Last weekend, once again the power behind ‘America’s Small Town’ blossomed as a golden flower of hope and kindness. The reason for living here was visibly on display.
Sunday, the annual Lions’ Club sponsored Bubba’s Battle 5K began promptly at 10 a.m. During the minutes leading up to the sound of the starting shot, I could not help but remember the inspirational and dynamic personality of the young man who tragically died from a brain tumor just a few years ago.
Jacob ‘Bubba’ Andrews— seemed like everyone knew and liked the former star athlete. He was one of those special few who could make anyone from age one to ninety smile and feel better before he left them. Then, fate dealt him a brain tumor. Why?
Roughly 150 people came to walk or run in his memorial 5k. Some so young, they could not have had the pleasure of knowing Bubba. But, I know their parents were talking or had spoken to those young ones about who he was and his special place in others’ lives.
I met his wonderful mom and dad, Cynda McGilton and Jim Andrews. Both visibly showed the emotion of gratitude that they had raised a man who had such positive and lasting impact upon so many.
It seemed only yesterday that they were in the midst of Bubba’s valiant battle against the evil scourge of cancer. Now, they stood Sunday, certainly recalling their poignant moments with their son and yet also admiring how so many people still want to carry on his memory with the 5k race.
“Bubba was so positive and inspiring,” said run-walker Cheryl Hicks.
Monies raised were donated to the Bubba’s Battle Scholarship Fund and toward helping the local Lion’s Club.
Yes, there is a power in our small town. A power certainly envied by many other locales of like or much larger sizes.
This power later came into focus at our Fire a Station where the Clyde Fire Department hosted one of its popular chicken barbecues. According to firefighter Kevin Winke 960 $9 boxed dinners were sold to help our fire department’s annual needs.
Raffles also were held to raise more money. To witness the good number of gracious workers working the barbecue chicken distribution only reinforced my impression of the significant ‘power of good’ that exists here.
Finally, Saturday local businesses teamed together in an event called the ‘Coffee Crawl’. Visitors and shoppers strolled through the Calico Cat, the Cahill Cafe, and browsed Aaron Wilson’s impressive new Edward Jones Investment office.
But just down the street, at Buckeye Styles, large numbers were stopping by for quick haircut, a raffle ticket , and a look at a variety of items being sold by silent auction. Organizers had to be quite pleased for the turnout for local resident Tanya Leiter, one of our unfortunate latest individuals suffering a cancer battle.
Seeing the numbers of community supporters running these worthy events, and observing the great numbers of people young and old participating at them certainly affirmed this writer’s claim that there is a real power within our fine town and community. It is a power shown by residents ‘giving’ and living in a way where we all can be mighty proud of our community.
