Hempfield
townlively.com
MARCH 22, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXVIII • NO 50
Student musician selected for festival BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
Volunteers from JK Mechanical and local schools collect food that was donated throughout February.
Hempfield High School senior Jonah Gelbart was selected to perform in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) allstate jazz band at its upcoming conference and festival. Gelbart is one of five trumpet players from across the state who qualified and will perform in a PMEA concert at Pocono Mountain West High School, 181 Panther Lane, Pocono Summit, on Friday, April 21.
Gelbart submitted a video audition for the ensemble in January and received his results the following month. Soon after, he received the music for the show and began to learn the material. Prior to the concert, he will travel to Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in the Poconos to meet the rest of the ensemble and practice for the performance. “I’m excited to meet other musicians from across the state,” Gelbart said. “It’s a great opportunity to meet some really talented people.” See Student musician pg 6
School district wraps up food drive BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
n March 2, volunteers comprising students, families and teachers concluded the 13th annual Hempfield School District food drive. The volunteers collected boxes of goods totaling more than 6,000 pounds of food from multiple schools and administration buildings, and the food was then delivered to the Hempfield Area Food Pantry. As the needs of the community have grown over the years, so has the commitment of local residents to meet them. Throughout the month of February, each school and participating faculty building gathered donations from staff members, students and families. Several classes of students organized competitions to see which group could collect the most donations, and teachers implemented incentives for those who participated. The food drive also enlisted the help of local businesses such as JK Mechanical, which has served as the event’s primary sponsor for the last decade and offers its staff members and trucks to collect the donations each year. The food drive began when Market Street Sports Group, a local advertising agency, was approached by one of its clients, which wished
“When the drive first began years ago, we never expected to be collecting over 6,000 pounds in one day.” “When the drive first began years ago, we never expected to be collecting over 6,000 pounds in one day,” said Jason Jesberger, president of marketing at Market Street Sports Group. “I find it really special. Everyone gives, and I think it’s going to continue to grow.” When the food drive began, it was held in the fall around Thanksgiving. Due to the amount of donations that Hempfield Area Food Pantry receives during the holidays, it requested that the date of the drive be moved to the spring, when it receives the
fewest donations. The organizers of the drive elected to move it to February so that it would still occur during the school year and receive help from students. The change in date has benefited the food pantry greatly; this year, it received over 1,400 pounds of food more than last year from the drive. The Hempfield Area Food Pantry is operated by several churches, businesses and other organizations in the area. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it served as a choice pantry, meaning that families would select their own items from the shelves after providing a form of identification. During the p a n d e m i c , t h e fo o d p a n t r y decided to stock fresh vegetables and other items, and now it prepares a box for each family to pick up at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Landisville. The food pantry feeds over 375 people each week and handled over 277,000 pounds of food last year. “There’s definitely a need in the community,” said David Bleil, a volunteer at Hempfield Area Food Pantry. “We are so thankful that the district does (the food drive) and that the kids recognize this need and help out.”
Jonah Gelbart
Scholarship offered to future EMTs and paramedics BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Michael P. McMahon was a true Renaissance man. A 1993 graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School, he was a registered nurse, a flight attendant and a school bus driver. Each job offered Michael a chance to help people, something he truly believed in. Although he gave his all to everything he did, he was most passionate about his work as an emergency medical technician (EMT). When Michael passed away from colon cancer in October 2021, his family turned its grief into an opportunity to help others. The Michael P. McMahon
Scholarship for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) was created to help any resident of Lancaster County who wishes to pursue an EMT, Advanced EMT or Paramedic Certification. Michael was the oldest of four children and the son of Mike and Joanne McMahon. “He was loving, and he was loved by his family and friends,” Mike stated. Added Joanne, “Michael’s life was so varied. You couldn’t put him in a box. If he was interested in something, he’d do it. … They say it’s the dash between the years on your gravestone that matters. Michael made the most of that dash.” See Scholarship pg 2
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to organize an event at Rohrerstown Elementary School. The food drive grew each year, eventually encompassing every school in the district. While JK Mechanical participates in the drive by assisting with collection, Market Street Sports Group operates behind the scenes to grease the wheels of the event and serves as a conduit between the school district and the business community.