Donegal SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
REACHING MORE THAN 9,800 HOMES
Free Backpacks, Full of Hope BY CAT SHANNON
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ack-to-school is an exciting time of anticipation for most students, but for some families, the cost of supplies can be overwhelming. RAISE28 is here to help. The organization will host its annual Backpack Giveaway from Tuesday, Aug. 12, through Friday, Aug. 15, at 105 Fair view St., Mount Joy. Time slots will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If backpacks are still available, walk-ins Keith Cullen, director of student ministries (far right), with students and backpacks will be accepted on Satur- at RAISE28 day, Aug. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Last year we gave away over backpacks this year.” Backpacks for students of all 650 backpacks to students across RAISE28 offers the Backpack ages, from kindergarten to 12th Lancaster County,” shared Mark Giveaway as a way to bless stugrade, will be available for pickup, Unger, executive director of dents and families who find it each filled with school supplies RAISE28. “As in years past, our challenging to make ends meet, and information about RAISE28. goal is to distribute at least 600 he said.
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JUNE 11, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
See Backpacks pg 4
VOL LXVI • NO 18
Shine Bright at Hope Within 5K BY CAT SHANNON
Support a local nonprofit, enjoy beautiful surroundings and get some exercise all at the same time by participating in the Hope Within Ministries’ Let Your Light Shine 5K Walk/ Run. The event will be held on
Saturday, July 19, beginning at 8 a.m. at Stone Gables Estate, 1 Hollinger Lane, Elizabethtown. “The idea came about as a means to represent what Hope Within Ministries is - a health care, dental and counseling center,” said Laurie Reichert, director of development for the See 5K pg 2
2024 MS FitEffect participants and trainers with program director Mark Mueller (far right)
MS FitEffect Puts Strength Into Motion explained. “We have sessions there are no two people who available Monday through Sat- share the same set of symptoms urday in the morning, afternoon at the same intensities with the and some evenings. It is based same presentation of symptoms.” While specifics vary for each on the participant’s and trainer’s participant, the program focuses availability.” on strength, stamina and stability for all sessions. “ We use a combination of “We meet each stretching, relaxation techniques, participant where they weight training, cardiovascular training, balance and gait training are at and move them and functional training,” Mark forward from there.” said. “We meet each participant where they are at and move them forward from there. We focus on As Mark shared, MS FitEffect is helping them achieve a better qualpersonalized. ity of life by working with them on “The program is different for activities of daily living that have everyone, as the trainer cus- become difficult for them.” tom-designs the program for the MS FitEffect is open to anyone particular participant,” he stated. with MS or any demyelinating “MS is different for everyone; disease.
The historic Star Barn will be one of the sights to see along the route of Hope Within Ministries’ Let Your Light Shine 5K.
In your mailbox & online ETN
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ark Mueller and his wife, Jackie, took a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and turned it into an opportunity to help others. Jackie was diagnosed with MS in 1998, and the couple sought to treat the disease as naturally as possible, without medication. They experimented with nutrition and exercise to see what worked and what didn’t, and their research led to MS FitEffect, a free, 10-week program for people with MS. The next session will run from Saturday, Sept. 6, through Saturday, Nov. 15, at Elizabethtown Fitness Club, 626 S. Market St. “Each participant selects a time with their trainer for their private one-hour weekly session,” Mark
A World of Wonder Awaits Inside the Bookmobile
BY JEFF FALK
It ’s more than books on wheels. The Library System of Lancaster County’s (LSLC) bookmobile delivers knowledge, creativity, inspiration and joy. The bookmobile is kind of like a food truck serving up nourishment for the mind and soul. “Reading in general is very important,” said Audrey Lilley, the bookmobile’s driver, curator and full-time coordinator. “It’s important for kids to be reading. It’s important for them to
See MS FitEffect pg 5
be able to pick up a book and see characters who look like them. Reading can be inspirational, and with retirees, it kind of comes full circle. I think retirees can find comfort in reading. For all people in between, it’s a way to relax and unwind.” W h e n n o t o n t h e g o to multiple locations all across Lancaster County, Lilley parks the bookmobile at LSLC’s main office at 1866 Colonial Village Lane, Suite 107, Lancaster. The bookmobile is a 22-foot-long box truck with a single entrance
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Investing in Women’s Futures BY CAT SHANNON
See Bookmobile pg 3
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Callie Tomblin’s title may be program coordinator for Second Grace, but she’s actually an investment adviser. She’s helping her clients invest in themselves. “I really believe in the social capital theory, where if people don’t have resources that many of us take for granted, they are kind of behind,” she said. “A lot of the women in our program are in that situation.” Second Grace pairs young single
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mothers - “Graces” - with trained advocates called “Sages.” Each Sage helps a Grace navigate life, whether that’s providing transportation to appointments or getting a Grace connected to community services like food banks or GED classes. Sages might also just spend time with their Grace in a positive way, socializing and offering connection. There are currently eight women in the Second Grace program, which focuses on women between the ages of 18 and 25, although See Investing pg 2
Callie Tomblin
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Lancaster’s Forgotten Major League Legacy BY CAT SHANNON
In the heart of Lancaster city, land at the junction of Juliette and Frances avenues hides a secret, and it’s one that local resident Jeremy Raff is determined to bring back into the light. Nearly a century ago, the site housed Rossmere Base Ball Park, where some of baseball’s greatest talents played, but their stories have long gone untold. In the 1920s, Rossmere hosted the Harrisburg Giants, an Eastern Colored League team led by center fielder and player-manager Oscar Charleston, whom historians rank among the greatest baseball players of all time. Alongside him were teammates like Rap Dixon, a talented outfielder and all-around powerhouse, and Clarence “Fats” Jenkins, a dynamic leadoff hitter who later starred in basketball and earned a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. T hou g h Jack ie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947, Lancaster had hosted major league-level Black baseball decades earlier - a fact often forgotten until Major League Baseball officially recognized Negro League statistics as major league records in 2020. Also largely forgotten was the role Lancaster city played in promoting Negro League games. From 1925-27, the Giants played 20 exhibitions at Rossmere and several league games with thousands of fans in attendance. The players thrilled crowds with feats like their triple steal in the eighth inning of their first league game at Rossmere on April 26, 1925 a play involving Jenkins, Dixon and Charleston - but the field See Legacy pg 8
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VOL LXVI • NO 26
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