High Points of the Valley (Graphic Illustration)

* The family of Hadassah “Haddie” Marie Williams, Belpre Church of Christ and a host of community partners have opened an accessible playground in Civitan Park, dedicated to Haddie’s memory. Civitan Park also has a free little library sponsored by the Haddie Fund. After Haddie’s death in 2018, the church supported creation of that fund, which “exists to bless and equip children and families in the Mid-Ohio Valley dealing with medical handicaps,” according to Haddie’s mother, Kate. “We believe part of our job is to bring a little bit of heaven down to earth, and we hope that this playground can be a little bit of that for our community and kids,” said Haddie’s father, Travis. The Haddie Fund also has guidelines for those applying for assistance to individuals or families for durable medical equipment, which can be found here: http://www.belprechurch.com/haddie. So much good is being done in the memory of a very special little girl. We are grateful to all those in Belpre who have helped make it happen.

* The Deitzler Foundation has been on a roll recently, with the foundation giving $32,000 to the Children’s Home Society for the Arthur N. Gustke Child Center, and donating $50,000 to convert a ballfield to a full Olympic-sized soccer field in Vienna. “(The foundation) has been a major supporter of the Children’s Home Center for a number of years, and not only financially,” said society Executive Director Denise Hughes. In fact, Harry and Kathe Deitzler understand the importance of community partners stepping up when the need is so great. Speaking about the Children’s Home Society, Kathe said, “It’s important to give back to the community. To me, it’s important for children to be in a place where they are welcome.” Thank you folks, for your generous support of these important local projects.