Motorcycle club helps out students

[totalmotorcycle]

Motorcycle club helps out students
Monday, January 8, 2007 - Jackson Citizen Patriot - mlive.com



A motorcycle club recently ensured the Northwest High School German Club will compete in academic games in March at the University of Michigan.

The Centurion Motorcycle Club of Jackson -- a tight-knit group of 17 cyclists -- donated $400 to Northwest German teacher Kim Bowen so he could take the students, grades 9-12.

"We raised $700 for the trip but fell short because entry fees and bus transportation for 165 kids costs about $1,100," Bowen said. "The Centurions are generously giving these students a fantastic opportunity to compete in academic games in German with kids from all over southeast Michigan."


Northwest senior Ann Hathaway initiated the donation. She approached her father, Paul "Loner" Hrebec, vice president of the Centurions, for help.

"The guys in the club have known my daughter since she was really little and voted unanimously to help the school," Hrebec said. "The club understands the educational value and importance of a learning experience like this trip."

Gifts for kids

Area churches and organizations helped Bethel Baptist Church collect 12,797 gift-filled shoe boxes for children in need around the world.

Operation Christmas Child provides shoe boxes filled with school supplies, hygiene items and personal letters. It is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization.

Christina Callender, Bethel Baptist member and area project coordinator, said she, husband Marlin, and their three daughters got involved because they wanted children struggling in poverty, war or disaster to know someone cares.

"These boxes might be the one gift they get all year long that tells them that someone cares about them," Callender said.

This is the second year Bethel Baptist has served as a local collection center.

About 80 people volunteered, donating more than 700 hours to the shoe box project, said collection center coordinator Linda Parsons.

Edna Thornton, 93, wrapped more than 600 shoe boxes to help Vandercook Missionary Church participate in the project. Fellow church member Lydia Sattler said Vandercook's small congregation was able to make substantial contributions thanks to Thornton's dedication.

"It's a blessing that she would take on that much wrapping," Sattler said. "She's a wonderful woman who allowed us to store the boxes in her basement, and contribute all we did to Operation Christmas Child."

Jackson's shoe box donations were shipped by Roadway trucks to Charlotte, N.C., where they were screened and put on shipping containers to go abroad, said Jackson Area media coordinator Cathy Lehman.

"We had 13 people from Bethel Baptist travel to Charlotte to help with screening," she said. "Our goal was 13,000 shoe boxes and we feel really fortunate to almost obtain that amount with Jackson's current economic situation."