COMMUNITY
Thursday, December 23, 2021
East Oregonian
A7
PHS students share holiday joy with community
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The halls of
Pendleton High School have been
busy with not only academics, but
eff orts to give back to the commu-
nity with a little holiday cheer. The
PHS Leadership Class recently
fi nished up a pair of projects.
The annual canned food drive,
which is a district-wide project,
includes all Pendleton School
District schools collecting canned/
nonperishable goods. According to
a press release from Ronda Thorn-
burg, executive secretary to the
superintendent, they are dropped
off at the high school for tallying
and then picked up by three local
groups who split the goods —
CAPECO, The Salvation Army
and St. Mary’s Outreach. The orga-
nizations will distribute the food
locally.
On Dec. 8, the food “corral”
down the hall from the main offi ce
was bursting at the seams as lead-
ership students organized the
food items. The goal of the drive
was 8,000 cans. PHS classes had
already contributed 3,241 items,
which according to Stu Clem,
Leadership advisor, is one of the
highest amount collected at PHS.
The totals collected from each
school are: PHS, 3241; McKay,
1844; Sherwood, 2595; Washing-
ton, 1265; SMS, 500; PELC, 1033.
The eff orts resulted in a grand total
of 10,478 food items.
Sophomore committee member
Anika Urbina said helping commu-
nity families has been a positive
experience for her.
“It really shows our school
spirit, and it’s not an expensive way
to make a diff erence,” she said.
Owen Golter, also a sophomore,
said several teachers really got into
the competition, which resulted in
more donations.
“It’s cool how people are will-
ing to share, which helps everyone
enjoy the holidays a little more,”
Golter said.
The other eff ort that has kept
PHS Leadership busy in Decem-
ber is the Adopt a Family proj-
ect. PHS student groups sign up
to help a certain number of chil-
dren by purchasing gifts. Various
organizations, like PHS Leader-
ship, girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’
basketball, National Honor Soci-
ety, FFA and more have partic-
ipated. PHS Leadership gets the
gift tags from The Salvation Army
with the needs of specifi c children,
including clothing sizes and gift
wishes.
Thornburg, in the press release,
said PHS Leadership has partic-
ipated in this project for many
years. They are providing gifts to
34 children this holiday season.
The four Leadership committee
students who have worked on the
Adopt A Family project have really
enjoyed it. They said they know
there are families in Pendleton
who can’t support all their needs
and it’s exciting to contribute to
the eff ort. Junior Hadley Brown
said it’s great for PHS teams and
clubs, too.
“I think it helps the culture
within your team or club to work
together on this,” she said.
Junior Rylee Demianew agreed,
saying the work is worth it.
“It’s really great to think of kids
waking up on Christmas morning
and experiencing joy.”
———
Contact community writer
Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@
eastoregonian.com or 541-564-
4532.
Ronda Thornburg/Contributed Photos
Members of the Pendleton High School Leadership Class help tally and sort donations for the annual food drive.
The December 2021 eff ort resulted in the collection of 10,478 food items, which will be distributed through local
food banks.
A Pendleton
High School
hallway near the
offi ce served as
a “food corral”
in December
2021 as mem-
bers of the
Pendleton High
School Lead-
ership Class
helped organize
donations for
area food banks.
Arts center says goodbye to longtime development director J.D. Smith
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Friends
of Pendleton Center for the
Arts are invited to stop by to
say farewell to J.D. Smith, the
longtime PCA development
director.
The drop-in event is
Wednesday, Dec. 29, 10 a.m.
to noon, at 214 N. Main
St., Pendleton. Masks are
required.
There will
be a short
program
at 11 a.m.
for boa rd
members,
s t a f f a nd
Smith
anyone else who would like
to attend.
Smith, who begins his
retirement the following day,
has shepherded the organiza-
tion through its fi rst 20 years
in the renovated Carnegie
Library building. Accord-
ing to a press release from
PCA Director Roberta Lava-
dour, Smith leaves a legacy of
having started the Art Rocks
Teens program, including the
free Rock & Roll Camp, now
in its 16th year, among many
other accomplishments.
“Keeping a nonprofi t arts
organization fi nancially stable
for two decades is no small feat,”
Susan DeMarsh, PCA board
president, said. “We would not
be where we are today without
J.D.’s skilled work.”
For more information,
contact 541-310-7413 or direc-
tor@pendletonarts.org.
———
Contact community writer
Tammy Malgesini at tmalge-
sini@eastoregonian.com or
541-564-4532.
26 th Annual
Christmas Spirit Award
Presentations
Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation
is pleased to announce the following as the
2021 Christmas Spirit Award Recipients:
Tom & Abbie Ditton
Tom and Abbie have a long, and mostly quiet, history of helping
people in need while also being very active within our community.
They serve in a variety of capacities at St. John’s Episcopal
Church. Tom, a local attorney for 39 years before retiring in 2013,
served on the school board for many years and continues to be an
active member of the Kiwanis Club. Abbie is the current president
of our local P.E.O. Chapter CV that provides support,
scholarships, loans, and grants to women pursuing educational
goals.
They have mentored and supported local high school and college
students with encouragement, support, and personal financial
assistance. They are quick to contribute their time and energy
without recognition or praise. Tom is known to occasionally pick up hitchhikers and help them
when they are in distress. Frequently, he takes people to medical appointments in Hermiston
and Tri-Cities. After retirement from his law practice, he volunteered to play his long-forgotten
trumpet in a horse mounted band for the Round-up parade. Abbie too has been no less
influential in supporting local causes.
Tom and Abbie raised two generous children that have contributed to their communities in their
own ways as well. The Ditton home is always ready to welcome family and friends. The extent
of their generosity is known and appreciated by those who have received their gracious support
within the community.
It is for these reasons that Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation, which strives to
make our community a better place to live, has selected Tom & Abbie Ditton as 2021 Christmas
Spirit Award recipients.
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Scott and Melissa are long-time believers in helping other people.
They often turn individual contacts with others into personal
friendships and relationships.
Scott and Melissa’s efforts include providing meals to those in need
and those that are celebrating milestones, giving recognition for hard
work, and developing special bonds in diverse settings. They spend
endless hours serving others in distress with a can-do attitude and
mentality. Their advocacy on behalf of others has changed lives. Their
warmth and friendliness are a blessing to all. These characteristics
have been shared with their two boys that live life full of heart.
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Scott has spent much time and effort with our local LaCrosse league and Melissa has led the way in
creating and implementing kindness campaigns that will impact our community for good for many
years to come. They infuse our community with professionalism and can-do attitudes. Our area ball
fields, gyms, special projects, and service organization events are replete with the name of Purswell
Pump listed as “sponsors” or “supporters.” The family, including their business, is dedicated to the
success of Hermiston and its residents.
Hermiston is Scott and Melissa’s village. They feel strongly about youth, families, and are
instrumental in building strong relationships to foster individual care for all. They are highly sought
after for their expertise in a variety of capacities and their willingness to support is infectious. They
are true role models and examples to those around them.
It is for these reasons that Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation, which strives to make our
community a better place to live, has selected Scott & Melissa Purswell as 2021 Christmas Spirit
Award recipients.
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The Foundation mission is to enhance the quality of life and general health of residents living in
West Umatilla and Morrow County communities by raising funds and giving to community projects.
Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation reviews funding requests and makes awards for
worthwhile projects twice a year. The next deadline for submitting grant applications to the Foundation is
January 31, 2022. Groups or individuals interested in making a donation or being considered for funding
are encouraged to call the Foundation office at 541-667-3419.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season!
