By STEPHANIE BEACH
Weekend trip to Traverse City -- memorable.
Dinner at Mabel's -- free.
Lesson in sharing, kindness and goodwill to all -- priceless.
Michele Darling and her family were visiting Traverse City recently from Eaton Rapids and were surprised when a couple bought their dinner at Mabel's restaurant. This "beautiful couple" made a huge impression on the entire family.
"Your random act of kindness was first a shock and then a wonderful opportunity for our children to learn about the kind side of people and how each of us has the ability to touch another person's life," Michele wrote. "Thank you for making us feel like such a special family. We will always remember our winter weekend family trip to Traverse City and the kindness of 'Mr. and Mrs. Mabel' (that's what we have named you when we speak of you and include you in our prayers). We pray you have a healthy, safe winter together."
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Martha Scarborough wrote on behalf of the members of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Elk Rapids to acknowledge the Acme Kmart staff and manager Andrew Brasington, the Elk Rapids Lions Club and the Elk Rapids Community Foundation for their support of another successful "Coats & Boots" program.
"Each year, the Acme Kmart offers a very generous discount for the program, enabling us to reach an ever increasing number of needy children in the area. As always assistance from the staff was great," Martha wrote. "Thanks also to the Lions Club and the Community Foundation for grants which enabled us to include so many children in the program. This year, 65 children received gift bags containing a jacket, snow pants, boots, socks, a hat, gloves and long underwear."
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Traverse City Area Public Schools' Students in Transition Empowerment Program (STEP) would like to thank all the individuals, businesses and organizations that supported the program during the holiday season.
This year, the program was able to provide gifts to 57 families with children ranging in age from newborn to 19. Each child received a "need" gift as well as a "wish" gift. This was made possible by the exceptional efforts and support of the Sunrise Rotary Club of Traverse City and Community Services Chair Kathy Wing, an anonymous donor, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse and Linda Dunigan, the Traverse City Record-Eagle and Carolyn Morrissey, the Grand Traverse County Democratic Committee and Diana Ketola, Meijer Inc., Grand Traverse Retirees Inc. and John Sanchez, the Flynn family, Traverse City High School staff, and countless community members and parents.
Stephanie Beach can be reached at sbeach@record-eagle.com.
