was named Miss Poise and Appearance.
The pageant, which featured 30 contestants, was sponsored by teachers Anna Barry and Megan Carroll as a fund raiser for the school’s cheerleaders.
For a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click here.
Miss Northview High School Angel Mitchell is the 14-year old daughter of Christal Bell. She was selected as the 2008-2009 Ernest Ward Middle School Student of the year. Angel has been a member of the cross country team for one year, where she was awarded the 2009 Coaches Award. She is also a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, the theatre program, the guitar program, and the track team. She was selected as the 2009 October Student of the Month. In her community, Angel created the “Angel’s Outreach” volunteer service and is part of the Chain Reaction Organization. She was the winner of the “Take Stock” Scholarship project and was awarded Team Leader for Chain Reaction. Her hobbies include singing, dancing, cooking, and reading books written by James Patterson. Her plans are to attend Florida State University and major in Climatology. While there, she hopes to become a part of the dance team.
Pictured above: First Runner-Up Caitlyn Brown, Miss Northview High School Angel Mitchell, Second Runner-Up Sarah Killam. Pictured below: (front, L-R) Lauren McCall, First Runner-Up Caitlyn Brown, Miss Northview High School Angel Mitchell, Second Runner-Up Sarah Killam, Caroline Prater, (back, L-R) Charleigh McPherson, Miss Hospitality Miranda Burkett, Felicia Settle, Lindsey Holderfield, Ariel Holland and Amber McMillan. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge. 
Allison Woodfin Named Junior Miss EWMS
January 23, 2010
Sixth grader Allison Woodfin, 12, was named Junior Miss EWMS tonight at Ernest Ward Middle School.
First runner up was sixth grader Kaitlyn Abbott, second runner-up was seventh grader Morgan Ward, and third runner-up was eighth grader Mariah Albritton.
Victoria Wright received the Miss Hospitality, Miss Congeniality, and the Poise and Appearance awards. Hope Coggins was presented with the Physical Fitness Award.
Pictured above(L-R) Second Runner-Up Morgan Ward, First Runner-up Kaitlyn Abbot, Junior Miss EWMS Allison Woodfin and Third Runner-up Mariah Albritton. Pictured below: Allison Woodfin (left) reacts as she is named Junior Miss EWMS. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Allison Woodfin was sponsored by Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union and Tammie’s Cuttin Loose.
