'The Shoeman' Strikes Again: John Cary Students Donate Shoes

Proceeds from sale of shoes gathered by the John Cary Early Childhood Center will fund water wells in Africa.

Students at the John Cary Early Childhood Center collected hundreds and hundreds of pairs of shoes as a way to improve the living conditions of people in South America and Africa. The shoe donations were done to support the Shoeman Water Projects, which is located in Fenton. George Hutchings is ‘The Shoeman’ and has created a way to help impoverished people in several continents. The Shoeman Water Projects ships donated shoes to South American countries where they are sold to needy families for pennies on the dollar. The shoes collected by students at John Cary will be sent to Bolivia. Money from the sale of all shoes collected by the Shoeman Water Projects is used to drill water wells in African villages. 24 huge bags were filled with …

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Hageman Elementary School Book Fair Is a Win-Win Affair

Students, teachers and parents of Hageman Elementary School joined forces Saturday to create a meaningful service project.

On Saturday morning the activities room at Affton Christian Church became a bookstore for the day. Shelves of titles arranged by age groups circled the room with tables in the center for additional displays. The event, organized by Angela Siebum, a Hagemann Elementary School parent and Scholastic Book employee, had several positive aspects. Students and their parents who bought books received special pricing, funds were raised to purchase books for Ready Readers and Hagemann received baskets of books for each grade level.  “Ready Readers supplies books to low income pre-schools. Volunteers go to the schools and read to the youngsters. The organization has 116 participating facilities that serve over 7000 kids," Siebum said. "One day I saw …

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Whiz Kid: Volunteer Enjoys Playing Hockey

Emily Kohnen excels in school, is interested in politics and enjoys playing hockey.

Each Wednesday, Mehlville Patch will be highlighting a young person in the community who is making a positive difference in the lives of others. These kids are doing outstanding academic work, winning an award or exhibiting exemplary qualities. Know a great kid? Nominate them by e-mailing sarah.flagg@patch.com. Name: Emily Kohnen  Age: 9 School: Beasley Elementary School Accomplishment: Emily Kohnen is on the Gold Honor Roll at Beasley Elementary School and enjoys playing hockey for the Sharks. Key to Awesomeness: Emily Kohnen is a well-rounded scholar. Her stellar grades reflect her interest and dedication to her school studies, but she has many dimensions. One of those is her interest in current affairs and politics, which she gets from …

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Outstanding in Oakville

Outstanding in Oakville: Patricia Mullins

Since 2004, Patricia Mullins has been assembling needed items and sending them to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A group of women who all had children enrolled at Oakville Elementary School at the same time were always very involved in activities at the school. Patricia Mullins was one of those moms. She planned, organized and helped wherever and whenever there was a need. Then came the end of sixth grade and the children were moving on to different schools. After working together on school projects for several years, these “school” friends formed a Bunco club to keep in touch with each other. With her work at Oakville Elementary School complete, it was not long before Mullins was right back volunteering her time and money, but this time her focus was on sending packages to our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her Bunco club is always willing …

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Feed My People Annual Trivia Night Draws Hundreds

Feed My People hosted their annual trivia night and silent auction fundraiser at St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Catholic Church Parish Hall on Friday.

Over an hour before the event, the parking lot at St. Margaret Mary’s Parish Hall was filling up quickly. The Feed My People trivia night and silent auction is one of the local charity’s most successful fundraisers and a popular neighborhood event. A fun way to contribute to a good cause, the event sold out before the doors even opened. Advanced ticket sales had assured that there would be a large crowd in attendance. The St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish Hall, centrally located in the community, was just the right size to accommodate the 40 tables that each seated eight participants. Volunteers from Feed My People worked at the event while others purchased tickets and participated in the contest and auction. Most in attendance were there …

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Whiz Kid: Student Loses Locks to Raise Money for Cancer

Connor VanLoon recently had his head shaved and raised $135 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for children's cancer research.

Each Wednesday, Mehlville Patch will be highlighting a young person in the community who is making a positive difference in the lives of others. These kids are doing outstanding academic work, winning an award or exhibiting exemplary qualities. Know great kids? Nominate them by e-mailing sarah.flagg@patch.com.  Name: Connor VanLoon Age: 8 School: Bierbaum Elementary School Accomplishment: On March 5, Connor had his head shaved to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for childhood cancer research.   Key to Awesomeness: Conner first heard an appeal on the radio for volunteers to have their heads shaved to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for …

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Whiz Kid: Katlyn Sansone

Combining two of her interests, humanitarian work and photography, Katlyn Sansone created a Gold Award project for Girl Scouts, as well as many smiles from her subjects.

Each Wednesday, Mehlville Patch will be highlighting a young person in the community who is making a positive difference in the lives of others. These kids are doing outstanding academic work, winning an award or exhibiting exemplary qualities. Know great kids? Nominate them by e-mailing sarah.flagg@patch.com.  Name: Katlyn Sansone School: Mehlville High School Age: 18 Accomplishment: Sansone used her skills in photography to create portraits and family albums for women at Our Lady’s Inn, a women’s shelter for homeless, pregnant women and their children. Key to Awesomeness: When Sansone was deciding on a Gold Award project for Girl Scouts, she decided to combine two of her interests. Sansone’s passion is photography and she plans to make a…

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Outstanding in Oakville

Outstanding in Oakville: Jon Hicks

Jon Hicks views his retirement as the perfect opportunity to provide humanitarian-relief work here and abroad.

In 2006, after a successful 39-year career at Boeing, Jon Hicks felt it was time to retire. If, however, you are thinking that Hick’s idea of retirement is a rocking chair on the front porch or a series of luxury cruises, think again. After leaving his job, Jon Hicks created a completely new world of work for himself. In effect, he dedicated his retirement years to helping people in need both in the U.S. and abroad. As a member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ at 5508 Telegraph Road, Hicks was always active in mission work at church. Now, with his newfound time, he can further immerse himself in mission work and relieve suffering wherever he might be able to lend a helping hand. These opportunities to be of service to his fellow man …

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Whiz Kid: Jacob D. Simorka

Jacob "Jake" Simorka, senior at Oakville Senior High School, volunteers locally, nationally and internationally.

Each Wednesday Oakville Patch will be highlighting a young person in the community who is making a positive difference in the lives of others, doing outstanding academic work, winning an award, becoming an Eagle Scout, is an fine example for others or who exhibits other exemplary qualities. Whiz Kid: Jacob (“Jake”) D. Simorka Whiz Kid’s Age: 17 years old Whiz Kid’s School: Oakville Senior High School Whiz Kid’s Year in School: senior Whiz Kid’s Accomplishments: Jake is very involved with helping the homeless in St. Louis, a leader/ coach in the Extreme Faith organization  at Faith Lutheran Church and  finds time to raise funds for the Invisible Children Organization. Whiz Kid’s Key to Awesomeness: Jake’s humanitarian accomplishments and …

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Mehlville Firefighters Host Trivia Night for Backstoppers

The gymnasium at St. Matthias Catholic Church was the venue for a packed-house trivia night benefitting The Backstoppers Inc. and several local charities.

The eager entrants began arriving at the Firefighters Local 1889 trivia night at 6 p.m., one hour before the trivia began. Each of the 54 tables set up in the St. Matthias gymnasium held eight team members. Filled to capacity and with enough food on the tables to feed an army, the contenders visited, snacked and bought tickets for the basket raffles. Many in the crowd were firefighters, paramedics and their friends and families. Others were die-hard trivia buffs who travel the local trivia circuit on a regular basis.  Eureka firefighter and paramedic Brian Dempsey attended with his wife Stacey and  several tables full of friends and relatives. Their table, a tribute to the Blues, was one of the most elaborately decorated in the room. Their…

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