Profile 2021

Profile 2021

THE YEARBOOK OF SHELBY COUNTY

UNSUNG HEROES

MAKING A DIFFERENCE BEHIND THE SCENES

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As journalists, often the stories we tell are shaped by who is telling us about them. We get press releases about corporate leaders, meet municipal leaders at city council meetings, and receive emails about talented athletes, musicians and writers. But when it came time to start working on this year’s issue of Profile, we asked a different question: Who are the people making a difference in this community who wouldn’t otherwise receive recognition? Who are our unsung heroes?

That’s just what we asked you, our readers, to tell us. And tell us you did.

You wrote us about cafeteria workers, postal workers and nonprofit volunteers. You wrote us about teachers, nurses and restaurant managers. And you wrote us about social workers, homeowner’s association presidents and civil servants.

In the pages that follow, we highlight 53 such heroes among us that came from your emails—the people who don’t seek recognition but more than deserve praise for the ways they serve those around them. There are

certainly countless more in Shelby County, but we hope by sharing some of their stories we can affirm the importance of each difference maker in our community, whether they deliver meals or care for children or minister to the sick.

As we publish this issue, we are nearing the one-year anniversary of when the COVID-19 pandemic began in the U.S. Vaccines are rolling out, but we know not when this strange season of avoiding crowds, wearing masks, and questioning what we should and should not do will end. Amidst all the crazy of this time, though, I think we can all agree that cleared schedules and rising fears have brought back into focus what matters most: caring for our family, friends and neighbors.

And so I am extra grateful those are the stories we are bringing you in this year’s issue of Profile. Read on to learn accounts of some of those folks around us, but I also encourage you to think on who the unsung heroes in your life are, and then to take the time to remind them how much they matter, with spoken words or written ones.

You won’t regret it.

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THE YEARBOOK OF SHELBY COUNTY EDITORIAL Alec Etheredge Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Scott Mims Emily Sparacino

DESIGN Jamie Dawkins Connor Martin-Lively Brittani Myers Kimberly Myers Briana Sansom

MARKETING Darniqua Bowen Kristy Brown Evann Campbell Jessica Caudill Kari George Caroline Hairston

MADOLINE MARKHAM, EDITOR madoline.markham@shelbycountyreporter.com

ON THE COVER

Rachel Henderson Kinley Johnson Rhett McCreight Viridiana Romero Brittany Schofield

Profile 2021

THE YEARBOOK OF SHELBY COUNTY

UNSUNG HEROES

MAKING A DIFFERENCE BEHIND THE SCENES

DIFFERENCE MAKERS The unsung heroes featured in this issue include (clockwise from the main image): cemetery foreman Brian Hudson, hospital volunteer Claire Thompson, School Resource Officer Sasha Lilly Knighten, Meals on Wheels volunteer Greyson Palmer and daycare owner Khiari McAlpin.

Lisa Shapiro Savana Tarwater Kerrie Thompson

ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Daniel Holmes Stacey Meadows

PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY DESIGN BY CONNOR MARTIN-LIVELY

Tim Prince

SHELBY COUNTY NEWSPAPERS, INC.

FIND US ONLINE + ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHELBYCOUNTYREPORTER.COM

P.O. BOX 947 COLUMBIANA, AL 35051 205.669.3131

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FEATURES

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Someone To Look Up To

You’d think a celebrity walked inside the school when School Resource Officer Sasha Lilly Knighten enters, and for good reason.

Even in the Rain

A pandemic wasn’t going to stop 83-year-old Greyson Palmer from making sure those in need were fed with food and encouragement.

Strong Like Eli

How a Chelsea student beat the odds with faith and positivity after an accident left him with a traumatic brain injury.

An Answered Prayer

For many people, Lucinda Thomas is the helper they desperately need—and she embraces that role.

All About Relationships

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All the Love I Have

Maplewood Lane is a second home for Shay McNeal, with a second family she cares for no matter what comes.

Just Go Out & Help Someone

How Dennis Bogart never stops helping others—first through a career in science and now through disaster relief.

Wonder Woman

Destiny Riekeberg’s bravery and kindness in her battle with liver cancer inspired many—and even garnered the attention of a few celebrities.

Meet More Unsung Heros 8 Person of the Year: Frontline Workers 10 Portraits of Heroism: Part I 20 Who Is Your Hero?: What Kids Told Us 56 Heroes Among Us 100 Portraits of Heroism: Part 2

The Gate Coach

Thompson students and players from the past five decades will never forget J.C. Whitfield’s selfless service at athletic games.

Scott Dillard‘s efforts are behind many new gems at the University of Montevallo, but if you bring them up, he’ll just point you to the students they serve.

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PERSON OF THE YEAR FRONTLINE WORKERS PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

As we reflected back on 2020, there was no question that the Person of the Year was not just one individual but a collection of them: our frontline workers. When a pandemic came, many of us stayed home for weeks and months working on laptops and video calls, but not these folks. They got up each day and headed to hospitals, fire and police stations, grocery stores and our mailboxes. Because of them, our sick were cared for, we were fed (and had toilet paper), and essential systems kept going. For each of these people—our ultimate unsung heroes of this year—we are grateful.

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PORTRAITS OF

HEROISM PART I

PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY TEXT BY SELAH VETTER & CONTRIBUTED

CLAIRE THOMPSON SHELBY BAPTIST HOSPITAL VOLUNTEER

A retired teacher, 91-year-old Claire Thompson has spent ten years giving back to the community by volunteering at the Shelby Baptist Hospital. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and hospital volunteers weren’t able to come to the hospital anymore, she knew there was still a way she could keep on supporting the patients and employees.

Claire now writes 24 cards a week in her home to patients and employees at the hospital. Patients and staff appreciate Claire’s letters of encouragement of wishing them well or congratulating on a job well done.

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BRIAN HUDSON

MONTEVALLO CEMETERY FOREMAN When families are grieving over a lost loved one, Brian Hudson steps in.

As a foreman at the Alabama National Cemetery, it’s his job, along with his team, to prepare graves and burial ceremonies. His job allows him to respect the deceased and provide a helping hand to these families during their difficult time. It’s also his team’s job to plant flowers and keep the grounds neat and clean to continue to honor those buried there and their loved ones who visit.

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SONJA TAYLOR

STERRETT POSTAL WORKER Sonja lives in Sterrett and works for the Sterrett post office delivering to Chelsea. She is always friendly whether it be saying hello or waving to dog walkers, or leaving little congratulatory cards for homes with new babies, or treats for the kids in the mailbox on holidays. During this pandemic she has been so incredibly busy with package deliveries that she will make multiple trips through the neighborhood each day to be sure everyone gets what they need. She will comment on our neighborhood Facebook page and let us know if the mail is running early or late and how many trips she’ll be making. If a package has been lost or if the tracking info is confusing, she will help you find it and let you know if you have a delivery that day coming to you.

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KHIARI MCALPIN

ALABASTER DAYCARE OWNER Khiari McAlpin takes care of the community’s kids in her daycare, Vinehouse Nursery. Open for three years now, Vinehouse has changed the approach of what daycare should be. Khiari believes in small classroom sizes with two teachers, encouraging oneon-one learning. Without charging extra, Khiari offers extra services to her kids, such as Zumba classes and Spanish class with a local high school teacher. She also supports other small businesses by catering lunch for her kids every day.

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PERSONALIZED AND CUSTOM ITEMS, HTV AND PERMANENT VINYL, CRAFT BLANKS, APPAREL AND JEWELRY

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RON HOLLY

HELENA CABOOSE GREETER If you’ve been to Helena’s Caboose Welcome Center, you’ve probably been greeted by a smile from Ron Holly. As an active Helena community member, it makes sense that he’s the greeter at the city welcome center. Cheerful and accommodating, Ron volunteers for multiple community endeavors in Helena, such as the Buck Creek Festival and Farmers Market Board that hosts the Helena Market Days—any way he can find to be hospitable to anyone he meets.

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CALERA FIRST RESPONDERS ADAM BOOTH, JESSE DEERMAN, HEATHER PRICE AND KATIE CAIN

When a child’s life was in need of help, first responders Adam Booth and Jesse Deerman came to the rescue.

On July 31, 2020, as the child’s family drove on I-65, they called 911 to help their child in cardiac arrest with medical assistance right away. Dispatchers Heather Price and Katie Cain arrived first to help the family move to a safe place, before Adam, Jesse and Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy Luigi Ragazzoni used CPR and an AED defibrillator to revive the child. Calera Fire personnel also administered advanced life support on the scene—a team act of heroism all around.

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DEBORAH ANN FOSTER ALABASTER MINISTER

After battling depression herself, Deborah Ann Foster now encourages everyone she meets to keep pressing through their hard times. She founded GEMTYME, Get Empowered Me, by Training Your Mind Every Day, with a motto “Each One Reach One.” Deborah coaches others to incorporate fitness in their lives and live by a healthy holistic attitude to create a better quality of life that encompasses the mind, body and spirit. She also serves as Executive Pastor at MTZion Cathedral Church, where she leads and mentors those in need.

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KRISTY WILDER

BROOK HILLS EARLY LEARNING CENTER DIRECTOR This mom of five works incredibly hard, using her gifts and talents to invest in and improve the lives of others. As she leads the Brook Hills Early Learning Center, she has gone above and beyond to keep the school running throughout the COVID pandemic, always with a beautiful smile, joyful spirit and utmost professionalism and wisdom to keep things as safe, consistent and beneficial for the children in her care. She invests in all the students’ needs and is the best kind of teammate to parents. Kristy even, in partnership with The Church at Brook Hills, offered no-cost supervised classrooms for school-age students in the community with working parents when Shelby County Schools were only in person two days a week due to the pandemic.

We couldn’t be more thankful for her and the fantastic learning center she runs.

— Ashley Farlow PROFILE 2021

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WHO IS YOUR HERO? WE ASKED LORI ANNE COFFEY’S SECOND-GRADE CLASS AT CALERA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. HERE’S WHAT THEY SAID.

BRAXTEN ALDRIDGE My hero is my mom because she gave birth to me. She helps me when I’m sad. She cooks food for me.

NYA BYRD

TYWON CLARK

LELAND DEMIANENKO

My hero is my dad because he saved us when there was a fire. He helps me with my homework.

My hero is my cat, Binx, because when I am sad she comes to me. I pet her and feel better.

PRUDENCE FULLER My hero is my dad. My dad works for G.M.C. Let’s keep that short for now. My dad is the boss but not of the whole company. My dad is my hero because he is building something to help coronavirus to go away.

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AYDEN CALLAHAN My hero is Nya. She is fun, cool, and the life of the party.

My hero is Jesus because he sacrificed for our sins and died on the cross for our sins.

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My heroes are my mom and dad because my mom can be helpful with my homework. My dad can be helpful because he makes trucks and cars safer to drive.

My heroes are my mom and dad because they tell me right from wrong. They buy me food. They buy me clothes. They buy me toys.

DAVIS DOLBARE

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GRANT BENSON

KYRE EVANS My hero is my dad because he lets me play outside.

We play Madden 21 together. When I’m sad he makes me feel better. And he bought me food.

And he drives me to McDonald’s.

GAEL GARFIAS VALENCIA My dad is my hero because he helps me with my homework. My dog is my next hero because he is funny.

COLLIN “CJ” GREEN

MAX GROULX

My hero is my babysitter because she cheers me up. I love my babysitter!

Cooper is my hero because when I am sad he comes and cheers me up and we agree on what to play.

IRYANA HOOD

MCKINLEY HUBBARD

Mrs. Coffey is my hero because she helps me with my work. She is the best teacher ever. She is so nice to me, so nice.

My hero is Mrs. Coffey because she is kind and I love to read with her. She is so nice. She is the best teacher ever!

LAYLA KEITH

LONDON LEWIS

My hero is Santa Claus because he helps me get presents so my mom doesn’t have to go to the store. Santa Claus is funny. I love you Santa Claus.

My hero is Mrs. Coffey because she is kind and I love to read with her. She is so nice. She is the best teacher ever!

GRACEN MCCOY

KELCEE MOODY

My hero is my mom because she cooks me food and I help my mom cook too. We make tacos.

My hero is Aunt Janet because she babysat me when I was born. And she is nice.

NOLAN ROBERSON My hero is Tucker because he saved me from a black wasp and a red bee. And he is my dog!

LEYONI VALENTINEWILLIAMSON My mom is my hero because she watches me and she loves me.

AVERY TURNER My hero is my mom. My mom asked me to please move because there was a car coming and it almost hit me.

AUBREE WHISENHUNT My hero is my dad because he helps me with my homework. When I ask for something he does it or gets it. My next hero is the Army because they are brave!

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SOMEONE TO LOOK UP TO YOU’D THINK A CELEBRITY WALKED INSIDE THE SCHOOL WHEN SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER SASHA LILLY KNIGHTEN ENTERS, AND FOR GOOD REASON.

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BY ALEC ETHEREDGE | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

Sitting in her patrol car outside of Elvin Hill Elementary School, Sasha Lilly Knighten rolls down her window with her left hand while holding a phone in the right hand. “Hold on, hold on, someone is flagging me down,” she says over the phone with a brash tone through a clear smirk on her face. “It’s the superintendent. One of the kids took another kids’ bag of chips today. I’m just putting out fires left and right.”

This moment is near the end of the school day for Sasha, who is tasked with looking after four different schools as the Columbiana School Resource Officer, making stops at each throughout the day.

Walking through each school, different thoughts pass through her head, but the goal remains the same—impacting lives.

“During (my time at) each school, I try to interact with the students. Some days, I may go into the classroom and give a lesson on what they’re learning or something I’m dealing with while on patrol,” Sasha says.

“The kids are what makes this job for me.

You learn something different from them every day, whether it’s a game or a Tik Tok; it may even be something from their home life. Just seeing the kids and their reactions to different things and learning their daily routines to how they do things.”

As part of the Columbiana Police Department for 17 years and the city’s school resource officer for the past five years, Sasha has provided a listening ear to students from the elementary school to the high school, and makes them smile and doesn’t lose faith in them when they make a mistake.

The Scream Team Entering the lunchroom alongside the Scream Team, a mentor group from the high school, on Halloween day, 2019, Sasha wears a bandana along with the rest of the team, who is decked out in Halloween gear.

It’s clear she’s set for one of the most fun lunches at Elvin Hill each year.

Soon after, music starts blaring, and the singing and dancing begins. Students, faculty, the Scream Team and Sasha are showing off their best dance moves on stage. Some of the kids struggle to keep their food down from laughter while looking on, especially when principal Courtney Madison starts singing.

The purpose of the Halloween dance party was to talk about safety during trick

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School Resource Officer Sasha Lilly Knighten interacts with students in Columbiana schools.

“MY GOAL WHEN I BECAME A POLICE OFFICER WAS TO NOT ONLY HELP PEOPLE BUT GIVE PEOPLE SOMEONE THEY COULD LOOK UP TO. IN ORDER TO BE IT YOU HAVE TO SEE IT. IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU, IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF FEELING THAT ‘OH I CAN BE THAT.’ ” -SASHA LILLY KNIGHTEN or treating later that night, especially the term “stranger danger.”

“It’s all about trying to get them to loosen up and have fun to show a side they don’t get to in the classroom,” Sasha says. “It relaxes them and helps them get out of their comfort zone. Even the teachers do it.

The students get to see the teachers’ fun side, and the teachers get to see the shelled in talent the kids have.”

That’s just one of many times throughout the year that the Scream Team comes to the elementary school. It gives the younger students an opportunity to look up to the older high school students, and it gives the

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high schoolers a sense of responsibility as role models. “(Sasha) mentors all of these kids. I don’t know how to tell you how great she is,” second grade teacher Jennifer Long says.

“It’s a mixture of kids. It’s not always the wealthiest or most popular that are part of the Scream Team. The kids absolutely have a blast with it both in high school and at Elvin Hill.”

Sasha also invites high school senior athletes or other leaders to the elementary school as mentors. It’s all part of making sure each student has the best chance to grow and mature—big or small.

“They get to see kids that may be missing that at home,” she says. “Those high school kids were once in their position and get to come over twice a week to talk about home life or their day in general. That’s something that is special to them.”

A superhero You’d think a celebrity was walking down the red carpet when Sasha enters the elementary school to oohs and ahs coming from the students. And in many ways, that’s just what she is.

“My goal when I became a police officer

was to not only help people but give people someone they could look up to,” she says.

“In order to be it you have to see it. If you see somebody that looks like you, it gives you a sense of feeling that, ‘Oh I can be that.’ And that helps that self-motivation because some people aren’t self-motivated.

It gives other children motivation that they can do this, not just because of their skin color or because they’re a male or female but because it’s what they want to be. It’s not just a saying that you can do anything.

You really can.”

Whether she’s reading a book to the students at Elvin Hill during Read Across America Week, helping coach the high school girls basketball team or protecting the students in each school from potential dangers, she does it all to earn their trust and give them someone to look up to.

“She is a local celebrity when she walks into the school,” Madison says. “They’re waving, calling her name and get so excited.

They welcome her every time she is in the building.”

Her celebrity status was on full display after she had to miss some time at school during January of 2020 due to a health issue. When she returned, she opened the doors to the school to the usual screaming students cheering and applauding with welcome back posters in their hands.

Then, Sasha saw something unusual— herself.

The school had created a mannequin with Sasha’s face on it and a sign hanging around it that reads, “Free hugs.”

Sasha hates hugs. She’s more likely to give you a hard time with a laugh and smile kind of person when showing affection. But

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Sasha Lilly Knighten holds a photo of her brother Darius Lilly, who died after being hit by a drunk driver in 2018. He was 28.

on this day, she couldn’t help but smile and accept the hugs—the mannequin version of course.

“I was very shocked and heartfelt for the kids to actually miss me and show how much they missed me,” Sasha says. “It was so special because I missed them. I was also thankful for the teachers and administrators for everything they did. They reached out and helped me and made sure my kids were good. I’m grateful for that.”

And that sense of community was even stronger during one of Sasha’s most difficult life moments.

Breath taken away Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, started as a normal day for the Lilly family. But at 5:17 p.m. that afternoon, their family was changed forever when Sasha’s 28-year-old brother Darius Lilly was hit head first by a drunk driver.

Lilly died on the scene, while his daughter in the backseat miraculously survived and wasn’t seriously injured. Even more tragic, however, was that the accident happened just two weeks after Lilly’s 2-year-old son died from a medical condition.

“That period of time was tough. We lost my nephew in November and my brother in December. Those are holiday times and I come from a big family, and we are very family oriented,” Sasha says. “It took our breath away when my nephew passed and really tested us when my brother passed away.”

Lilly was a big part of a tight family as the one that could put a smile on all of their faces no matter what was going on. “My brother Darius was the glue and the smile to bringing my family together on holidays and Sundays,” Sasha says.

But these tragic events put life in perspective for her, especially when it came to spending time with her family and the importance of her job.

“My family will forever be grateful for the city of Columbiana and those who provided meals and love and most of all prayers during that time because it was extremely difficult,” she says. “Especially because of caring for his daughter, who survived that wreck. It’s still difficult, but we are God-fearing people.”

And then it was time to go back to work and try to put all of the sorrow and pain aside to focus on her job.

But as soon as those students started screaming her name, she felt at home. “Coming back to work was my sanctuary,” Sasha says.

“It got me through it. My brother didn’t want

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“SHE IS A LOCAL CELEBRITY WHEN SHE WALKS INTO THE SCHOOL. THEY’RE WAVING, CALLING HER NAME AND GET SO EXCITED. THEY WELCOME HER EVERY TIME SHE IS IN THE BUILDING.” -COURTNEY MADISON 28

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Sasha Lilly Knighten is quick to point out other heroes in the schools she works in, including the janitorial members (top photo) and the cafeteria staff (bottom photo).

us to be crying or to be sad. We knew his relationship with God was good. He was OK and my nephew was OK. So that allowed some comfort. It’s still a nightmare to this day, but we carry him with us today. He’s smiling on us and we’re smiling back.”

Love for the Kids Two years ago, Sasha knew teacher Jennifer Long needed some help with her second grade class, so she stepped in and created a game of Jeopardy.

“She spent the last two nine weeks coming in every Friday to play Jeopardy with our kids,” Long says. “It could be something we were learning or something the kids already knew, but some were struggling to be on teams in different activities. By the end of the school year, those kids who needed it knew how to be a team player.”

Sasha not only took the time to help the class, but also thought of the idea on her own and created the categories and questions. “That’s her,” Long says.

“Developing those relationships, they feel like they can talk to her about anything. She always has a smile on her face and is one of the sweetest people with the biggest heart. She’s always there for you.”

Every day of the week, Sasha is thinking of ways to help the students just like she did in that class two years ago. “I love these kids. My love for them is limitless,” Sasha says. “They’re why I get up in the morning. I love what I do.

I’m eager to see what the day is going to bring. The satisfaction they bring to me each day. That’s why I do what I do.

They bring me a joy.”

With that love, she’s so much more than a role model, she’s a hero to many who look up to her.

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RAIN

EVEN IN THE

A PANDEMIC WASN’T GOING TO STOP 83-YEAR-OLD GREYSON PALMER FROM MAKING SURE THOSE IN NEED WERE FED WITH FOOD AND ENCOURAGEMENT.

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BY AMY FERGUSON | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

In times of crisis, like a global pandemic for example, it’s the ones operating behindthe-scenes who make the greatest impact.

It’s the Amazon deliverers, grocery store employees, hospital sanitation workers, mailmen and women and so many others who have proven to be the most valuable players of COVID-19. Among the group of inspiring all stars in our community is a man who, despite his own susceptibility to the virus, refused to let it stop his generosity towards his fellow humans in great need.

Let me introduce you to Greyson Palmer, a spry, 83-year-old go-getter who will not let a silly thing like age slow him down. In fact, Greyson is thriving and lives his best

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life by enhancing the lives of those around him, whether he’s living in a global pandemic or not. Even before the coronavirus disrupted our collective world, Greyson was serving the most vulnerable, the elderly—never mind the fact that he falls into this category himself—by delivering food to homebound seniors through the Columbiana Senior Center’s Meals on Wheels program.

“I started volunteering because it gave me something to do after I retired,” Greyson tells me. “But, I really do enjoy the work.

Actually, it’s not work to me.”

In the age of COVID-19, however, Greyson, being over the age of 65, is

considered more susceptible to the virus and discouraged from being out and about.

But you better try again if you think the warning gave Greyson any pause.

“When the virus initially struck, we asked the volunteers to stop delivering to protect both them and the meal recipients, all of whom are considered higher risk,” says Ali Payne, the executive director of the Columbiana Senior Center who manages the Meals on Wheels program. “But Greyson did not want to give up volunteering. He continued to call and come by to check on us.”

A few months later, with new health and safety protocols in place, the center resumed

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WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MEALS ON WHEELS Delivering lunches to senior citizens through Meals on Wheels is more important now than ever, according to Columbiana Senior Center Director Ali Payne. “A lot of seniors aren’t going to the church or store, but for 5 minutes every day someone is asking how they are and making sure they aren’t sick and that they have what they need,” Payne says. The Columbiana program delivers about 50 meals a day to seniors five days a week and welcomes volunteers to join them with COVID safety procedures like Greyson Palmer does. To volunteer, reach out to Ali Payne at 205-669-3969 or APayne@cityofcolumbiana.com, or connect with a senior center near you since most of them offer a similar program.

Greyson Palmer delivers lunch to Columbiana resident Bill Powers.

Sandra Crumpton hands off additional meal supplies to Greyson Palmer at the Columbiana Senior Center.

its somewhat normal operations again.

Greyson, protected with a face mask and gloves, was one of the first to happily jump right back into volunteer mode. Exactly no one was surprised.

Pandemic aside, the bedrock of the Meals on Wheels program has always been to deliver nutritious meals to older Americans who lack support, mobility and resources to

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provide for themselves. But, there’s more to the program than just food. It also serves to provide a connection and companionship for isolated seniors, many of whom are plagued with chronic loneliness. In fact, according to the Meals on Wheels website, 58 percent of home-delivered meal recipients live alone. For many, the person delivering the meal, people like Greyson, is

often the only person they will see that day.

“I sort of cut up with [the seniors] a little bit,” Greyson reveals. “I try to get them to smile and laugh every once in a while. They seem to enjoy it.”

But from where Payne sits, Greyson offers much more than that and must give credit where credit is due. “Greyson spends time with each senior, knows the names of

Donna Higgins helps Greyson Palmer take hot meals out to his truck.

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their pets, what their kids are doing, and what all is going on in their lives,” Payne says. “He has no affiliation to the program, other than the fact that he just loves to volunteer and help people.”

Not only do the seniors look forward to Greyson’s company, but he’s a welcome sight to the fur-babies along the route as well. “I bring doggie treats with me,” Greyson says.

“Folks seem to appreciate that for their pets as well.”

With an age-defying energy level and willingto-do-anything-for-anybody attitude, Greyson’s service towards others certainly does not stop with the Meals on Wheels program.

“I’ve seen him buy lunch for strangers, cut a neighbor’s grass and even unclog toilets that didn’t belong to him,” Payne says. “I have never heard Greyson complain, though at 83, I imagine he could.”

For a slightly different perspective on Greyson’s generosity, I connected with his son, Taft Palmer, who lives in Denver, Colorado.

Although he is over 1,000 miles away, Taft still keeps up with what his parents are doing and where they are going on a daily basis. So he is not at all surprised when I share with him the wonderful things spoken about his father. In fact, he can quickly identify the two factors he believes drives his father’s dedication to the community: family and faith.

“My grandmother lived ‘til she was 98, and she was the exact same way when it came to

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“I REALLY DO ENJOY GETTING OUT AND BEING WITH THE PEOPLE, EVEN ON THE RAINY DAYS, WHEN IT’S SORT OF A CHALLENGE. ” -GREYSON PALMER

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Meals on Wheels are being delivered to recipients outdoors.

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Greyson Palmer lives on Lake Lake, where he enjoys fishing as well as riding his motorcycle on nearby roads.

helping others,” Taft tells me. “[My father] feels like he’s doing something that maybe God has put it on his heart to do. Who wouldn’t get a sense of feel-good-ism after you’ve [delivered meals to those in need]?

He really does enjoy it.”

On Greyson’s “off-days,” he remains on the go like a man more than half his age. He lives in the Lay Lake area with his wife, Robbie, to whom he’s been married for an

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incredible 61 years. (The secret to his long and happy marriage has been keeping his mouth shut, he told me with a laugh). With a residence on the lake, it’s only natural that he would enjoy the water, fishing on his boat, and then of course, there’s the occasional cruise on his motorcycle, a hobby that continues to scare both Taft and his sister to this day.

“He’s a rolling stone,” Taft says. “I have to

get onto him. Otherwise he will wear himself down.”

To me, it doesn’t sound like Greyson is going to stop rolling anytime soon. He just has so much kindness left to give, and in this social distancing world, we could all use a little more of that, right? “I really do enjoy getting out and being with the people,” Greyson says. “Even on the rainy days, when it’s sort of a challenge.”

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STRONG

LIKE ELI

HOW A CHELSEA STUDENT BEATS THE ODDS WITH FAITH AND POSITIVITY AFTER AN ACCIDENT LEFT HIM WITH A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.

m

BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY & CONTRIBUTED

More than a year after an accident that nearly cost Eli Hairston his life, there are three constants that have helped keep a smile on his face: his faith, family and fighting determination.

With parents Jay and Leisha—along with siblings Sam, Luke and Campbell—by his side, this Chelsea High School freshman has come a long way since a golf cart accident left him with a traumatic brain injury on Nov. 16, 2019.

The day of his accident started like any other for the then 13-year-old. He slept in after going to the movies with his father the night before and worked on his Christmas list when he woke up. A little after noon, he went to ride a golf cart around Chelsea Park with some fellow football players. It was just a normal Saturday.

But that all changed when one of the

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boys knocked on the Hairstons’ door, letting them know Eli was in an accident.

His mother, Leisha, first thought it might be a broken leg or arm until she heard the ambulance and reached the scene.

Eli wasn’t talking, his pupils were fixed and the first responders were breathing for him. He was rushed to Children’s of Alabama and taken into emergency surgery to repair a bleed on the back-right side of his head. He had fractured his skull, and one of his veins was severed, causing a brain bleed.

“The doctors said he wouldn’t make it if they didn’t take him back now,” Leisha remembers.

Eli was in a coma for a week, which is when his parents found out he had experienced several strokes between the accident and the end of surgery. They

wouldn’t know if he would talk or have a good quality of life until after he was taken out of the coma. The doctors also warned patients with traumatic brain injuries often woke up angry, so no one was quite sure what to expect.

But on Dec. 8, Eli talked. His voice was quiet at first, but now more than a year later, he talks all of the time. And he’s been nothing but joyful.

“He’s been proving people wrong right and left. He’s a fighter. We are very blessed,” Leisha says. “He always has a smile on.”

Of course, it has been a long journey from speaking his first words until now. Eli has had to relearn how to walk and talk, going to therapy every weekday. But, he hasn’t let his injuries or recovery slow him down.

Eli Hairston, his parents and his siblings all wear #elistrong shirts.

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Eli’s parents Jay and Leisha spend time with him after his traumatic brain injury.

“I’m just thinking that a negative person wouldn’t have the drive I have,” Eli says.

“My drive has been making it positive.”

Jay and Leisha decided to only speak positive thoughts about Eli’s recovery in front of him, but there were still times when it was difficult to feel optimistic. And those were the moments Eli shared wisdom well beyond his years, reminding them how amazing their son was.

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“Eli said, ‘I used to think that if God can control what happens, why did he let this happen to me. Now, I know it’s so I can tell people about God and my recovery,’” Leisha recalls.

He has even expressed a calling to go into the ministry when he grows up and share how God has brought him through this experience. But until then, he’s excited to be a freshman at Chelsea High School.

“He was so glad to see his friends again,” Leisha says. “There were some kids he hadn’t seen since before the accident. It was great for him just to be in that group again with kids his own age.”

Eli’s determination is even more evident at school. Not wanting to be in a wheel chair, he walks to his classes using a walker — even on days when his aid is not there to assist him. He goes to school until 11:15

“I’M JUST THINKING THAT A NEGATIVE PERSON WOULDN’T HAVE THE DRIVE I HAVE. MY DRIVE HAS BEEN MAKING IT POSITIVE.” -ELI HAIRSTON PROFILE 2021

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Eli Hairston, now a high school freshman, played wide receiver and cornerback in middle school.

a.m. each day, and he’s excelling in his subjects, earning all As and Bs. He continues to make great strides and set goals for himself, like being able to walk unassisted.

“I love that he sets those goals for himself. It gives him something to work toward,” Leisha says. “Recovering from a brain injury is a slow process, but he’s getting stronger.”

Another goal topping his list is getting back on the football field.

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Eli played wide receiver and cornerback on the football team in middle school and says he misses the sport.

“I wish I was playing,” he says.

The family says it has been a huge blessing to have the support of their friends, doctors, therapy team and community since his accident. When Eli came home after nearly three months in the hospital, the city of Chelsea came out to welcome him. The crowd held up signs with messages like, “Welcome Back Eli,” and the

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Richard Scott, Eli’s sidekick and paraeducator, assists him with moving around the school to his classes.

This Photo & Below: Laura Vickers and Kathryn Coltrane assist Eli Hairston with therapy. Below he works on finer motor skills with exercises at the dry erase board.

“HE’S BEEN PROVING PEOPLE WRONG RIGHT AND LEFT. HE’S A FIGHTER. WE ARE VERY BLESSED.” -LEISHA HAIRSTON Chelsea Middle School cheerleaders chanted, “Strong like Eli.” “I wish I could relive that homecoming,” Eli says.

But the support and prayers for Eli haven’t only been on a local level. The Facebook group, “Praying for Eli,” has more than 15,000 likes from people across the world.

“It hasn’t been an easy road, but there’s so much to be thankful about still,” Leisha says. “Things happen for a reason, even if we

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don’t know those reasons right now.”

Through it all, Eli hasn’t lost his contagious smile or positive attitude. His perseverance has impacted not only those close to him, but also everyone who hears his story. While his journey might not be an easy one, he has found a way to focus on the good.

“Just stay positive while you’re going through anything, and it will make it feel like it’s going faster,” Eli says.

The Chelsea community supports Eli Hairston after his November 2019 accident.

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WHEN YOU CAN

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AN ANSWERED

PRAYER

T

FOR MANY PEOPLE, LUCINDA THOMAS IS THE HELPER THEY DESPERATELY NEED—AND SHE EMBRACES THAT ROLE.

BY EMILY SPARACINO | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

The darkest parts of the coronavirus pandemic have shown some of the brightest parts of humanity. Acts of kindness have run the gamut in form, from adult volunteers cooking and delivering meals to the elderly and immunocompromised, to teenagers delivering cleaning supplies to families unable to go to the store. Such selfless gestures are also ones you would expect from someone like Lucinda Thomas—but not just during a pandemic.

For Lucinda, giving is as second nature to her as breathing, and she has a knack for finding new avenues for it.

“It’s not about me,” she says, an unmistakable note of compassion in her

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soft voice. “A kind word, a smile, a hello will help people.” And she stands by her words as truth, knowing she can back them up with evidence from her life—conversations she has had with strangers and friends, moments she has made an effort to truly change someone’s day through her actions.

There’s a good chance Lucinda doesn’t even know the full extent of her generosity; after all, she doesn’t dwell on how it affects her.

That’s not her mission.

Lucinda’s compassion starts with her family. She takes care of her brother, Anthony, who became paralyzed about four years ago after an abscess on his spinal cord went undetected. Three days a week,

Lucinda makes sure he is ready to be transported to his dialysis treatments. She remains unofficially on-call in case he needs anything on other days. “I have a very good support system,” she says of her sisters and other family members who pitch in with Anthony’s care. “It was a life change for all of us. There’s nothing you can do; you can’t be mad.”

Friend Gwendolyn Brown says she met Lucinda when Gwendolyn worked for a disability rights group. “She amazed me when she came in looking for more resources for not just her brother, but for many others,” Gwendolyn says. “I was able to realize that she actually knew a bit more

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“SHE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY FOR HER FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND CUSTOMERS.” -GWENDOLYN BROWN than I could possibly provide her to be of help. She is always giving of her time and lending a helping hand when needed. She goes above and beyond the call of duty for her family, community and customers.”

Lucinda’s compassion flows into her professional life, too. She has worked at Walmart in Alabaster for the last 23 years, most recently as a switchboard operator.

She answers phone calls and directs callers to the correct person or department—a job rooted in customer service, an arena in which she shines. “I’m a people person,”

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she says. “I never meet a stranger. I can walk into a room and have a conversation with people.”

Lucinda has worked in other roles at the store over the years, but no matter where she finds herself any given day, she is connecting with her coworkers and customers, either through conversations or simply a warm smile in passing. “I look at it as a courtesy,” she says. “It doesn’t cost anything to say hello.”

Outside of work, Lucinda attends church at Bethesda Apostolic Worship Center in

Montevallo, where she says she loves to help in the kitchen when she has time. “I can’t cook—cooking is not my calling—but I love to serve. You learn a lot about people when you’re talking to them back there.”

Lucinda says she is thankful for the foundation her parents, Pastor PJ Thomas Sr. and the late Mary Q. Thomas, set for her, and she looks at her church pastor, Gerry Bivins, and longtime friends like the late Vera Mae McCarter and Dilcey Daniels as mentors and sources of wisdom when she needs guidance. “You need people who

When Lucinda Thomas isn’t working or caring for her brother, she often makes “wellness visits” to those she knows to check in on them and deliver food and supplies.

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are going to tell you the truth,” she says.

Other prominent people in her life include Rick Mercer, Arthurie Luster and Scott Newell, all of whom she credits with pushing her to finish school at Jefferson State and get her degree years ago. And her brother’s good spirits despite his condition are contagious. “He keeps me going,” she says.

In moments of solitude, Lucinda often

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turns to music to carry her through challenging times. She recalls lying on the floor of her brother’s hospital room during a five-month stay for his spinal cord abscess, exhausted and unsure of what the future would hold for him. “I would work from 2-11 and go to the hospital and sleep there every night. I would just turn on the music and lay on the floor, and listen to ‘A Song of Strength’ by Fred Hammond.”

Lucinda stays busy, seemingly defying the laws of sleep and sanity. It’s hard to think she would have any spare time left to dedicate to anything or anyone besides her brother, work and church, but she manages to find snatches of time to conduct what she calls “wellness checks,” or quick visits to people’s houses to make sure they are OK or to drop off food and supplies they need. She calls her drive-by checks and

Lucinda Thomas likes to help in the kitchen at Bethesda Apostolic Worship Center in Montevallo when she has time.

meet

Mike Meadows

WHat we treat

North Shelby Baptist Church Lead Pastor

Be

Steadfast in in in in

Love, Hope, Peace,

Christ .

Livestream Services at

205-995-9056

NorthShelbyBaptist.org

OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR PROFILE 2021

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Lucinda Thomas makes sure her brother Anthony, who is now paralyzed and pictured with family members on the right page, is transported to his dialysis treatments and supports him however else she can.

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“IF WE ALL DO A LITTLE BIT, IT ADDS UP. THAT’S WHAT I TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO SEE. YOU JUST WORK EVERY DAY AND TRY TO DO GOOD.” -LUCINDA THOMAS delivery services Queen Pantry —and she does it all free of charge, in case that wasn’t already clear. “My mom would do that,” Lucinda says, recalling memories of watching her mother fill a brown paper bag with food for someone who needed a boost. “You wouldn’t leave the Thomas house without a bag.”

It’s yet another example of Lucinda’s generosity that impresses Gwendolyn.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused uncertainty for the elderly, persons with disabilities and many others in various ways,” she says. “People would call the store in search of supplies. Some would not have transportation to the store to pick them up. On her off days, Lucinda would go to deliver items to people in need, making sure the elderly and persons with disabilities have the basic necessities they need to stay safe during

this pandemic.”

And yet, Lucinda claims she’s just using the time and opportunities God has given her to make a difference. “It doesn’t matter what gift you have,” she says. “You don’t have to have a whole celebrity platform; you have to use what you’ve got. If we all do a little bit, it adds up. That’s what I try to get people to see.

You just work every day and try to do good.”

People like Gwendolyn see how much Lucinda does. How does she fit it all in?

That’s a question for the ages. “I would always tease her and say, ‘Lucinda, when I win the lottery, I am sending you on a vacation. Girl! You do so much and never have time to rest,’” Gwendolyn says. “Lucinda (is) a life changer, a door to being a way-maker and to so many, an answered prayer.”

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PELHAM A L A B A M A

Pelham's scenic neighborhoods offer a retreat from the busy world. It’s a wonderful place to call home and an equally great place to visit. From our entertainment venues to our sports facilities and our recreational opportunities, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy in Pelham.

RANKINGS THAT COUNT 2020 Best Places to Live in Alabama | #10 2020 Best Places to Raise a Family in Alabama | #10 2020 Best Places to Buy a House in Alabama | #5 2020 Safest Cities in Alabama | #10 2021 Best School Districts in Alabama | #12

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Ballantrae Golf Club A favorite for both residents and visitors amongst public golf courses in Birmingham, this semiprivate course is conveniently located just four miles east of I-65.

Holes: 18 | Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,310 Phone: 205.620.4653

Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena We are the home of Birmingham Bulls Hockey. We offer public skate times, youth & adult hockey leagues and skating lessons.

Our banquet hall can be reserved for your next corporate or private event. Our catering options fit every palette and budget.

Phone: 205.620.6448

Pelham Parks & Recreation Pelham has six parks to enjoy, along with the Greenway Trail that will eventually connect to the beautiful Oak Mountain State Park.

We offer fitness classes at our Recreation Center, as well as many programs and activities for people of all ages.

205.620.6426

Pelham Racquet Club & Tennis Center The Pelham Racquet Club is the largest public clay court facility in the state. Membership includes league fees and use of the hard courts at the Pelham Tennis Center.

Clay courts: 20 | Hard courts: 5 Phone: 205.621.3380 PROFILE 2021

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HEROES AMONG US

WHO IS HEROIC IN YOUR LIFE? HERE ARE SOME ANSWERS TO THAT QUESTION FOR OUR READERS. PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY | TEXT BY SELAH VETTER & CONTRIBUTED

BRIAN BINZER

ALABASTER CIVIL SERVANT

DANA RHODES

HELENA SCHOOL SECRETARY Affectionately known around town as “Ms. Dana,” Dana Rhodes is the secretary at Helena Middle School. Greeting students, parents, administrators and guests with a radiant smile and a cheerful attitude, Ms. Dana provides an important bridge between school administration and parents and is perhaps the best unpaid spokesperson on staff!

- Laura Joseph

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Brian Binzer has a servant heart and understands his role is to help make the goals and dreams of elected officials and citizens come to life. As the city administrator in Alabaster, he puts in countless long hours and late nights to ensure the city stays on track and serves its citizens. At nearly any moment you can find him behind the scenes facilitating, coaching and encouraging his colleagues to serve others well. Even when he was in the hospital in 2019 after a serious car accident, Brian still worked with Alabaster’s City Council—always willing to help out his community members and listen to their ideas and concerns.

FRANK ANDREWS HELENA CHOIR DIRECTOR

Frank Andrews is the Helena Middle School choir and show choir teacher, and he is my hero. He is the reason I fell in love with the arts and went to college for it. I wouldn’t have the passion without him. He protected me against bullies and helped me when I was at my lowest in middle school. He was an inspiration, and that’s why even after I left the middle school, I came back to help with backdrops and choreography.

- Devin Creel

HETTIE WAGNER

JOE HUTTO

MONTEVALLO SOCIAL WORKER

SHELBY RESTAURANT MANAGER

Seeking to right wrongs and value the worth and dignity of each person, Hettie Wagner works as a social worker at Shelby Emergency Assistance.

She listens to folks in tough spots without the means to meet even the most basic of needs, whether it is food or medicine, utilities or housing, and then she helps them find ways to have those needs met. In all she does, Hettie helps problem solve and link people with resources when life seems overwhelming.

Joe is manager of VJ’s Restaurant and Bar in Shelby, and is a Shelby resident. Last year he approached me about providing supplies for our monthly pancake breakfast at the Shelby Iron Works Park. He also arranged for two other companies to be monthly sponsors of the event to help offset our costs. We never solicited his help; he just saw a need and came to us. He feels very passionately about helping others, and he has never asked to be acknowledged for his good work. He’s a wonderful asset to our community and a blessing to the park.

-Jennifer Maier

JENNIFER BULGER COLUMBIANA TEACHER

Big hugs and wiping tears are part of Jennifer’s everyday life as teacher at Elvin Hill Elementary for 31 years.

She has loved so many students in our community. She is an unsung hero in my eyes because I know when I drop my daughter off at school that Mrs. Bulger is going to be her “school mom,” making sure she is taken care of academically but also emotionally.

- Aubri McClendon

JOHN ELLISON

ALABASTER COMMUNITY GIVE BAKERS FOUNDER As founder of the Alabaster Community Give Backers, John Ellison is a neighbor you can count on. When he saw members in his community in need, he decided to form a non-profit to donate goods, from clothes to food. The Alabaster Community Give Backers focuses on helping people who were impacted by fires, hurricanes or other natural disasters. When he hears of a loss in the community from a natural disaster or other tragedy, John organizes donations to deliver both supplies and hope.

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JOY CHILDERS

HELENA COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER/ORGANIZER When anything needs to be done in Helena, everyone knows to ask Joy Childers for her assistance. For 50 years, she has spearheaded the Helena Christmas Parade as its chairwoman. The parade began when her kids and neighborhood rode their bicycles around Joe Tucker Park, and she packed little ones in her station wagon to be a part of it too. In the past, she organized the Helena Easter Egg Hunt and had local high schoolers help her with an army of volunteers. When Bo Bice was a contestant for American Idol, she organized TV viewing parties supporting him at the old Incahoots restaurant. Joy’s heart and love for her hometown also has her being the Poll Inspector for Helena. In addition, she raised six children, was a homemaker and then served as the assistant to the Mayor Sonny Penhale for years.

-Penny Weldon

KIM & GLENDA BRADLEY CHELSEA VOLUNTEERS

This mother-daughter duo understand what even a simple gesture can do during a season of hardship. They are heavily involved in the community from food giveaways to jail ministry to volunteering at local churches, spreading joy in all that they do. Kim and Glenda founded their non-profit, Heavenly Smile Inc., to help offer food and financial support to people in the community. As a part of it, Kim teaches and encourages female inmates alongside a wonderful group of committed volunteers.

KATHYRN CARY

WILSONVILLE VOLUNTEER Ninety-eight-year-old Kathyrn Cary is still finding ways to give back to the community. As an avid reader, she loves to help the Wilsonville Library, which has lent her many books over the years, by serving on the board. Kathyrn says she also feels blessed to be able to teach a Sunday School class for women 80-years-old and older at her church, Wilsonville Baptist. She’s passionate about building relationships with these women and spending time learning more about Biblical scripture as she teaches lessons.

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LEIGHANN THOMAS

PAT & BILL WYATT

LeighAnn has always had a heart for senior adults. She has not only made that her career as a nurse, but she cares for people in her local community. She has “adopted” several seniors throughout her 24+ years in Wilsonville. During the quarantine last year, she cared for a special friend by checking on her, helping her with chores around the house, buying groceries, taking her a plate when fixing dinner and just stopping in for a quick visit. LeighAnn’s devotion to the seniors in her community is a true inspiration.

- Payton Thomas

Pat and Bill Wyatt believe it’s their duty to serve and love their neighbors. Even though these two are retired, you will still find them busy working in the Westover community. They volunteer and serve as leaders in RVSP, American Legion, Blue Star Salute and Shelby County Homemakers. In particular, Bill has battled six major cancers, inspiring him to want to support others with cancer by volunteering with the Cancer Support Group in Birmingham.

WILSONVILLE NURSE

WESTOVER VOLUNTEERS

MIKE PRICE

MONTEVALLO PANDEMIC INNOVATOR When University of Montevallo alumnus and faculty member Mike Price saw a need for face shields during the COVID-19 pandemic, he did something to help. In mid-March 2020, he spearheaded a project to create 3D printed face shields for staff at Shelby Baptist Medical Center. As the digital media and emerging technologies librarian at Carmichael Library, he partnered with University of Montevallo theatre faculty Kyle Moore and Emily Gill to produce the shields.

REBECCA MACKE CHELSEA NURSE

Rebecca Macke is an RN who works on the medical intensive care unit at St Vincent’s Birmingham. She has been caring for COVID 19 positive patients since it started here in Birmingham. She is the most selfless and caring individual. She always puts others’ needs first and quick to offer comfort and prayer to any patient or family member without request. She is heroic.

- Angel Macke PROFILE 2021

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PEGGY SIMS

ALABASTER VOLUNTEER & BLOGGER Peggy Sims is devoted to the lost. She consistently goes to find those who are lost or forgotten. Lifts them up from despair and leads them into a place where they can find hope, strength and comfort. She is a mom to the motherless, a light in the darkness and the love of Christ moves through her, to the broken hearted.

Peggy has worked with Kingwood Church and Birmingham Metro Master’s Commission for many years now, and her blog can be found at peggysims.com.

-Tamara Harrelson

STAN & JO DAWSON

MONTEVALLO CITGO OWNERS For over 30 years, Stan and Jo Dawson have had a big presence in Montevallo. Perhaps most notably, their full-service gas station harkens to the good ole days. Stan still loves to pump gas for others and is always willing to help out when he can, chatting with drivers as he pumps their gas. On Sundays, though, Stan and Jo can be found at Marvel Baptist Church where Stan serves as pastor.

RHONDA MACK

SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM AREA SPECIALIST Mrs. Mack has been a consistent leader and encourager during these tough times as we started a school year that none of us recognized. She has worked tirelessly to communicate with us during the ever-changing situations, and she has gone above and beyond for the middle school teachers ensuring we have as much access to resources and trainings as possible.

This transition into the 2020-2021 school year was a bumpy road, but was is not at all as overwhelming and scary as it could have been because of her guidance. She is BEYOND patient as we ask questions, many of which she has probably answered many times before. Her main priority is her teachers, and we feel that she is always in our corner so that we can be the best we can be for our kids.

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RUSSELL & HEATHER BICISTE PELHAM VOLUNTEERS

Heather Biciste has helped coordinate The Festival of 3 Kings for the foster kids in Shelby County, she has been to Kenya to work with Challenge Farm, and she has also served endless hours helping with Helena United Methodist Church’s consignment sale, Chic Repeats. Russell is very active with our youth program at HUMC and also organizes our church sports ministry, mainly our softball league. He and Heather have both served as youth mentors during Confirmation and they are greeters in our church, and they taught the Pathfinders Sunday school class for over 10 years. They’ve both been very involved with The Miracle League and both served on the committee for the new Pelham Library. They are both wonderful people and deeply committed to their communities.

-Jennifer Whatley

SHERRIE JORDAN

CHELSEA CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM MANAGER Sherrie Jordan has worked in the Shelby County Child Nutrition Program serving the Chelsea schools for almost 30 years and has been a manager for over 15 years. She has been at Chelsea High since opening day and worked a year prior at Chelsea. She always gives everyone a smile and offers encouragement to the faculty and students at Chelsea High. Sherrie is a person you can count on to help wherever needed. During the recent pandemic this past spring, she quickly volunteered and called others to help organize the food distribution for students.

- Nathan Hayes

TERRELL LYKES

CALERA HOMEOWNER’S ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT Terrell Lykes volunteered to become president of our homeowner’s association at Waterford when our community was in absolute shambles. He has saved the community thousands of dollars by cutting the grass and planting flowers HIMSELF and with a few volunteers, and by saving that money, he was able to get some of our roads repaired, throw community parties, keep the pool open longer, repair our water fountains and get street lights installed. He also coordinated police and firefighter presence for quarantine birthday parades for children in the neighborhood, arranged for the fishery department to improve our lake’s habitat and collected old Christmas trees to provide hiding places within the lake for the baby fish, and so much more. He is also a cancer-survivor and, along with his wife, takes care of his daughter who has a rare chronic autoimmune disorder, all while owning a lawn care business.

- Breanna Bryant PROFILE 2021

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ALL ABOUT

RELATIONSHIPS

SCOTT DILLARD‘S EFFORTS ARE BEHIND MANY NEW GEMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO, BUT IF YOU BRING THEM UP, HE’LL JUST POINT YOU TO THE STUDENTS THEY SERVE.

S

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY & CONTRIBUTED

Scott Dillard is the kind of person who’d never ask that an article be written about him. He speaks softly but with confidence and a calm demeanor. And he isn’t about fanfare; he’d rather work behind the scenes and not necessarily have anyone know what he’s done.

“I think we need more people like that,” says Greg Foust, the recently retired minister of discipleship at Asbury United Methodist Church, where Scott is a member.

“He models what you ought to be.”

As his friend Phillip Romei describes Scott, he’s patient and understanding, fatherly and dependable, authentic and trustworthy. Scott’s too humble to describe himself in those ways, but those traits come

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alive if you ask about what he is quick to talk about—his passion for his work at the University of Montevallo as the vice president for advancement and external affairs.

While the bulk of his job relates to fundraising, Scott’s more likely to talk about relationships than numbers. His colleagues will tell you about how a sevenyear “It’s About Family” campaign he led with a goal of $20 million raised nearly $36.5 million to benefit scholarships, campus improvements, faculty development and more. But Scott will tell you about people.

He will tell you about having lunch with an alumna from the 1950s who had a dream

for a new performing arts center on campus to replace a nearly 160-year-old building that was never designed for plays but had been serving that purpose, and how he connected her with the right people that, several years later, gave way to a $20 million new Center for the Arts. He’s quick to note that 80 percent of spaces in that center are named for a donor, from the art gallery to classrooms to the black box theatre, all inside a bricked building that is now seamlessly woven into the stately collegiate master plan the Olmsted brothers—as in the architects of New York City’s Central Park—designed for the campus more than 100 years ago.

He will also tell you about Mike Lee

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NEW AT MONTEVALLO SCOTT DILLARD HAS LED A TEAM TO FUNDRAISE FOR NEW UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO FACILITIES INCLUDING THESE: uCENTER FOR THE ARTS u3D ART COMPLEX uSTEPHENS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS BUILDING uCOUNSELING CENTER uMONTEVALLO ON MAIN uTRACK AND LACROSSE FIELD uSOFTBALL STADIUM

Stephens, an alumnus who generously donated the money for a new business school building at Montevallo when he passed away, and how his own older son Thomas is taking classes in that building now as a junior business major at the university. (It seems Thomas picked up leadership skills from his dad Scott, as president of the Student Government Association and the Interfraternity Council, plus a volunteer with the Best Buddies program. “He’s really made a way for himself too, so I try to get out of his way,” Scott says, noting both his pride in his son and that he tries to give him space to find

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his own way on campus too.)

Scott will also tell you about Mike and Donna Granger and their family and how they wanted to fund a new counseling center facility that they built into an old house on campus. “It was a small fundraising opportunity, but as far as the impact on campus it was huge,” Scott says.

“Mental health counseling is so important on college campuses.”

He will also tell you about Dr. Rick Cummings, a Montevallo alumnus from 1970s who went on to get a PhD at Johns Hopkins University and is now researching treatment and potential cure for sickle cell

anemia, and how Montevallo students can intern for him up at Harvard Medical School. And he’ll tell you about the recent alumni who completed that internship and who now are in medical school or working on their PhD in a scientific field.

Amongst Scott’s stories, there are, however, three numbers he perhaps most likes to tout. The first is 115—the number of new scholarships of the 400 total in campus history that were started as part of that goal-surpassing campaign. The second is 6,000—the number of first-time donors out of the 10,000 who had given to the campaign, the vast majority of which are

Scott leads a team of advancement and external affairs professionals at the University of Montevallo.

“HE HAS AN INNATE ABILITY TO PUT HIMSELF IN OTHER PEOPLE’S SHOES AND SEE THINGS FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES. HE’S EMPATHETIC AND A TERRIFIC LISTENER.” -JOHN STEWART PROFILE 2021

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Scott Dillard’s son Thomas, pictured on the right, is now a student at the University of Montevallo.

alumni.

And the third is 50 percent—the portion of the school’s population who are firstgeneration college students, just like he was at Western Kentucky University. He sees how a school like Montevallo is key to their experience. “You are in this family of folks who are making sure you are having every opportunity to succeed,” he says.

As you can tell, those numbers are all about the people they represent—and making the university as student-focused as it can be.

For Scott the key to supporting students through his work, first, is listening to a potential donor, preferably face-to-face, and then the “magic” of bridging the gap to connect someone’s interest with what is

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happening at the university. If they were on scholarship, they might want to do that for another student. If they loved College Night, they might want to support it.

University of Montevallo President Dr. John Stewart is quick to speak to the influence on the other side of Scott’s relationships—himself. “When you meet Scott, it doesn’t take long to realize that you are in the presence of someone with rare gifts and strong ethics,” Stewart says. “He has an innate ability to put himself in other people’s shoes and see things from multiple perspectives. He’s empathetic and a terrific listener.”

When Stewart has to make a difficult decision, professionally or even personally, he often wants to talk to Scott, and he knows

that many others look to him in the same way. “The wide variety of influential people in our state who rely on him for wise counsel,” he says. “From elected officials to corporate CEOs to philanthropist and community leaders, they all look to Scott for sound advice and accurate information.”

And that’s not even getting to his family life. Scott has been married to his high school sweetheart, Laura, a school psychologist by training, for more than 30 years, and they adopted both Thomas and his younger brother Jackson, a junior at Briarwood Christian School, from Guatemala. The journey of fatherhood— including coaching Jackson’s baseball teams for the past 10 years—is one he treasures. “We have never been anything

Scott Dillard led the fundraising effort for the university’s new Center for the Arts, among other projects.

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Scott Dillard with Susan Vaughn and Mel Robinson at an 1896 Society Brunch in 2019

Relationships are a key part to Scott Dillard’s role working in advancement and external affairs.

but amazed about how God could have created two children 2,000 miles from us that were absolutely meant to be our children,” Scott says. “They are remarkable young men, and I know God has big plans for both of them.”

Phillip Romei is quick to note too that Thomas and Jackson are always polite, patient, willing to help and dependable—just like their parents.

Whether he’s coaching baseball,

meeting with a prospective donor or serving his church, Scott is doing so with integrity and positivity. It’s not something he touts, but Stewart has high praise of it. “When I met Congressman John Lewis in an elevator in DC, I knew I was in the presence of greatness, and it’s not about him,” Stewart says. “It’s like that with Scott.

It’s never about him. It’s always about the people he serves.”

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ALL THE

LOVE I HAVE

MAPLEWOOD LANE IS A SECOND HOME FOR SHAY MCNEAL, WITH A SECOND FAMILY SHE CARES FOR NO MATTER WHAT COMES.

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BY ELIZABETH STURGEON | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

At Maplewood Lane Assisted Living, birthdays feel like the parties you’d go to growing up. They’re honored with all the surprise and fun that comes with a new year, and no one is left out as residents and staff gather over cake and cheer. Behind the scenes of each celebration, you’ll find Shay McNeal, who joins each Maplewood Lane event with a beaming smile.

Louanne Stratton had the chance to attend one of their birthday parties for her mother, Lou, a couple years ago. She remembers everyone together as Shay came behind Lou, setting a birthday cake right in front of her. The simplest and most classic

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way to celebrate became a surprise that meant the world.

For more than 15 years, first as a caregiver and now as an administrator, Shay has worked day and night to make sure residents feel at home. “I’m here pretty much every day, making sure everyone is happy and has what they need,” Shay says.

“Even if they tried to put me out, I would come to the window and beg to come in. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Shay has filled the years with overwhelming dedication to her second home at Maplewood Lane in Helena.

Though she often praises her team over

herself, Shay is the force that leads them with compassion and has turned the Maplewood Lane community – all 12 employees and 11 residents – into a family.

Louanne saw Shay’s kind spirit and dedication immediately when they first met a few years ago. When her mother was ready to move to a new assisted living facility, Shay brought peace into the process. “Shay made it such a good transition,” Louanne says. “From day one, she was so prompt and helpful. Then, once Mom got there, she went out of her way to make sure Mom had everything that she needed.”

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Shay McNeal spends time building puzzles with residents Junita Schroop and Sybil Lauderdale.

“I WANT TO BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE ELSE.” -SHAY MCNEAL Every day, Shay makes sure that all of the residents are taken care of and that they’re happy. She organizes other events, like games, services, singing or even just a visit from the ice cream truck, along with her other day-to-day tasks as a manager and caregiver.

Back in the summer of 2006, Shay first joined Maplewood Lane as a caregiver, a position she hadn’t held before, at least officially. A few years before that, she was caring for her aunt who was diagnosed with cancer, her first role of that nature.

Flowing naturally from that experience,

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in her early years of caregiving at Maplewood Lane, Shay worked one-on-one with residents, a passion and calling that she continues, even as an administrator.

“Caring for my aunt helped me realize that I like to help others,” Shay says. “I want to be a blessing to someone else. One day, this is going to be me, and I want somebody to care for me.”

After 10 years of service as a caregiver, she received her administrative license in 2016 and stepped into a bigger role at the facility, now managing residents, employees and the space as a whole. But her role as a

caregiver—someone who constantly pours out love for other people—only increased as she stepped into the new position.

Calling Maplewood Lane Shay’s second home is no exaggeration. Shay finds herself with the residents almost every day, whether she’s passing out medicine, giving showers or managing the facility. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I wouldn’t want anyone to do anything that I wouldn’t do,” she says. “I’m the type of person that when you see it, you got it.”

Her grateful, giving spirit comes naturally, but she still always tries to learn

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Shay McNeal stands with Maplewood Lane staff members Chrystal Owens and Aubrey Martin.

from other people. As she thinks back on her years at Maplewood Lane, she treasures her time with her first administrator, Charlotte Tomlin.

During that time period, Shay watched Charlotte go above and beyond with her residents. “You don’t see people who care for elderly people very much. I was inspired by the way she used to do everything. She would teach me along the way.”

Last year, Charlotte returned to Maplewood Lane as one of Shay’s residents before she passed away. Even when she was a resident, Shay says, Charlotte was always teaching her and giving her new ideas.

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Even Charlotte, though, had never dealt with a pandemic like the one saw of in the spring of 2020, forcing Maplewood Lane to operate under many restrictions and suspend a lot of normal events and visits.

“It is affecting the residents, and it’s hard on all of us,” she says. “But because we’re so small, we’re a family and we keep each other motivated.”

For Louanne, she saw the Maplewood Lane staff do whatever they could for residents during this time. She was able to have “window visits” with her mom, and, more recently, they’ve been able to have outdoor visits. “There was never a worry

that something was going to happen to Mom, or that she wasn’t going to be taken care of,” Louanne says.

She’s also noticed how well Shay and her staff are taking care of the residents both physically and mentally during this time.

“She’s such a great mentor for the entire staff. They all go out of their way to make sure the residents have what they need,” Louanne says.

With her compassion and dedication also comes a respect that Shay and the team show their residents, Louanne says. “Shay encourages Mom to do things that she can do—like moving from one room to another—

Phyllis Dukes shows Shay McNeal sweet treats she made for the residents at Maplewood Lane.

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Those who know Shay McNeal note how much she encourages residents in the assisted living facility and tells them how proud of them she is.

and she’s never really had that before. She’s always telling Mom how proud she is of her.”

Shay has become an out-of-the-limelight constant in her community—even in her life outside of work. She’s lived in Montevallo for her entire life and has

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always loved the quiet community. When she’s not at Maplewood Lane, she’s at her daughter’s volleyball or basketball games at Montevallo High School.

But most of all, she’s a giver in her communities. She feels most at home when she’s helping other people, spending time

with them and, as she says, getting to be a blessing in their lives.

“I want the best care for our residents,” Shay says. “You’re already having to give up everything to move and depend on others. I know that’s hard to deal with in itself. That’s why I make sure I give all the love I have.”

Crystal Owens lunges to give Shay McNeal a hug. Crystal has worked with Shay for 11 years and has known her since she was a small child.

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JUST GO OUT & HELP SOMEONE HOW DENNIS BOGART NEVER STOPS HELPING OTHERS—FIRST THROUGH A CAREER IN SCIENCE AND NOW THROUGH DISASTER RELIEF.

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BY SARAH COOK | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY & CONTRIBUTED

Most parents care what goes on their kid’s dinner plate. Not as many, however, might think to care what goes on the plates of kids who live on the other side of the world.

But then again, Dennis Bogart isn’t most.

Since the mid ‘60s, he has worked in various capacities to help food manufacturing plants

overcome microbiological issues. From France and Spain to Asia and Africa, he has traveled around the globe to help others improve their manufacturing processes so grocery store aisles are lined with the safest food possible.

Dennis discovered this lifelong passion

while in college, where he studied food science and processing. From there, he got his master’s in food microbiology and went on to work for the Army during the Vietnam War as a food processer out of Los Angeles.

As subsequent decades unfolded, he started a family—raising a son and daughter

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Dennis Bogart holds a certificate of achievement he received from the U.S. Army for dairy testing from 1971-1973.

alongside his wife—and moved around the country to work with several plants.

Surprisingly, Dennis says, it wasn’t always the science that played the biggest role in his career. Working with different cultures— even simply different regions within the United States—he says, demanded compassion and understanding. Learning these virtues left a lasting impact on him.

“You have to be capable of viewing things from the way they see things. Not just

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strictly the way that I might look at it,” Dennis says of working within different cultures to help them establish better food safety processes.

This concept of taking the time to understand people permeated other areas of Dennis’ life, too. “It deals with both people in work, family and friends. It makes you a broader person,” he adds.

Neil Bogart, Dennis’ son, says even though Dennis gave much of his time to help

others throughout his life, he never sought recognition. Through the long days and challenging situations, Neil says his father never lost sight of his mission.

“He’s just tough. That’s a good way to put it,” Neil says of his father’s work ethic.

Neil recalls many days spent going to work with his father—watching him deal with high-stress situations that demanded a steady, calm demeanor. Dennis, Neil says, never let his emotions get the best of him.

The aseptic processing area of a beverage plant in England where Dennis Bogart helped resolve a severe issue with the shelf life of their products.

The top of beer fermentation vats in England.

Dennis observed this small dairy farm milking room in England to adopt their process for cleaning lines— which cut costs in the U.S. by 25 percent.

Dennis’s friend and working partner chemist J. Rouillard wears a typical uniform for food processing plants in Denmark.

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Dennis Bogart reminisces his career while looking through albums of photos from all over the world.

“He just kind of digs in and keeps pushing through, and he can keep people level headed and on the mission,” Neil says. “I remember at 4 and 5 years old, just going to work with him. Up into junior high, I would go out and work with him and get that experience. We’d go everywhere from a dairy farm to a manufacturing plant and everywhere in between.”

After many years of uprooting his family of four and traveling around the world,

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Dennis finally turned in his retirement notice a few years back and settled down in Alabaster. But Neil is quick to point out that his father does little resting these days.

About six years ago, Dennis decided to dedicate his newfound free time to the Red Cross as a Disaster Action Team (DAT) member. DAT, Neil explains, works on a local level to help families who can’t afford insurance to cover expenses acquired by personal disasters like house fires,

tornadoes, hurricanes and flooding.

Since becoming a DAT member, Dennis has moved up through the ranks to become a DAT captain. He also recently earned the moniker of Regional Damage Assessment Lead Volunteer. In this position, he leads 10 teams of damage assessors throughout Alabama and Mississippi.

“For anyone who wants to directly affect and help people, it’s where you want to be,” Dennis says of working with the Red Cross.

An unfinished cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, named The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família.

Uncured Camembert cheese curds form into round molds or blocks before they move to the curing room or caves.

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Clockwise from top left: Wine is bottled in Spain. Now that it has been cultured with mold and bacteria, this Camembert cheese is ready to package and eat. Outside Dennis Bogart’s hotel window in Copenhagen, Denmark. The insides of a small cheese plant in Denmark.

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“It’s hard work and it’s tough work because you’re always working with people at the worst time in their lives. They may have lost their homes and sometimes there may be fatalities.”

At age 73, while most people are slowing down, Dennis chooses to keep putting in the hours. Neil says he would be surprised if his father chose to do anything else.

“He’s always been able to handle stress. It’s one of his talents,” says Neil, who ended up following in his father’s footsteps and now works in the food manufacturing sector, too. “I’ve never really seen stress affect him. It’s almost like he thrives off of it and it makes him stronger.”

Because the work of the Red Cross is ongoing, Dennis says volunteering with the organization takes up much of his time. Assessing damage, organizing teams on the ground and making sure all boxes are checked keep the “retired” scientist busy. When asked why he feels compelled to always help others in some capacity—whether it be from a food manufacturing standpoint or disaster relief—Dennis is nonchalant in his response.

“I just think it’s what you should do. One of the people I work with at the Red Cross has a statement when we end a meeting…‘Just go out and help someone,’” Dennis says. “Really, I’m just one small cog in a big wheel.”

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WONDER WOMAN

DESTINY RIEKEBERG’S BRAVERY AND KINDNESS IN HER BATTLE WITH LIVER CANCER INSPIRED MANY—AND EVEN GARNERED THE ATTENTION OF A FEW CELEBRITIES.

BY SCOTT MIMS | PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE FISHER, KEITH MCCOY & CONTRIBUTED 86

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A single spherical nut wearing a textured “hat” came into view one day as Lacretia Riekeberg was looking down at the floor in the ICU of Children’s of Alabama. It wouldn’t have stood out to most people except that the previous night Lacretia had prayed for a sign. Now, all the way up on the seventh floor of the hospital sat a single acorn by the door to her 9-year-old daughter’s room. “The acorn was huge—it was huge in her journey,” Lacretia says.

“She loved acorns; she would come home with acorns just with her backpack full.”

The family had not been getting good news that day, but Lacretia did some research and found that the acorn represents strength, immortality, spiritual growth and new beginnings. She then took the acorn and hung it over Destiny’s bed that day. “It meant so much more to us and our journey, and the fact that Destiny has always loved them, it was just amazing,”

she says.

Sadly, a few months later on Sept. 17, 2020, Destiny succumbed to an extremely rare form of childhood cancer. A growth that had started in her liver had led to a months-long battle that changed the lives of not only her parents but also many others along the way.

Yet, Destiny’s story lives on through the hundreds of Faithbook—yes, Faithbook— posts by her parents and through all the signs and wonders that continue to punctuate and color her journey, even after her death.

“Somebody said she was like an angel that slipped out of heaven,” Lacretia says.

Indeed, every part of Destiny’s story seems to come from a higher place. It is one filled with acorns, butterflies, TikToks, angels and seemingly countless other symbols of faith, hope and love in the midst of adversity.

Dustin and Lacretia Riekeberg moved to Pelham from Nashville in 2016, when Destiny was 5, and she got involved at Pelham Ridge Elementary and in the community, competing in cheerleading, dance, softball, tumbling and more. But during Christmas break 2019, Destiny awoke one day with a sharp pain in her shoulder followed by a pain in her abdomen. Four trips to the pediatrician and a CT scan revealed an enlarged liver but little else. Doctors suspected it had been appendicitis among other potential diagnoses. But after the fourth doctor’s visit, the pediatrician recommended that Destiny visit the emergency room at Children’s. Somehow, Lacretia felt that this trip would be different, so she went home to pack an overnight bag.

“On the way to the hospital while leaving the house, I looked at Destiny and how frail she was, and I said, ‘She looks like a cancer

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Destiny Riekeberg continued to smile for the camera during her stays at Children’s of Alabama during her illness.

“WE MAKE MOVIES ABOUT HEROES AND ABOUT PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE US. BUT YOU ARE A REAL LIFE ONE, AND YOU ARE A REAL LIFE WONDER WOMAN.” -WONDER WOMAN DIRECTOR PATTY JENKINS

patient.’ And I said in my mind, ‘I don’t know how those parents do it,’” she recalls.

Dustin had been headed to Colorado for work but returned home because he was worried. Later that night, doctors told the family they were 99 percent sure Destiny had cancer. It turned out to be a rare liver cancer called hepatoblastoma, which, together with another form called hepatocellular carcinoma, accounts for just 1 to 2 percent of cancers in children.

“Destiny’s journey since that diagnosis

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has been anything but typical,” Lacretia said in a February 2020 interview, reporting that they had not left her side and literally were living with her in her hospital room. “We’re not leaving until she does,” she said.

Shortly after Destiny was admitted to Children’s, her tumor bled and emergency surgery ensued, requiring her to remain in the pediatric ICU. Not only was she dealing with cancer, but her kidneys also were shutting down and she could not breathe

on her own.

In the midst of the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people found themselves confined to their homes, the Riekebergs found a new home at Children’s. “They became our family,” Lacretia says. “We absolutely love them for what they did for Destiny. It was a very unique time to be trapped at Children’s Hospital.”

“I hate that the children have to go through what they do, but I love who goes

IT WAS DESTINY Dustin and Lacretia Riekeberg first met on a Carnival Cruise in 1997—fittingly on a ship named “Destiny.” When the couple later found out they were going to have a baby girl, they decided Destiny would be the perfect name. It seemed to sum up everything they had been through in their relationship as well as everything that was to come.

“It means strength, and she triumphs over obstacles and wins. That’s how Destiny is, really,” Lacretia says.

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“SHE SAYS THAT SHE WOULD GET CANCER ALL OVER AGAIN BECAUSE SHE KNOWS WHAT THE KIDS HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND HOW THEY FIGHT.” -LACRETIA TALKING ABOUT DESTINY

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Destiny and her parents wave to loved ones who paraded by their home to welcome her back from Children’s of Alabama in April 2020.

through it (with them),” Dustin adds.

Even in the hospital, the Riekebergs said they felt like God was giving them little signs of encouragement to help along the way—signs like the acorn. But their support system on Facebook seemed to take things to another level, as people the family had never met started following Destiny’s story and sharing uplifting messages of encouragement and sometimes even their own stories of childhood cancer.

Even Patty Jenkins, a screenwriter and

director of Wonder Woman, recognized the power of Destiny’s journey in a video she sent to her.

“We make movies about heroes and about people who inspire us,” Jenkins said in the video. “But you are a real life one, and you are a real life Wonder Woman. I wanted to send you a thanks from us for being that person that lights the way and inspiring us to tell stories about heroes and how brave they can be and how kind and wonderful they can be despite the struggles

that they face.”

Through social media, Destiny also heard from famous makeup artist James Charles and Dodie Osteen—mother of pastor Joel Osteen—who is also a rare liver cancer survivor, as well as TikTok superstar Charlie D’Amelio, who did a sequenced dance with Destiny. Christian band Leeland called her on FaceTime and sang “Way Maker” with her.

Along the way, Lacretia started calling her Facebook friends and supporters

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“Faithbookers” and using the hashtag #DestinyStrong. “That has been a huge element to helping us get through,” Lacretia says. “We’ve never lost our faith.

Our family has been there. We get hundreds of private messages, too, from people.”

Social media served as a kind of therapy for the family, not unlike keeping a journal.

“When I would post, it was almost a letter to myself,” says Dustin. “Lacretia was more biology-driven and I was more hopedriven. We would take doctors’ messages, which were not really good, and we took what was good out of them.”

There were days when the clouds seemed to part and let the sun through though. One

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of the brightest was when Destiny got to go home on April 28, 2020, when her heart rate, blood pressure and pain management had stabilized. Spirits were high as family, friends, neighbors and first responders drove by the house in a homecoming parade to greet Destiny as she looked on from the front porch. Adults and children waved and held #DestinyStrong signs, and fire trucks and patrol cars flashed their lights.

Through it all, Destiny was “wise beyond her years,” her parents said. “She said, ‘Even though cancer took away (everything I love), I get to focus my relationship on God.’ I just thought that was profound for a

9-year-old,” Lacretia recalls. “And the fact that she says that she would get cancer all over again because she knows what the kids have to go through and how they fight.”

“People think it’s all us, but no,” her dad says. “This was Destiny and God. She left a mark everywhere she went. People would just be in awe of her. We’re just so lucky that we got to be her parents. She’s just amazing.”

That same faith was visible in Dustin and Lacretia too, as they helped their daughter celebrate every little milestone along the way—a better blood pressure reading, an improved heart rate, pain management.

Her dad even got to paint her nails one last time the evening before she passed. Dustin says his goal is the same whether Destiny is in her earthly body or not—“to be the absolute best.”

“I think the part that stimulates me is knowing how competitive she was,” he says. “It’s kind of like a new fuel—diesel fuel. It’s going to burn brighter, motivate me harder to go on.”

While the family was not able to change the final chapter of Destiny’s story, Dustin believes that they were able to delay the inevitable by as much as six to seven months through sheer faith, determination and positivity. And it had begun with foreshadowing too. Before Destiny’s diagnosis, she and a friend made up a story about a little girl who had cancer.

“It’s almost like I don’t know if God was preparing her for this journey, but I find that particularly interesting,” Lacretia says.

Indeed, Destiny had looked cancer straight in the face and showed no fear. To Dustin she was “relentless” with her compassion, even praying for the child next to her in the hospital.

But along with all those memories comes grief for the family—which takes breaks but never goes away. Every morning Lacretia wakes up and realizes Destiny is not there.

THE HEROISM CONTINUES A nonprofit will be set up in memory of Destiny to help fill gaps for families going through similar journeys. The nonprofit’s name and logo have not yet been decided, but the vision is simple: “Be at the forefront of any child in communities that supported ours,” Dustin says. “Be knocking at the door, we’re here to help.”

“It’s a hurt that just aches every day. You wake up and just wish you could go back to sleep,” she says. “It’s kind of like the worst breakup you could ever have.”

But on certain days, seemingly out of nowhere, the Riekebergs find little signs of Destiny’s presence. A yellow butterfly—a creature Destiny loved—will flutter right by them at moments when they need a little encouragement or a sign she is OK. Destiny even wrote a story about a blue butterfly, and Dustin found a big, blue butterfly made of paper while cleaning out Lacretia’s car.

People had told the couple that if they saw lights flickering shortly after Destiny’s

passing, it meant that she was nearby in spirit. And then it happened when they were at Dustin’s sister’s house.

“Lights don’t flicker in her house, and it just went nuts,” Lacretia says. “At 12:15 and 12:30, the lights just went crazy. It’s all so new, and we definitely believe in it.”

Even the time of Destiny’s passing, 7:07 p.m., was taken as a sign as, according to some spiritual beliefs, the 707 angel is said to bring spiritual enlightenment. The Riekebergs have taken comfort in that, and in their dogs, Purdy, a Frenchie, and Prissy, an English bulldog—both of whom Destiny loved.

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THE GATE COACH

THOMPSON STUDENTS AND PLAYERS FROM THE PAST FIVE DECADES WILL NEVER FORGET J.C. WHITFIELD’S SELFLESS SERVICE AT ATHLETIC GAMES.

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BY ALEC ETHEREDGE | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY & CONTRIBUTED

For 52 years, you couldn’t enter a Thompson High School sporting event without bypassing one man. Even through a heart problem and leg amputation, J.C. Whitfield was still taking tickets at his alma mater no matter the day, the weather or the time. “It’s amazing how connected you can become to something like this,” J.C. said in a 2016 interview.. “You see a lot of people come and go that you wouldn’t

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see or get to know otherwise.

Each year, he worked the gate for 60plus baseball games, each home football game and many basketball games throughout the season, as well as many other sporting events.

In October 2020, J.C. passed away at the age of 74, but his heroic legacy lives on as those he saw come and go for decades remember him as one of the most

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J.C. Whitfield, right, was presented the key to the City of Alabaster back in 2016 after serving the community for more than 50 years working the ticket and pass gate for several different events.

dedicated and selfless people they’ve ever met.

In 2016 he received the key to the city of Alabaster for his service. In that moment, Whitfield had one simple remark: “I guess they trusted me.” And trusted him they did— and for good reason.

The Gate Coach At the age of 16, J.C. and his brother started driving the bus for the football program at Thompson, taking the team to and from games.

He went on to drive those busses for 11 years in addition to his full-time job of working in Cotton Mills, and that’s when he started taking up tickets at games.

That’s just what he was doing when Ricky Seale was playing as quarterback for the Warriors back in 1972, and that’s what he continued to do through eight head football coaches, including Seale’s tenure from 1988 until 2004.

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help you and the program out,’” says Thompson head baseball coach Pat Hamrick.

“He loved to be at the gate. He took a load off of the programs at Thompson because of his dedication and desire to do his job correctly.

He always got there early, had the tickets out and was ready for the fans.”

Hamrick came to rely heavily on J.C. at the ticket gate, and when he missed a season due to a heart condition around 2007, his absence was noticed.

“That was probably my most miserable year,” Hamrick says. “Our parents had to do the gates, and it was so much more difficult to coordinate. I never had to worry about it when J.C. was there.”

For Hamrick, J.C.’s presence and his role helped him transition into serving as the new head coach 26 years ago.

“It didn’t matter who was playing, he was there for every home game,” he says.

“Saturday tournaments would often start at 9 a.m. and he’d get there early and stay through the last start at 7 p.m. He was there the entire day just helping us out. That kind of commitment and desire to help is hard to find, but that was him.”

No matter the time of day he was sharing a smile and encouraging remarks, knowing what some of them needed to hear or don’t hear enough. (the students)says “J.C. was an extension of our coaching staff. The way he helped the program, the

J.C. Whifield’s presence will be notably missed at the gate for Thompson baseball games this spring.

He collected tickets at the school for 52 years.

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Thompson Baseball Coach Pat Hamrick, pictured here with a photo of J.C. Whitfield in front of the school’s baseball field, said his most miserable baseball season was the one J.C. missed after he had a heart attack in 2007.

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the kids kept him going.

On the opening night of the new football season, Freeman had J.C. come down to the field to see the players and show the true A two-way street definition of pride and dedication. But that moment had an impact on J.C. as much as it No matter the gates or the Thompson did the players. athletic facility, J.C. was there for no other “[Coach Freeman] thought it would give the reason than to serve. He wasn’t doing it for the boys a lift,” J.C. says at the time, “but those little bit of money he got, and he wasn’t doing kids gave me an uplift. Right then, I made up it for himself, even though he enjoyed every my mind that I wasn’t going to give up.” second of it. He did it to serve the community J.C. couldn’t be around the program as and the coaches he knew needed help. much as he wanted following those moments.

Thompson head football coach Mark His absence was impactful, but his presence Freeman remembers meeting him at a baseball remained. game when he first arrived in Alabaster during The Tuesday before he passed away, J.C. the spring of 2015. made his way back up to the school, maybe not “He was one of the first to greet me and we knowing what was coming, but getting one last quickly got to talking,” Freeman says. “I knew moment of solace to the place that was his right away that he loved Thompson High haven for more than 50 years.

School, and he loved athletics and being “That moment was a blessing,” Freeman around the program. He told me he’d help me was also thinking about the state championship. says.

“I hadn’t seen him as much the last two out in any way that I needed.”

After Thompson’s state championship win in Freeman decided to put J.C. at the pass gate 1982, he held out hope that Freeman would let years because of his health, but on that day, we were able to sit in the parking lot and talk for a so he would come in contact with players, him see at least one more. coaches and families as often as possible And in 2019, that happened with the team’s good 15 minutes just catching up. It was really a blessing that the Lord let me have a little time because of his love for each of them. second state title in school history.

“The kids, the comradery, the events—it “I’m thankful for a state championship last with him before he passed.”

But really, that was just one of countless gave him something to look forward to and year, because he says years ago, how great everybody loved him,” Freeman says. “He would it be if we won a state championship,” moments ripe others see as blessings because helped out a lot of people and was a giver. Freeman says. “I’m glad we could do that for they knew J.C.. Hamrick sums it up in three words: dedication, commitment and loyalty.

That’s just who he was. He was a helper and a him.” pleaser.”

Even after J.C. had to have his leg amputated “Those things just stand out to everybody and But like everyone in the community, J.C. when an illness started to impact his health, will be his lasting legacy.” way he interacted with the fans and the players. He was our gate coach.”

J.C. Whitfield with his wife Karen Sue Whitfield

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PORTRAITS OF

HEROISM PART 2

PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY TEXT BY SELAH VETTER & CONTRIBUTED

MATT AND LAUREN ZAUCHIN HIGHWAY 41 PHARMACY OWNERS

Matt and Lauren Zauchin and their three adorable young daughters are staples in our community and aid in the Mayberry atmosphere of our area.

They own and operate Village Drug, a full pharmacy and a jewel of a gift shop. Matt is committed to not only investing in his customers’ health goals and becoming the neighborly go-to guy for healthcare questions, but he also embodies what a neighborhood leader should be. He and Lauren get to know every person who comes through their doors or drive-thru and are never too busy for anyone or their story. Their daughters, playing make believe and doing crafts around the store, bring joy as the shop side-kicks. We’re so thankful for what their family and their business has brought to our neighborhood.

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BOBBY J. PIERSON

RETIRED MONTEVALLO COACH If you live in Montevallo, you probably know Bobby Pierson. From teaching to coaching to working with the NAACP and his church, he looks out for those in need. He grew up in a family with a lower income, so he understands the challenges others in that demographic face. Likewise, he and his wife created the Bobby J Pierson scholarship to help a graduating senior every year from Montevallo High School who attends Alabama State University in Montgomery.

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CHRISTY LARRY MEAL DRIVER FOR M4A

With compassion for the elderly and ill, Christy Larry decided to get behind the wheel. Both of Christy’s husband’s grandmothers participate in a meals for wheels program in their hometowns, and so she wanted to help people out like them in her own community. As a driver for M4A, she delivers meals to people who are unable to care for themselves and prepare their own meals. As she does so Christy loves to be able to take time out of her route to talk to and pray for the people she meets, deepening her relationships with them meal by meal.

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DAVEY EDWARDS WILSONVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE CHIEF

When there’s an emergency, Davey Edwards comes to the rescue. Davey has been passionate about volunteering as firefighter for more than 40 years at the Wilsonville Volunteer Fire Department, and now serves as fire chief in there. Davey doesn’t just save the day when there’s a fire either; people often go to him if their car stops working too. As owner of local gas station and fix-it shop, Paul’s Shell, he’s there to help when people are in need to help you out in a time of need.

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JANE HOLSTON

ANIMAL RESCUE VOLUNTEER A nurse practitioner by day, animal lover Jane Holston offers medical aid to the dogs at Two by Two Rescue in her free time. As a medical coordinator, she helps at shot clinics and rescues animals in need, even during the middle of the night. Jane and her husband have fostered about 20 dogs in need of serious medical care and adopted three of them. Her favorite part of her volunteer work is seeing a dog’s transformation and watching their tails wag once again.

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DR. BOBBY SHUNNARAH MONTEVALLO DENTIST

Dr. Bobby Shunnarah found an abandoned and desolate section of Montevallo for several years and saw potential to create something beautiful. Today, the property adjacent to his dental practice known as Village on Valley boasts white buildings, murals to uplift the community and inspire their imagination, and a center tower seating area. He has also recruited local Birmingham commercial businesses and restaurants including Slice Pizza to the area.

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KYLIE ANDERSON HELENA VOLUNTEER

When Kylie Anderson saw her fellow community members struggle during the pandemic to go to the grocery store for meals, she knew she had to do something to help those in need. During a time of unemployment, Kylie used her free time to help feed local families in need by volunteering with Helena Pandemic Help Exchange. As a part of that effort, she grocery shops, delivers food and takes orders, and she delivers hot meals to essential workers, the elderly and others in need.

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RALPH THE GREAT DANE NORTH SHELBY CANINE

This hero stands on four legs. When his owners Derek and Maria Gilbert’s fire alarms failed to go off during the middle of the night during a fire last fall, Ralph alerted his family by barking. Because of his “alarm,” Derek and Maria were able get themselves and their kids out of their North Shelby County house safely right before it would have been too late. Not only did Ralph save his family, but Derek went back inside their home to save him from the fire too.

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