Community roundup: Food bank to give away fresh produce

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Golden Harvest Food Bank will hold a produce distribution Thursday in the parking lot of its Faith Food Factory location, 3301 Commerce Drive.

During the event from 5:30-7:30 p.m., families can get fresh produce loaded into their vehicles.

Golden Harvest Food Bank and its more than 300 partner agencies have continued to provide fresh produce for community members throughout the year, and the produce distribution comes as rising costs of food are putting families in tough situations. Data from Feeding America shows 1 in 8 people in Golden Harvest’s 25-county service area are food-insecure.

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“Many families are having to make difficult decisions when it comes to paying their bills versus putting food on the table,” said Golden Harvest Food Bank President and CEO Amy Breitmann. “In addition to all the great produce that has been going out to our partners, we are proud to be doing these direct distributions during a time that is extremely challenging for families trying to make ends meet.”

Volunteers will place fresh produce including items such as carrots, corn, potatoes and radishes in the trunks of incoming vehicles. Each car may receive enough produce to feed two families.

Please arrive in a vehicle with the trunk empty.

Mature adults invited to participate in games

AIKEN, S.C. - The Thoroughbred Games - Senior Sports Classic, presented by South Aiken Physical Therapy is a local opportunity for adults ages 40 and older to compete against like-minded peers in a safe and friendly environment.

The non-sanctioned event provides a potential stepping stone towards the South Carolina Senior Sports Classic and the National Senior Games for those who wish to continue in competition.

The Aiken Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department invites people of all ability levels to enjoy our programs, parks, and facilities.

For complete details and to register, go to Active.com and search for the Thoroughbred Games. Registration is open now through Sept. 9,.

Local filmmaking classes set for this fall

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Georgia Film Academy conjunction with Augusta Tech, Augusta University and IndieGrip are beginning classes for their fall semester.

GFA classes are a fast track towards gaining the needed knowledge and experience to work in the film industry. GFA classes are available for traditional or nontraditional students, and welcome anyone considering a career change or second career.

The classes are taught by an experienced film professional and offered once a week on Tuesdays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at IndieGrip in Augusta.

Upon completion of the GFA classes students have the option of completing an internship through GFA on an approved film production or may be able to go directly to work on smaller projects.

To register, visit https://eris.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/fscmUI/learning/index.html.

“The Georgia Film Academy classes are an integral part of growing the film crew in Augusta,” said Jennifer Bowen of Film Augusta. “Growing the local film crew is an important piece of continuing to grow the film industry in our community. If you’ve ever been interested in working in film or television production this is great way to start,” said Bowen.

Limited scholarship funds are available.

Three Evans Scouts earn their Eagle rank

These three Evans Scouts just earned their Eagle honor.(Contributed)

EVANS, Ga. - On Monday, Will Symonds, Orion Kotas, and Nicolas Lopez had their Eagle Court of Honor, where they received recognition for earning Eagle Scout Rank.

The three Scouts are members of Troop 643 in Evans.

The Eagle Scout rank is the highest and most prestigious achievement in Scouting. To earn Eagle rank, Scouts must earn at least 21 merit badges, fulfill leadership roles, display outdoor skills, demonstrate by example the Scout Oath and Law, and complete a comprehensive service project in the community. Highly respected, the title of Eagle Scout carries with it special significance not only in Scouting but also in school, business, and the community.

Symonds has been a Scout since 2011 and earned a total of 32 merit badges. He completed his Eagle Scout project in December 2021. His project was a vermiculture storage shed and it took him over 153 hours to complete.

Kotas has been a Scout since 2010 and earned a total of 26 merit badges. He completed his Eagle Scout project in October 2021. His project was a Guatemala donation drive, and it took him over 20 hours to complete.

Lopez has been a Scout since 2010 and earned a total of 28 merit badges. He completed his Eagle Scout project in January 2022. His project was a dog house build and donation, and it took him over 97 hours to complete.

Mended Hearts group makes donation to USC Aiken

Mended Hearts made a donation to the University of South Carolina Aiken.(Contributed)

AIKEN, S.C. - The University of South Carolina Aiken recently received a contribution from the Mended Hearts of Aiken.

The dean of the School of Nursing, Dr. Thayer McGahee, accepted the donation, noting, “This gift comes just in time for our returning and new students. We are so excited to apply this gift to three needed items for nursing: Chester, a chest maniken that assists with placing and accessing various types of central lines; a fetal monitoring system; and two advanced IV training arms. We could not be happier with our continued partnership!”

Mended Hearts of Aiken has supported USC Aiken for many decades and has been generous to both the USC Aiken Wellness Center and the School of Nursing.

Mended Hearts also donated $4,000 to provide supplies needed in the training of nursing students at Aiken Technical College. Since 2007, Mended Hearts has donated nearly $80,000 to support the college’s nursing program and students.

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BANJO-B-QUE FEST: Tickets are on sale now at http://banjobque.com for the Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que Festival on Oct. 14 and 15 at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Grovetown. In addition to music, there will be a Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned barbecue competition featuring cooks from across the country. All proceeds benefit the Joseph R. Pond Memorial Foundation, which benefits the CSRA Foundation.