Dear Editor:

I would like to thank the residents of Hartselle for generously participating in our 13th annual Caring Day.

The City of Hartselle collected 8,860 canned goods! Sixty-five turkeys and 47 hams were donated by our merchants and purchased with money donated by civic clubs, companies, and churches. The food will be distributed among the Caring Place, the First Church of the Nazarene, the First Assembly of God, and the First United Methodist Church food pantries. I would like to thank Ray Lotter, the manager of Hometown Grocery for working with us to purchase the turkeys and hams. I would also like to thank the Dollar Tree for joining us as a drop off location and the Hartselle Enquirer for their generous donation.

I would also like to thank the city employees that worked this year to make this event a success. Byron Turney, Glen Hollings-worth, Wesley Massey, Roger Aldridge, Charles Woodard, Robert Fricks, Greg Mayfield, Scotty Burgett, Donna Barr, Annette Cryer, Charles Haggen-maker, David VanKoughnet, Harley Hopp and Charles Russell worked to be sure that all the canned foods were collected and taken to the Caring Place. Hank Quattlebaum, Tony Kelsoe, Mark Peck, and Chris Wallace with the Hartselle Board of Education collected the canned foods from the schools.

I would also like to thank all the banks in Hartselle for participating again. Crestline School, Barkley Bridge, Burleson, the Junior High School and the High School came through for us again this year!

Carolyn Wallace with Hartselle Beautification Association helped me to organize the event; Virginia Alexander with the Caring Place worked hard to be sure that the counting, sorting, and distribution went quickly and smoothly. Pastors Dave Melton, Robert Sparkman, and Jess White worked with me on this project.

Thank you for caring and making this event a community effort with everyone working together to collect canned food items for Thanksgiving!

Susan Seibert
Administrative Clerk
Department of Development
City of Hartselle