Dear Editor,

Last Saturday, a good community happening took place. It was good in what was done; it’s somewhat sad to know why it happened.

On Saturday, the community of Effingham County invited the members of the Alpha Battery (the local National Guard) to a Christmas lunch. They came, they enjoyed it and the folks from the community who were there were glad they could be a part of it.

The lunch consisted of the traditional Christmas meal — turkey, dressing, gravy, ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and wonderful, fresh made hot rolls, and for dessert, peach cobbler and cake. When one considers who made it happen, the winner, hands down, is Liz Dean and her cafeteria staff at the Ebenezer Middle School. They put in many volunteer hours to prepare this meal and have it ready to serve at noon on Saturday. Folks, you can hardly buy that kind of service, much less have it volunteered.

Troops came, made a few promotions and the kids enjoyed Santa Claus. The purpose of this event was to show our present day Minutemen that we admire them for their commitment to serve, we appreciate their place in our present day history and another important note is that we also appreciate the sacrifices that their families make. This unit will be mobilized shortly after the first of the year and will be deployed to Afghanistan for a year- long tour around the first of April.

How did this happen? It happened because the community came together in support. Those providing support were: Effingham County Commissioners, City of Rincon, City of Springfield, Effingham Industrial Development Authority and staff, Kroger, Guyton IGA, Snooks IGA, First Effingham Bank, Atlantic Southern Bank, Citizens  Bank, Coastal Bank, Rotary Club of Effingham, Rotary Club of Effingham Sunrise, Exchange Club of Effingham, Veterans Park board, Ruth and Bill  Lee, Harriett and Slade Helmly, Rick and Vickie  Smith, Johnson’s on 4th,  First Baptist Church of Springfield (for use of the facility), staff of Ebenezer Middle School cafeteria (for food preparation), Effingham Board of Education (use of school facility), and organizers Patrice Morris, Ruth Lee and Gussie Nease.    

The work of those who came to decorate the tables for a Christmas occasion cannot be left off:  Sunrise Rotary, Tax Assessors Office, office of the Clerk of the Superior Court, office of the Solid Waste Dept., Linda McDaniel and Joyce Ann Tuten, and Gussie Nease and Associates.

There were several elected officials who came and assisted in serving the buffet line: Reggie Loper, Bob Brantley, Jon Burns, Butch Kieffer and Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie.

Folks,  it was a grand occasion, be proud that you are part of community that will come together for such an event that is the right thing to do and ought to be done.

Ruth Lee