RaeQuan Scott named Player of the Year
201 5
page 24
page 18 Locally Owned & Operated www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
Volume 8, Number 14 • April 2 to 8, 2015
Honoring their daughters’ memory Matthews moms to help fight childhood cancer through 28-mile hike
Matthews Elementary receives a ‘boost’
by Crystal O’Gorman crystal@matthewsminthillweekly.com
reached out to the town. The public meetings regarding a sister-city partnership with Sainte Maxime began in fall 2013, but things took off following an interest meeting in July 2014 at Santé restaurant. “Sister Cities International (groups are) citizen-led and town-supported,” Dement said. “We needed to do things that engage and revolve around interest groups, so that it’s fun and it’s meaningful and it’s a true cultural exchange. Over the past eight months, that’s what’s happened.” Smaller interest groups, including French culinary and conversation groups, were subsequently formed and began meeting regularly, and Elizabeth Lane Elementary and Crestdale Middle schools both expressed interest and have become involved in the sister cities project. Interest continued growing in late 2014 and early 2015, as representatives from Matthews
MATTHEWS – Amy McKelvey and Kim Frizzell live in the same neighborhood, Providence Hills, but never met until both endured a mother’s worst nightmare – watching their child struggle and lose their life to cancer. “It’s a club you never want to belong to, but to have someone who really truly knows, it’s a kindred friendship,” McKelvey said. Frizzell’s daughter, Kalen, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2004. The treatments caused Kalen to develop chemicallyinduced Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). That’s the same type of naturally-occurring cancer McKelvey’s daughter, Emily Rose, was diagnosed with in 2008. Kalen died in 2008 at 14 years old, just months before then-17-year-old Emily was diagnosed with AML. She died just five months after her July 2008 diagnosis. Both women turned their grief into compassion, paying it forward to other children with cancer by participating in CureSearch’s Ultimate Hike fundraiser. CureSearch is a nonprofit that funds childhood cancer research and clinical trials, while also providing resources and education for the families of children diagnosed with cancer. Brecka Putnam, events
(see Sister Cities on page 5)
(see Hike on page 10)
Matthews Elementary School students learned the importance of fitness and their school community through Boosterthon, a nine-day program that teaches character development and fitness while raising money for the school. This year, the school pledged a profit of $41,116 through donation pledges from 47 U.S. states and 10 countries. The program culminated with a Fun Run event, in which students ran around the track while parents cheered for their children. See more in Courtney Schultz’s story on page 13. Courtney Schultz/MMHW photo
A tale of two cities Matthews to formally become ‘sister cities’ with Sainte Maxime, France by Josh Whitener editor@matthewsminthillweekly.com
MATTHEWS – A from-the-ground-up, citizen-led initiative to unite Matthews and a seaside city in France will come to fruition next week. A delegation from Sainte Maxime, France, will visit Matthews to experience local culture and sign documents formally uniting the two towns as “sister cities” through Sister Cities International, a non-profit citizen diplomacy network.
Sister Cities International seeks to strengthen partnerships between the U.S. and international communities by “(promoting) peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation … one individual, one community at a time,” according to its mission statement. The relationship between the two towns began when an American-born French citizen was tasked by the mayor of Sainte Maxime with identifying a potential American sister city, according to Barbara Dement, co-director of the Matthews USA/Sainte Maxime France Sister Cities initiative. The woman reached out to her parents, who were neighbors of Charlotte Councilman Ed Driggs, for suggestions. Driggs recommended Matthews, and Sainte Maxime
INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Education, 12; Faith, 16; Calendar, 22; Sports, 24; Classifieds, 27
Pediatric Boulevard
Union County’s largest pediatric therapy clinic offering services for children ages birth through 20.
Speech/Feeding Therapy • Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy • Aquatic Therapy Services
www.pediatricboulevard.com
704-821-0568
“Is your 13 month old walking independently, feeding himself with a spoon and imitating simple words???” Call us for a free screen to see if your child is meeting his or her developmental milestones appropriately.
S t ro ll in g D o w n th e B o u le v a rd