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Hildebrandt, Lady Rebels slip past Lady Mustangs
Lady Rebels goalie Sydney Martinez leaps to deflect a shot away from the net midway through the second half Thursday. Seconds earlier, Amber Whitten had given the Lady Mustangs a 1-0 lead.
- photo by Mark Lastinger/staff
Staff Report
Updated: Feb 16, 2018, 3:31 AM
Published: Feb 16, 2018, 3:52 AM
GUYTON -- Despite an abundance of early misfires Thursday afternoon, the Effingham County Lady Rebels hit their ultimate target -- a soccer victory over county rival South Effingham.
Bailee Hildebrandt tallied two goals in the final 9:47 to send the Lady Rebels to a 2-1 win at the Corral.
"Our girls did an excellent job of holding their formation and dominating possession," Lady Rebels coach Blake Kessler said. "My goal was to come into it and dominate the midfield and I think we did that. We created a lot of chances. We were just unlucky.
"It goes that way a lot of times."
Hildebrant scored the game-winning goal with 2:32 left on a penalty kick.
See the Feb. 21 edition of the Effingham Herald for more details.
Effingham Donates 6,900 Shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child
Cohen Busbee packs a shoebox with toys, school supplies and personal care items for Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child. (Submitted photo)
Updated: Nov 26, 2025, 7:11 PM
Published: Nov 25, 2025, 2:28 PM
RINCON, Ga. — Effingham County’s generosity will soon be felt across the globe. Local churches, civic groups and residents combined to donate 6,900 gift-filled shoeboxes this year for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse that delivers presents — along with a message of Christian faith — to children in need around the world.
Volunteers fuel participation
Among those helping lead the effort are Pat and James McElveen, who serve as project leaders for First Baptist Church of Rincon. The couple collects items for their church year-round, coordinates volunteers and helps involve people of all ages in the packing process, including seniors, Bible school groups and individuals from the Low Country Down Syndrome Society.
Operation Christmas Child, operated by the Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, aims to share the Gospel while providing what may be a child’s first gift. Each shoebox contains a “WOW” item, along with other small toys, personal care items, school supplies and clothing. Last year, the organization delivered nearly 12 million shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.
James and Pat McElveen (back row) stand with Cohen (left) and Asa Busbee in a room where shoeboxes have been packed for Operation Christmas Child. (Submitted photo)
Churches, civic groups and residents all contribute
This year’s local total includes contributions from churches across the county — including First Baptist Rincon (5,100 shoeboxes) and Springfield Oaks (1,800 shoeboxes), which also serves as a drop-off site — along with Boy Scouts, high school groups and individual residents who pack boxes throughout the year. Pat said the wide community involvement is what makes the effort meaningful.
All 6,900 local boxes were delivered this week to Metter, where they will be transported to Atlanta for processing before being shipped around the world. Because many deliveries travel into remote regions, not every gift arrives by Christmas, and distributions continue throughout the year.
Once the shoeboxes reach their final destinations, each child receives both the gifts and a booklet explaining the Christian message in their language. For the McElveens and FBC Rincon, that message is at the heart of the project. ”It’s all about Jesus!”
With another successful collection completed, the McElveens say they are already preparing for next year and looking forward to the thousands of children who will once again open a shoebox packed by caring hands in Effingham County.
