Faces for Dec. 11, 2016

DONATIONS

• Salomon, a national manufacturer of cross-country ski gear, donated $10,000 to Duluth Cross-Country Ski Club to support the construction of the Grand Avenue Nordic Center, a new cross-country ski hub that will include a chalet and trails at the bottom of Spirit Mountain in West Duluth.

• Vintage Times Car Club gave $1,000 to Life House in Duluth to support efforts to help homeless area youth. Pictured during the November donation presentation are VTC members (from left) John and Loralee Prouty, Life House executive director Maude Dornfeld, and VTC members Sally Solots, Tim Kwapick and Mark Olson.

• Together, Duluth Rotary Club 25, Kiwanis Club of Friendly Duluth and Miner's Inc. funded the Duluth Salvation Army's Christmas Food Baskets, contributing $21,000 worth of food. Each organization donated $7,000. Pictured at the check donation are (from left) John Baumgarten of Duluth Rotary Club 25, Nancy Leslie of Duluth Salvation Army, Gordon Mesedahl of Kiwanis Friendly Club of Duluth and Duluth Salvation Army, and Bruce Anderson of Miner's Inc.

• Engwall's Corn Maze donated a total of $5,210 to seven area organizations, including Just Kids Dental, Coats for Kids, Duluth Area Catholic Schools, Bulldog Family Fund of the 148th Fighter Wing, Promise Preschool, Bluebird Foundation, Lakeview Christian Academy and University of Minnesota Duluth Pharmacy Students. Pictured are Corn Maze partners Tracy Lundeen of Lundeen Productions (right) and Rod Saline of Engwall's.

• Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank announced Grainger Foundation, through its Grainger Community Grant Program, contributed $4,000 to Second Harvest's fresh produce and holiday food distribution. Pictured with the check donation are Mike Benson of Grainger, Shaye Moris of Second Harvest and Sand Jokala of Grainger.
Second Harvest also received more than $4,000 from Kwik Trip Stores as part of their regional store icon sales.

• Bent Paddle Brewing Co. and Loll Designs presented a $10,423 check to Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores of Duluth during November's Give to the Max Day. COGGS will put the donation toward finishing the Duluth Traverse Trail, a 100-mile mountain bike trail through the city. Pictured are members of COGGS accepting the check donation.

• Duluth East High School's Circle of Friends received a $500 grant from the Duluth East High School Foundation. Circle of Friends is a new club that works to create an inclusive and welcoming student culture.
Pictured are club members, special education teacher Cassie Letourneau (top left) and Duluth East activities director and DEHSF board member Shawn Roed (bottom left).

• Gobble Gallop Thanksgiving Day Race and National Bank of Commerce in conjunction with Verso donated $1,000 each to Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food for a total $2,000 donation.

• On behalf of the Duluth Lions Club, member Gail Tate (left) presented $700 worth of new infant and children's clothing to Lutheran Social Services Crisis Nursery staff member Jenny.

GOOD NEWS

• As part of the second Random Acts of Kindness initiative, Superior Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff's Office - with the help from Garrett Carr Memorial of Superior - will be handing out nearly $1,500 in the form of local business gift cards to area residents throughout the month. Officers and deputies will distribute the cards to those who appear in need or as a reward to those who demonstrate proper driving or good Samaritan behavior.

• Mary Mattson, coordinator for Ely's Early Childhood Family Education, won a $15,000 wardrobe makeover after winning the Spring Bon-Ton Stores awards grand prize this past summer. Mattson, a regular clothing donator during Younkers and Herberger's Goodwill Sales, was selected from more than 120,000 entries.

• Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank announced it received $35,740 in donations during November's Give to the Max Day.

COMMUNITY LEADERS

• Duluth's Harbor City International School announced its 2016-17 junior rotarians: (from left) Adrianna Mullozzi, Simone Stark, Sophie Fink, Elizabeth Brock and Jacqline Wright.

EDUCATION NOTES

• Minnesota Community Education Association awarded Jay Roesler the regional Community Educator of Excellence during its fall conference in St. Cloud. Roesler is director of Community Education and Services for Duluth Public Schools and is a current member of the MCEA Legislative Committee. He was honored for his great contributions to community education throughout the state.

• The University of Wisconsin-Superior was named a military-friendly school for the seventh consecutive year by GI jobs. UWS was recognized for its efforts to assist military personnel, veterans and their families in getting a college education.

LEARNING NOTES

• Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in Ashland announced graduate Tyler Sanchez of Winter, Wis., placed second in the Cisco Networking Academy NetRiders competition, which included college students in Canada and the U.S. During the competition, Sanchez used Cisco web technologies to create an interactive networking skills contest. His second-place prize includes a free trip to Cisco headquarters in San Jose, Calif.
Sanchez graduated in the spring with information technology-network specialist and systems administration specialist degrees. He now works an information technician at Lac Courte Oreilles Community Health Center in Hayward.

• Brianna Williams was awarded the $1,500 Audrey A. Lundeen Bluebird Foundation Scholarship. Williams, a student at Duluth Denfeld High School, is involved in dance and theater programs, as well as concert, chamber and women's choirs. She plans to pursue a career in music therapy and American Sign Language interpretation. Pictured are (from left) Bluebird board members Rose Hoene, Jim Caesar and Tracy Lundeen, awardee Brianna Williams, and board members Kynze and Austan Lundeen.

• Hermantown Police Department announced 180 students from Hermantown Elementary School graduated from the DARE program. The program teaches students about how to lead safe and successful drug-free lives. Students were congratulated during a graduation ceremony at the Hermantown High School auditorium.

SERVICE NOTES

• Air Force airmen Anna Karas of Duluth and Gannon Salo of Virginia - along with National Guard airman first class John Zupancic of Gilbert - graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio. Zupancic graduated with honors.
The training included an intensive, eight-week program of learning military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness and basic warfare principles and skills.
Karas, a 2016 graduate of Duluth East High School, is the daughter of John and Nancy Karas of Duluth.
Zupancic graduated from Eveleth-Gilbert High School in 2016 and Salo is a 2015 graduate of Virginia High School. Salo's parents are Mark Salo of Mountain Iron and Sherryl Salo of Virginia.

• Douglas Downs, a 2002 graduate of Hibbing High School, was promoted to captain in the Air Force. Downs is currently the deputy chief of the engineering branch of the Rocket Systems Launch Program at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. He earned a bachelor's degree in 2007 from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and is the son of Donald and Barbara Downs of Hibbing.

GRANTS

• Delta Air Lines Foundation awarded $5,000 grants to Mesabi Family YMCA and United Way of Northeastern Minnesota as well as $7,500 grants to Chisholm Community Foundation and American Red Cross-Northern Minnesota. The grants were given in support of the chosen organizations' efforts to promote diversity, education, health and wellness. Pictured are the four northern Minnesota organizations and their grant checks.

• Miller-Dwan Foundation bestowed $41,700 in health care grants to four area health care programs.
Twenty-five thousand went to Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault and $4,500 to Essentia Health Rehabilitation Continuing Education Committee. PAVSA will use the money to provide therapeutic services and prevention education to victims of sexual assault and trafficking. Essentia grant will fund the training of East Region clinicians so they can fully address the needs of patients with foot and ankle disorders.
Lake Superior Medical Society Alliance received $4,000 from the Albert J. Gonska Memorial Fund. The grant will fund the 2017 Health Fair for third and fourth graders in the Duluth area.
Sara M. Young Education Fund gave $8,200 to Essentia Health Therapy Center to train East Region rehabilitation clinicians to help the growing population of patients with neck, voice and swallowing disorders.

1/9: Mary Mattson, coordinator for Ely’s Early Childhood Family Education, won a $15,000 wardrobe makeover after winning the Spring Bon-Ton Stores awards grand prize this past summer.

2/9: Vintage Times Car Club gave $1,000 to Life House in Duluth to support efforts to help homeless area youth. Pictured during the November donation presentation are VTC members (from left) John and Loralee Prouty, Life House executive director Maude Dornfeld, and VTC members Sally Solots, Tim Kwapick and Mark Olson.

3/9: Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank announced Grainger Foundation, through its Grainger Community Grant Program, contributed $4,000 to Second Harvest’s fresh produce and holiday food distribution. Pictured with the check donation are Mike Benson of Grainger, Shaye Moris of Second Harvest and Sand Jokala of Grainger.

4/9: Duluth’s Harbor City International School announced its 2016-17 junior rotarians: (from left) Adrianna Mullozzi, Simone Stark, Sophie Fink, Elizabeth Brock and Jacqline Wright.

5/9: Engwall’s Corn Maze donated a total of $5,210 to seven area organizations, including Just Kids Dental, Coats for Kids, Duluth Area Catholic Schools, Bulldog Family Fund of the 148th Fighter Wing, Promise Preschool, Bluebird Foundation, Lakeview Christian Academy and University of Minnesota Duluth Pharmacy Students. Pictured are Corn Maze partners Tracy Lundeen of Lundeen Productions (right) and Rod Saline of Engwall’s.

6/9: Minnesota Community Education Association awarded Jay Roesler the regional Community Educator of Excellence during its fall conference in St. Cloud.

7/9: Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in Ashland announced graduate Tyler Sanchez of Winter, Wis., placed second in the Cisco Networking Academy NetRiders competition.

8/9: Together, Duluth Rotary Club 25, Kiwanis Club of Friendly Duluth and Miner’s Inc. funded the Duluth Salvation Army’s Christmas Food Baskets, contributing $21,000 worth of food. Each organization donated $7,000. Pictured at the check donation are (from left) John Baumgarten of Duluth Rotary Club 25, Nancy Leslie of Duluth Salvation Army, Gordon Mesedahl of Kiwanis Friendly Club of Duluth and Duluth Salvation Army, and Bruce Anderson of Miner’s Inc.

9/9: Delta Air Lines Foundation awarded $5,000 grants to Mesabi Family YMCA and United Way of Northeastern Minnesota as well as $7,500 grants to Chisholm Community Foundation and American Red Cross-Northern Minnesota.