Elizabethtown townlively.com
MAY 8, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXV • NO 13
Rolling along to grant wishes BY CATHY MOLITORIS
W h e n t h e M a ke - A - W i s h Mother’s Day Truck Convoy rolls through town on Sunday, May 12, it will honor a tradition that began 35 years ago with the wish of one child. “It all began with Wish Kid Matt Strawser,” said Michelle Ruel, director of marketing and communications for Make-AWish Philadelphia, Delaware and Susquehanna Valley. “Matt was
fascinated with big rig trucks, so it was no surprise he wished to ride in a big rig and talk to his sister, Heather, on the CB radio.” Since 1990, almost 12,000 tr uck s have dr iven in the Convoy, and the event has raised more than $9.2 million, granting wishes to more t h a n 9 0 0 c h i l d re n i n t h e Susquehanna Valley. This year’s Convoy will kick off with a carnival beginning at 9 a .m. at the Manheim See Wishes pg 3
E-town Quizly Bear Avengers (from left) Jackson Nash, Marci Steele, Aryanna Funk and Isabelle Williams
Succeeding at STEM BY CATHY MOLITORIS
“Their success is a testament to their hard work, perseverance and collaborative effort.” having faced a setback against the team in the preliminary rounds, where they lost 195 to 55. It was particularly sweet to win against that team, Balak said, because the team wanted to avenge last year’s defeat to L-S. He noted that the Avengers started strong and seemed to
be getting stronger before they faced the L-S team and encountered their first challenge. After that loss, the team regrouped and Balak provided words of encouragement. “I informed the team that I was happy they lost and encountered that feeling of falling behind. I also informed them that they need to be like the goldfish,” Balak said, noting that he had learned from watching the television series “Ted Lasso” that a goldfish has a five-second memory. “(They had) to put that last match behind them and focus on their next match.” The last round went back and forth with each team in the lead at some point until it came down to the last question to determine the winner. “It was a paper-pencil math toss-up question, out of which Jackson Nash was able to buzz in and provide the correct solution
Trucks gear up for last year’s Make-A-Wish Mother’s Day Truck Convoy.
Supporting young adult business owners BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Being a business owner is hard enough, but being a young business owner has its own unique challenges. With that in mind, the Young Adult Business Collective formed in Elizabethtown to offer resources and support in a collaborative manner. “This is a group for young adult (age 40 or younger) entrepreneurs who are interested in connecting and collaborating with other like-minded individuals in whatever phase of their business
they may be,” said Nikita Grove, founder of The Wellness Grove, co-founder of the Elizabethtown Farmers Market Co. and one of the founders of the Young Adult Business Collective. “We run the group like a mini mastermind, where folks can share their challenges and successes with others for support, to learn from one another and inspire growth, new connections and ultimately create supportive synergy as the next generation of business owners in our community.” Grove started the group with See Business pg 7 R105450
See STEM pg 5
Let us show you the difference a caring neighbor can make. Rothermel-Finkenbinder Miller-Finkenbinder Fager-Finkenbinder Smedley-Finkenbinder Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. Funeral Home & Crematory Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. Palmyra | 717-838-9211 Elizabethtown | 717-367-1543 Middletown | 717-944-7413 Marietta | 717-426-3614 Travis S. Finkenbinder, Supervisor Kala M. Smith, Supervisor Alaina A. Ace, Supervisor Megan S. Waters, Supervisor
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tudents from the Bear Creek School in the Elizabethtown Area School District (EASD) demonstrated their science prowess at the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 Elementary STEM Bowl Competition held earlier this spring. The Quizly B ear Avengers , compr ising Aryanna Funk, Jackson Nash, Marci Steele and Isabelle Williams, took first place in a dramatic showdown, while the Quizly Bears Squared - Jack Auker-Ender, Rory Lesher, Jacob Hirst and Spencer Schickling - earned fourth place. The competition featured a quiz bowl format, with teams scoring points for answering STEM-related questions correctly through six rounds. “The top two teams with the highest points after the six rounds play a ... finals match to determine first place
and second place, which takes place in front of all the teams, participants, coaches and staff,” said Eric Balak, Avengers coach. The Avengers faced the L-S STEM Stars in the final round, and they triumphed, despite