Hospital volunteers honored at banquet
Egypt- Glen Flora
Carol Russ

The 2008 annual Awards Banquet for the Hospital Volunteers of Wharton, Inc. was hosted by Gulf Coast Medical Center on April 29 in the O'Quinn Room of the Wharton Community Civic Center.

The theme was Volunteers: The Heart of the Community.

Raymond Harrison Jr., chairman of the GCMC board of trustees opened the event with a welcome. Carol Russ led the invocation. A catered meal was served to those in attendance.

Etta Mayfield talked about the last year's activities. The group has a new name, the Purple Heart Volunteers. Dr. Priscilla Metcalf presented the volunteer awards. Donna Svatek was named the Volunteer of the Year. Shannon Pickard was the evening's speaker. Carol Wootton was the emcee and new GCMC CEO,

Randy Slack, gave the closing remarks.

Thursday is Senior Citizens Day at the Wharton County Youth Fair. Wear a bandana or something pink. Pink has been chosen to raise awareness of breast cancer. I am a 16-year survivor. The gates open at 9 a.m. Betty Muegge and daughter Karen Rees of Glen Flora took a trip to Charleston, S.C., in the middle of April. They visited the Gullah people and got to watch them make baskets of sweet grass. Sweet grass production is ending and soon the baskets will be collectors' items. They also saw a dramatization of the Civil War, other cultures and visited museums and old buildings which have been preserved.

Wedding anniversary celebrations this week include Richard and Beatrice Watson today with 34 years; George and Bernice Kocian with 38 years on Friday; Ed and Bernice

Kopecky with 51 years on Monday; and Pat and Becky Kubala celebrate 29 years on Monday.

Happy birthday wishes go out today to Rosie Haller, Ann Hundl and Ima Mann. Other birthdays this week include Christi Taylor and Dominic Ward on Thursday; Joseph Felder, Jonathan Howell and Josephine Williams on Friday; Laura Hudgins on Saturday; Jevan Baca and Kaye McKinny on Sunday; Herman Blackshear and Clint Kalina on Monday; and Elisabeth Hood, Susan Freese and Bill Kincer on Tuesday.

The Wharton County Youth Fair will end another year Saturday. Congratulations to all the winners at the fair. Happy trails to all of you until we meet next year.

This Sunday is a special day for all mothers. Remember to take time to show your mother how much you appreciate and care about her. Happy Mother's Day to all of you.

The Twentieth Century District Youth Choir rehearsal will be at Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church in Eagle Lake at 3 p.m. on May 15 and 16.

Members of Greater Union Baptist Church in Matthews invite everyone to their pastor and wife Rev. and Mrs. Lawrence Roberton's 10th Appreciation Service at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 18. The word of God will be preached by Rev. G. Roberts of Shiloh Baptist Church in Edna.