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March 22, 2011 the valley star Page 19 The Valley Star | feature 11-year-old East child fighting MS arch is the month of basketball’s “March Madness,” but across our community and the United States, March is National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness month. Caring individuals are working diligently to raise awareness for the number one disabling disease of young Americans. One such individual, 11-year-old Austin Harm of East Limestone County, has already formed his annual MS Walk Team and has raised more than $3,400 towards his 2012 goal of $6,300. iagnosed in 2009 with the disbling disease of MS, Austin is one f the rare 8,000 to 10,000 Amercan children under the age of 18 iagnosed with the disease. Norally affecting individuals between the ages of 20-50 and twice as many women as men, MS is an unpredictable and often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness to blindness and paralysis. With MS, symptoms result when inflammation and breakdown occur in the myelin, the protective insulation surrounding the nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. Myelin is destroyed and replaced by multiple “sclerotic” or scars of hardened tissue. MS affects more than 400,000 Americans and 2.5 million people worldwide. Over 4,100 people live with the disease in Alabama. Harm first displayed symptoms of the disease at the age of six when he awoke to the inability walk. It wasn’t until the age eight that a pediatric neurologist in Birmingham was able to diagnose his symptoms as MS. Thanks to medication that helps control some of the symptoms, he is able to live a fairly active life. He is able to enjoy his favorite past time of swimming and just received the highest honor awarded to a Cub Scout, the Arrow of Light. In 2011, Harm and his family formed the Huntsville MS Walk Team, “Kidz Get MS 2,” in order to raise awareness and funds that help provide direct services to those living with the disease and support vital research into a cure for the disease. His team raised over $3,700 last year and this year his sights are set on $6,300, which represents the 6,300 people living with MS that are served by the Alabama-Mississippi Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Although battling crippling fatigue, numbness and difficulty walking at times, Harm has never let the disease get him down. Last year he raised over $250 for the Chapter through an old-fashioned lemonade stand operated with the help of his younger brother. He has also participated in numerous public speaking engagements where he has told his story in an effort to raise awareness and funds for vital MS research. “I won’t stop walking, I won’t stop raising money until the doctors find a cure, “ he said. “I never want another kid to hear a doctor tell Austin Harm them they have MS.” Currently, there is no cure for the disabling disease. MS stops people from moving, but the National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. The annual Huntsville MS Walk is scheduled for April 28th at the beautiful Huntsville Botanical Gardens. To join more than 600 walkers dedicated to ending this devastating disease, or to find out other ways to help, visit www.walkms.org or call 1-800- FIGHT MS. Covering North Alabama With Quality Electrical Work RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL Licensed, Insured, and Workman’s Comp FREE ESTIMATES 256-206-5776 www.trelectrical.com MarionStreet church of Christ Sunday 9:30 am Classes Sunday 10:30 am Worship Service Wednesday 6:30 pm. Classes for all ages. ANNOUNCING Gospel Meeting May 13-16, 2012 Speaker Tony Mauck “Focus on the Family” Quarterly Singing April 21st at 7:00 p.m. www.marionstreet.org email: jeremiah.mcelyea@yahoo.com 124 North Marion Street • Athens, AL 35611 256-232-1786 256-233-0848
Page 20 the valley star March 22, 2012 The Valley Star | feature Wild game, friends, and beautiful weather by Danny Johnson he 5 th annual wild game cookout was held March 10 th at Lincoln Bridgeforth Park in Athens. The succulent smell of barb-qued hog and rabbit filled the air as I stepped out of my truck. I knew this beautiful day would bring a big group out for the fellowship and sampling of smoked wild game. The first cook I approached for some of his tasty cooking was Don Entreken. Don and his wife, Ann, make some of the best duck gumbo I have ever tasted. Dexter Turner, Ron Crutcher, Thomas Cain, James Atkins, David Holt, Jason Williams, Ricky Craig, and Robert Shaw were doing some big time smoking. The opportunity for mouth-watering food was plentiful with choices of jalapeno peppers stuffed with deer meat, quail, chicken, squirrel with dumplings, rabbit, and a whole hog on the grill. Also, Ricky Craig shared his delicious hush puppies with the crowd. Thanks also goes to the ones who helped out this year; Tom Kilgore, Dean Firestone, and Donna Sue Wise. The corporate sponsor for this year was H & R AgriPower, which donated two guns for this year’s event. Winners of the guns were Ann Entreken and Doug Pentecost. Other sponsors were: Pimento’s, Gray Holt, Cajun Antler Designs, Keith Long Custom Antler Pens, Oakwood Camo, West End Chevron, Athens Pharmacy, Robert Ford’s books- Rabbit Tales , Eco- Color powder coating. This year’s profits will be awarded in college scholarships for local students. Students should ask their school counselors about the Limestone County Rabbit Hunters and H & R Agri Power Scholarship Application. This is a special time where hunters and bar-b-que cooks come together and feed the neighborhood from the bounty of wild game harvested the past hunting season. A good hunter never wastes game they have taken. This wild game food fest is a wonderful way hunted game can be enjoyed by hunters and non-hunter alike. Be watching The Valley Star next spring for your special invite to this fun and tasty event in Athens. Ron Crutcher cooking a whole hog Dean Firestone smoking up some jalapeno stuffies Strickland Dirt Works, LLC Paul Parker, Henry White, and Jonathan Johnson waiting on the dinner call Services Include: White Gravel • Stone • Fill Dirt • Top Soil Ponds • Basements • Property Clearning 25 YEARS EXP Rusty & Russell Strickland (256) 771-3857 James Atkins and Dexter Turner
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