Each Friday, The Gazette salutes those who make Emporia and the surrounding area a better place to live and work. Give these folks a pat on the back ...
Sutherlands yard manager Travis Hitt, for coordinating the first Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness Day, to take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sutherlands.
• Whitney Brooks, Ciara Currie, Marina Nevarez and Megan McRell, who all received award pins for volunteer work as candy stripers at Newman Regional Health. Brooks received a pin for 200 hours of service and Currie, Nevarez and McRell received pins for 25 hours of service.
• Christina Faulkner and Trish Miller-Wood, two area natives who have returned to Emporia to practice obstetrics and gynecology at the medical Arts Clinic.
• Kristin Chambers, who runs Winding Road Equine Rescue & Retirement, a non-profit organization near Beto Junction and whose mission is to rescue and rehabilitate abused and neglected horses. Winding Road is run by volunteers and is currently home to about 40 horses.
• Everyone who donated to the ESU Foundation in Fiscal Year 2008. The foundation raised $6.59 million, making 2008 one of its best fundraising years in its history.
• Bobby Thompson, owner of The Help Desk, 717 Commercial St., for bringing his computer expertise to the community.
• Lee Alderman, who since June has been in charge of operations at the Emporia Rescue Mission.
• H. Joseph Wen, the new dean of the School of Business at Emporia State University.
• And the teachers, students and staff members at Lyon County’s public schools. With August not quite halfway through, they are hard at work again.