Here is something to cheer about:
“The Columbus North Bull Dogs Cheer Squad placed seventh in the nation’s preeminent high school cheerleading competition this past weekend in Florida,” The Republic’s Brad Davis reported this week.
Taking part in the 2024 Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) National High School Cheerleading Championship at Disney World, the North cheer squad was among more than 1,000 teams from across the country competing. North placed seventh in a division that included 27 teams.
“It’s so hard to get to the finals and the girls significantly improved throughout the weekend,” North coach Sarah Frasier told Davis. “They showed a lot of resilience and grit throughout the competition. They worked extremely hard and we couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Columbus East also was represented at the event, but the Olympians did not advance out of the preliminary round in its grouping of 52 teams.
Cheerleaders work and train hard to perfect routines that demand strength, agility and teamwork. We congratulate the squads from North and East for representing their schools and our community in a national competition they won’t soon forget.
Couple’s gift aids Franklin College
Amber (Robbins) Elwood credits her education at Franklin College for providing the foundation for her own career as an educator. She spent 24 years teaching at Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. before retiring last year.
So it was fitting when she and husband John Elwood, CEO of Columbus-based Elwood Staffing, stepped up with a naming rights commitment that will secure significant upgrades for the Franklin College Fitness Center.
“John and I are thrilled to be able to give back to the college that has given us so much,” Amber said.
“The renovation of this iconic facility at once preserves important institutional history and addresses the need for expanded recreational and athletic resources for our students,” Franklin College President Kerry N. Prather said.
The Elwoods’ gift will help renovate a historic structure on the campus while providing upgraded fitness facilities on a campus where more than half the student body participates in collegiate sports. And they’ll do so in a facility that fittingly will be known as the Elwood Fitness Center.
Kudos to the Elwoods for a meaningful gift that will keep giving for generations to come.
The sweet taste of success
One of the sweetest fun-raisers — er, fundraisers — you’ll ever experience is the Arc of Bartholomew County’s Always Ready For Chocolate event that took place Saturday at The Commons in Columbus.
The event is Arc’s largest of the year and raised about $25,000 for the organization that promotes and protects the human rights of individuals with disabilities and supports their inclusion and participation in the community.
“While the event is a small fundraiser, our big focus is to bring awareness to disabilities and organizations in the community that serve families,” Arc of Bartholomew County director Grace Kestler told The Republic’s Brian Blair.
Small? Certainly not in spirit, and for the 300-plus people who supported its mission, as well as the many vendors, artists and performers who took part, this year’s well-attended Always Ready for Chocolate was, as usual, quite a treat.
