Donation will buy school supplies
By Ed Simmons, Jr.
cpreporter@lcs.net
The School Board on Monday night thanked representatives of the Wrights Chapel-Lake Caroline 10K for their donation of $4,500 in race proceeds. From Wrights Chapel United Methodist Church, where Rev. Charles Tillapaugh is pastor, the representatives were Hope Rosario and Rhonda Kolhagen, accompanied by her four-year-old daughter Brooke. Rhonda's husband Craig, a U.S. Marine Chief Warrant Officer and organizer of the run, was on duty and could not attend.
Twenty Marines from Marine Corps Air Station, New River in North Carolina ran in the race, held on Ladysmith Day, May 22. Another 20 young Marines heading to boot camp also ran in formation with their Fredericksburg recruiting sergeant, Staff Sergeant Carlton Petty. In all 200 runners participated. Kolhagen said he hopes for twice that many at the next 10K this spring. "We're hoping to do this for years to come," he said, thanking the residents of Lake Caroline for opening their roads for the runners. The $4,500 will be divided among all six Caroline schools to purchase supplies.
"We appreciate the community outpouring to help our schools," said Superintendent Greg Killough. "Due to the budget cuts we had to face, this will help teachers get the supplies they need to teach their classes." Rev. Tillapaugh said the following day, "We wanted to do something in light of the cuts that were being made to help the students of the community, and felt this was one small way we could help." Added Kohlhagen, "I'm glad we were able to be a part of making things better for the community."
In other School Board news, a payment of $328,000 was approved to A.D. Whittaker for a security upgrade at the schools. There will now be "buzz entry" at the schools and a two-way video camera at each school door activated by the buzzer to show school staff who is at the door before they open it. Additional security cameras have also been secured.
New Teacher Orientation is Monday, Aug. 16, with School Board members invited to meet the teachers at an 11:30 luncheon at the Middle School. The first day of school is Tuesday, Sept. 7.