Vol.121 No. 44 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 January 6 - 12, 2013 The DALLAS POST. @"'-«ES-BARRE, PA. www.mydallaspost.com AN EDITION OF THE TIMES LEADER Remember CC by donating blood By SARAH HITE Dallas Post Correspondent Terri Besecker tries to wear something - a piece of jewelry, an article of clothing - every day to remember her daughter, Ceci- lia, who died in a car accident on June 28, 2012. Now family, friends and com- unity members can do their @ to keep the memory of Ce- cilia, affectionately known as “CC,” alive while helping others. A blood drive in memory of Cecilia will be held at St. There- se’s Roman Catholic Church in Shavertown from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10. The blood drive will benefit the Wyoming Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. An employee of St. Therese’s Church, Terri said the church hosts blood drives throughout the year. She thought it might be a good way to keep Cecilia’s memory alive. Participants, in addition to making an appointment with the Red Cross, are encouraged to wear polka dots and pearls, which were staples of Cecilia’s wardrobe. “I used to call her Pearl be- cause she used to have pearls on all the time,” Terri said. “What kid wears pearls? But she loved them.” The 22-year-old Dallas High School graduate was attending Indiana University of Pennsylva- nia and studying fashion mer- chandising at the time of her death. People who knew Cecilia 'CC’ Besecker say she knew how to have a good time. Besecker was killed in an automobile accisent in June 2012. Her memory will be kept alive at a blood drive set for Thursday. “She kind of set her own path with fashion,” Terri said. “She could put anything together and just really pulled it off.” Courtney Besecker, Cecilia's twin sister, said Cecilia was al- ways the brave one, and she even attempted to give blood once in high school, though she had a fever at the time and could not donate. “I was too much of a chicken to do it,” Courtney said. Though the twins had their differences - Courtney is study- See CC, Page 7 BELTING OUT A CHRISTMAS CAROL BILL TARUTIS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Madison Birth, left, and Brace Roote sing during the Ross Elementary School kindergarten holiday program. For more photos from the program, please turn to page 8. BILL TARUTIS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Three-year-old Ryan Crawford, of Dallas Township, receives a Penguins bobblehead from radio announcer Mike O'Brien. Santa Tux is big hit with kids at library By GIA MAZUR Dallas Post Correspondent Players from the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre Penguins hockey @- visited the Back Moun- Plain Memorial Library during “Christmas with the Pen- guins” to read Christmas sto- ries to local children and pro- mote the importance of litera- cy among youth. Team mascot, Tux, came dressed in a festive Santa suit, 09815120079Nl,y LO “[The kids] get excited to see us, but then Tux shows up and it's like we're in the background. He cracks me up, though. He's so funny.” Bobby Farnham Penguins hockey player red hat and all, shaking hands with children and the adults who accompanied them. He danced around and shook bells, conducting the crowd in a rendition of “Jingle Bells.” The children, as well as most adults, joined in singing the Christmas carol to get in the See TUX, Page 7 Looking beyond th DHS graduates give up part of Christmas vacation to serve homeless men. By ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER Ibaumeister @theabingtonjournal.com Nine Dallas High School grad- uates, along with many other volunteers, took the opportuni- ty this Christmas season to look beyond their own holiday wish- es, reaching out to care for the needs of a group of people who otherwise may not have had a merry Christmas: the homeless. Rebecca Stull and Emily Col- lins, both freshmen at Temple University, gathered a group of friends, including Kaylin Rus- sell, Kelly Healey, Catherine Coslett, Dana Jolley, Morgan Dingle, Elizabeth Hoover and Yael Chodosh to volunteer dur- ing Christmas at Camp Orchard Hill The event, now in its fourth year, ran from Dec. 17 to 31, dur- ing which time a group of about 25 homeless men were given beds to sleep in, a place to show- er, three meals a day, recreation- al opportunities, Christmas pre- sents and friendly people with whom to share the holiday. The camp’s event was one stop in an ongoing program run by Mother Theresa Shelter, a subdivision of Catholic Social Services. Stull, Collins and their friends volunteered Dec. 27, working in the kitchen. Stull explained they helped out with whatever need- ed doing, such as serving food, cleaning up and simply sitting and talking with the guests. The group also volunteered during last year’s event, doing the same things. The year before, Stull and Collins volunteered during eir own wish lists ELIZABETH BAUMEISTER PHOTOS/ THE DALLAS POST Bill Ackerman, of Dallas, serves Christmas dinner to a homeless man at Camp Orchard Hill. Join- ing Ackerman are, from left, Masha Ackerman, Yuri Ackerman and Kaylin Russell. a similar Easter event at. the camp for their senior project when they were juniors at Dallas High School. When asked why they keep coming back, Collins said, “We just enjoyed being around the men and doing something for them.” Stull said the best part of the See BEYOND, Page 7 Dallas High School graduates who volunteered their time at Camp Orchard Hill during the Christmas holiday are, from left, kneeling, Elizabeth Hoover and Morgan Dingle. Standing, Emily Collins, Kelly Healey, Catherine Coslett, Rebecca Stull, Kaylin Russell, Dana Jolley and Yael Chodosh.
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