If Iola sleeps in this morning, it’s excused.
After all, a sizeable chunk of townsfolk didn’t get to bed until the wee hours of this morning. So pull down the shades and roll over. You’ve earned those extra 40 winks.
The effort behind another successful Charley Melvin extravaganza cannot be overestimated. Countless hours on the part of Thrive Allen County and Allen County Crime Stoppers went into planning the various events.
Likewise, area organizations stepped up to the plate and got involved, proving once again it takes a village to make ANYTHING happen — at least successfully.
Yes, it was a busy time, but oh my, didn’t it feel good to come together for nothing other than to have a good time. No agenda. No competition — unless you put it on yourself for the 5K race. And no milestone to mark.
Of course the Charley organizers probably didn’t have that sense of laissez-faire. Both Thrive and Crime Stoppers use the proceeds from ticket sales and registrations to fund their worthwhile projects.
Crime Stoppers is effective in helping curb area crime. The organization gives rewards for tips on possible offenders or suspicions of wrongdoing. A board of directors decides the sum to be rewarded. The maximum amount is $1,0000. A dedicated phone line is used for the service. Tips also may be emailed or texted. Informants are assured anonymity.
Crime Stoppers also posts a “crime of the week,” on its website, allencountycs.org.
THRIVE’S purpose is to make Allen County a healthier place for people to live and work. Its goal is to make Allen County the “healthiest rural county in Kansas.”
The most obvious way Thrive has worked toward that goal is with its involvement with the walking and biking trails now running from Humboldt to north of Iola. Thrive has been instrumental in attaining grants to help build and maintain the trails.
It’s also the driving force behind The Movement, an exercise and healthy eating initiative that has recently involved 340 Allen Countians to lose a combined 2,040 pounds; an average of 6 pounds each.
Thrive also is working to help fight poverty, create better access to health care and spur economic development.
So, hats off to all who worked so hard, making for a very easy night for the rest of us.
—Susan Lynn
Pull the shades; Iola deserves to sleep in today
