Issuu

Lampeter-Strasburg townlively.com

JULY 17, 2024

SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954

VOL LXI • NO 11

The legacy of the Strasburg Wavers

A small gift that can save a life

BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD

impact someone’s life by extending a single act of kindness. Tony Thomas and Randy Schamber, locally known as the Strasburg Wavers, are a perfect example of how a small act of kindness can make a big difference. For two years, Thomas and Schamber sat together near the intersection of Strasburg Pike and Lincoln Highway. The two men shared a mission to put a smile on strangers’ faces, which they accomplished by smiling and waving as cars passed by. While the gesture may seem small, it sent ripples through the community and earned them the title of the Strasburg Wavers. In addition to individuals in the area, the Strasburg Wavers became noticed by local businesses such as Joe On The Go Coffee Co. Roughly one year ago, the mobile cafe visited Thomas to give him a free coffee and speak with him for a few minutes, declaring that with Thomas

thousands of drivers every day with a huge smile and a waving hand.” Although Schamber and Thomas sat together for two years, Schamber became ill for several months, requiring him to move his chair to a shady spot farther away from the intersection. Many community members only noticed Thomas during this

The American Red Cross estimates that roughly 99% of the population is eligible to donate blood, but only 3% of Americans regularly donate. Although blood drives are frequently held across the United States, many potential donors are unaware of how simple the process of giving blood truly is and how many lives it could save. Kathryn Davis, a resident of Willow Street and recent graduate of Lampeter-Strasburg High School, is spearheading a movement to show the community how almost anyone can become a hero by donating blood. PhlebotomyFam began as a community service initiative Davis created as a contestant in the Miss Lancaster County scholarship pageant. Each candidate is required to design a service project as part of the competition, and Davis said she chose to raise awareness of donating blood due to the impact it’s had in her life. Davis’ mother, Jozlyn Grodski, frequently donated blood while Davis was growing up; Grodski and Davis would often make their trips to the blood bank into a fun outing that included getting lunch and visiting a nail salon together. Davis was also inspired to create PhlebotomyFam due to seeing the importance of blood transfusions firsthand after a car accident in 2021. While riding in a bus with 31 others on the way home from a youth group retreat, the driver experienced a stroke and

See Strasburg Wavers pg 2

See Blood donation pg 2

t’s impossible to know what’s going on in a stranger’s life. Whether you’re commuting to work, making a trip to the grocery store or simply walking down the sidewalk in your neighborhood, you’re bound to pass several people who you’ve never met before. The strangers we pass every day have a unique story and their own struggles that everyone else is unaware of, and you never know how much you can

and Joe On The Go at the top and bottom of the Southern End, 5 miles of road were covered with kindness. Thomas and Schamber forged a close bond with each other through their quest of kindness, spreading their contagious smiles as a team until Thomas passed away on June 17. Schamber and many community members

Tony Thomas

shared posts online mourning Thomas’ death and honoring his legacy of spreading joy, and Joe On The Go donated 10% of all sales for one week to Thomas’ family to help cover funeral expenses. “ We’ve never met anyone who lived out our mission of spreading kindness more so than Tony,” the business said in a Facebook post. “Tony blessed

Our Peaches

Feed the Butterflies!

Blackberries

• Ready Picked & PYO Market is full of Local Produce!

POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER JUL. 17, 2024

PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co

Postal Patron

LSA

“Tony blessed thousands of drivers every day with a huge smile and a waving hand.”

400 Long Lane At Marticville Road (Rts. 741 & 324S) 3 Miles S. of Lancaster

Host Plants 20% OFF

Mon.-Sat. 8-6, Closed Sunday • 717-872-9311

R108889