The students of Stafford Elementary spent the month of April having a “penny war.” With the help of the Stafford PTO and teachers, the students collected their loose change to promote Autism Awareness. The class that raised the most change would win a pizza party. Mrs. Shannon Wegener’s 5th grade class raised $251, the highest individual class total.

The First Baptist Church of Avalon is raising money to assist youth to attend church camp this summer. A day of fun and fellowship is planned for Saturday, April 21, 2018 with food, music, a washer tournament and more at the church. All monies raised will benefit the youth for camp. The festivities begin at 1:00 p.m.

Due to the high demand of the ITALY STRONG tee shirts, we will do a final order. Shirts must be ordered and prepaid no later than Thursday, February 9th by 5:00 p.m. Each shirt is $10. Contact Karen Mathiowetz 972-268-0655 or Heidi Crawford 817-933-5056 for more information or to order.

The Italy Strong tee shirt fundraiser to benefit Noelle Jones and her family was very successful. We would like to thank everyone that purchased an Italy Strong shirt. We would also like to recognize Lil Dab, BHB Feed and McDonalds for their support. Due to your generosity and support we will be able to make a sizeable donation to Noelle and her family for her medical expenses. We wanted “Italy Strong” to be a positive message to our community and aid in our unity and healing.

Use the link if you find the need to help this child with her medical expenses and impact her road to recovery.

Tonight, as our Gladiators host the Frost Polar Bears, we will be asking for donations in order to help Noelle Jones with her medical expenses. The Gladiator cheerleaders will be passing buckets around the Dome between the Varsity Girls and the Varsity Boys contests. Any help that you may be able to provide is welcome.

Arely Salazar, Italy High School’s FCCLA Advocacy competing team, will be hosting her 2nd Annual Clothes Drive! Last year’s team, which also included Brooke DeBorde, collected 1,200 pounds of clothing!

Stafford Elementary will be participating in a Canned Food Drive. Please help your school and community by sending canned goods and non-perishable items all month long! We especially need Instant Mashed Potatoes, Corn Bread Mix, and gravy.

Meet Emily Frost Moore…we call her “our” Emily, because we all want to claim this gentle, precious, and loving young lady that grew up in Maypearl. She graduated from Maypearl High School in 2006. She is 30 years old, married to her husband of four years, and they have just had their first addition to their family: Ander is four months old. Now the hard news: the severe back pain she suffered from during pregnancy has now been diagnosed as Stage 4B Cervical Cancer.

October 14, is the third annual “Our Sunflower Friends” event. Our Sunflower Friends is a non-profit 501(c )3 faith based organization that raises money throughout the year and especially during the main event in October for families with children who are battling disease or face hardship due to a life changing accident. This year Our Sunflower Friends is sponsoring two little boys both who are battling cancer.

Join us for dinner to support this meaningful and worthwhile cause.

When: Friday evening
• Homecoming • September 15 •
5pm to 7pm
Where: Italy High School Cafeteria
Price per plate: $12
Catering by Bubba’s of Ennis

The Art on the Square gallery owned by the Ellis County Art Association located at 113 Franklin St. Waxahachie is hosting an exhibit of artwork created by Shelley Nance, 2007 graduate of Italy High School, who passed away in 2009.

Two season passes for all Gladiator home games for the 2017 – 2018 school year. This includes Volleyball, Basketball and Football. Donated by Italy ISD. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. Do not have to be present to win. Please contact Karen Mathiowetz at 972-268-0655. Or get them at the Guns & Hoses game this Saturday.

Mt. Gilead Youth will be serving fish plates for $8. See attached flyer for more information.

Italy Food Pantry announces that the North Texas Food Bank Produce Truck is coming to Italy every Third Wednesday, 2- 4 pm!

Lady Gladiators Relay Track Team has advanced to the State Finals. They will travel to Austin on May 13th. Please come out and support our girls in a car wash on Thursday, May 4th from 3:30 to 5:30 at the Italy First Baptist Church-200 Clark Street, Italy.

Zina Guthrie has supported the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life for several years with donations. She is employed by First State Bank of Rice in Italy, so when the bank decided to create a team for the Ennis Relay, she did not hesitate to join.

Shop With a Hero is a local organization that raises money so that Italy ISD students that are chosen by their teachers can go shopping for Christmas gifts for themselves and their family members. Each student may spend up to $300 each at WalMart.

The Italy Food Pantry was delighted to receive 750 lbs of canned vegetables and soup from Brookshire Bros last month. Mike Nicholson, Store Manager, was very pleased that corporate shared its resources with our community, and hopes it will continue. Susan Wooten, Food Pantry Director thanked Brookshire Bros. for its generosity, and noted that holiday supplies are appreciated now more than ever.

Neighbor helping neighbor, it is what Italy-ans do!

NOTE: Location change!

IYAA Teams need your support. On Saturday, November 5th there will be a large garage sale, wiffle ball tournament and washer tournament all at Upchurch Ball Fields to help raise needed funds for the C – Team Football and B – Team Cheer to go to AT&T Stadium on Dec 11, 2016.

This Friday evening, October 28, 2016, there will be a BBQ dinner to benefit the Norwood family. This will help the family with final costs. If you would like to help in any way, please contact Misty Escamilla 972-345-0666. Any help would be greatly appreciated by the family.

Mission Italy ISD was in full swing Sunday night when members of Central Baptist Church met to pack school supplies into backpacks for Italy ISD students. Thirty-seven adults and youth filled the backpacks and prayed for the students and families that will receive them.

Even though the weather did not cooperate on Saturday, the 5th Annual Guns vs. Hoses fundraiser was a success. Because of weather conditions, the fireworks show was cancelled.

Central Baptist Church Youth is having a snow cone stand to raise money for students to attend summer camp. The Sno Cone sale will be Friday, July 8th from 5pm-9pm, and the cost is $1 for small and $2 for a large. Please help these students go to camp and have a amazing summer!

Italy’s Shop With a Hero is sponsoring the 5th Annual Guns vs. Hoses softball game and activities on July 9th, 2016 at the Italy High School softball complex.

It’s that time again! Calling all hoopers /ballers to meet us on the hardwood, Friday, July 8th, thru Saturday, July 9th, If you have what it takes! $130 entry fee per team. Admissions will be $2 for kids and $3 for Adults. Basketball tournament benefits Mt. Gilead Baptist Church of Italy with Pastor Preston Dixon. Being held inside George E. Scott Coliseum at Italy High School.

The Italy Shop With a Hero Corporation is sponsoring the 5th Annual Guns vs. Hoses Softball game fund raiser on Saturday, July 9, 2016. The event will be held at the Italy High School softball complex on College Street with free admittance for all.

CBC Student Ministry is collecting cans for the local food bank and needs your help!
Drop off your food items at the Cornerstone Building on Main Street using our convenient drive-thru!

Let’s show the Thompsons how much we care about their family when they need it the most. To help support this Italy family, go to https://www.gofundme.com/yx9vcz44

Girls in Action from Central Baptist Church in Italy will sponsor an Operation Christmas Child with a “Fill the Shoebox” Packing Party on Sunday, November 8, 2:00 to 5:00 pm. Bring your bags of items to Central Baptist Church, 113 S. Ward St., in the Fellowship Center. You can help pack the boxes if you want to!

The annual George Scott Memorial Scholarship Fund barbecue dinner will be held Friday, October 2, 2015 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at the Italy High School Cafeteria. Cost for the meal is $12 per person. The meal will be catered by Bubba’s of Ennis.

Beginning this year you can go online to schedule to donate.

The 23rd annual “350 Benefit” will be held on Saturday, October 17. Prime Rib dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m., with dancing until 11:30 p.m.

The Masons of the Italy Lodge #647 will have BBQ for sale on Sunday, September 6th beginning at 10:30am. The sale will continue until they are all sold out. The sale will be held in front of the lodge on Main Street in Italy.

I hope everyone can come out and support this great program which gives back to the kids every year. We are switching it up a little this year by having some of the Italy High School playoff softball girls play with both the Police Officers and Firemen this year. This should add some excitement to the game and it gives the graduating seniors one more chance to play on their field. We encourage everyone to come out and have some fun and watch the Fireworks display after the game.

Dale Crownover has been thankful all his life for the relationship he had with his parents. Roy and Bernyce Crownover were wonderful parents. They taught him to work hard, be honest and rely on his faith during adverse times. The Crownovers also taught him to give back, be humble and never take anything for granted.

Hundreds to Participate in American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Central Ellis County on May 30, 2015 at Waxahachie Sports Complex .

There will be a fundraiser for Relay For Life of Central Ellis County at Ninos Mexican Restaurant in Waxahachie on May 20, 2015. We encourage the community to support this fundraiser by eating at Ninos on May 20th. Print off the attached flyer and present it to your server so Relay will receive 10% of your bill.

Patti Junkin’s brother passed away from cancer so she decided to support Relay For Life and formed a team. Her team, Eta Omega Sisters For Life, was presented the “Traveling Trophy” at the April team captain’s meeting of the Relay For Life of Central Ellis County for raising the most money for the month. The team raised $4,133 to turn in at the meeting. In addition to individual fundraising, they sponsored a bowling tournament and had a garage sale.

When Denell Flores was growing up, she had dreams of becoming a nurse and mother when she was older. She struggled academically in grade school so she was not encouraged to pursue a higher education. She fulfilled one her dreams when she became a mommy, but thought the other dream was just that – a dream.

Relay For Life of Central Ellis County would like to thank the companies that are supporting their efforts to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The corporate sponsors play a major role in Relay every year.

All of the Relay For Life of Central Ellis County teams are raising money for the American Cancer Society. The Pink Divas team will be taking orders for individual bundt cakes with all the profits going to ACS.

When Leola Burks was diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer in 2006, she had a big decision to make. She could either give up and let it defeat her or fight harder than she had ever fought in her life to defeat it. She chose to do whatever it took to survive. She also decided it would not change her outlook on life no matter what.

In 2012, Juana Liggit retired from work. She loves making crafts, gardening and playing golf, so she looked forward to staying active and enjoying life with her family and friends. Her husband, James, loves to play golf and has taught it for many years. He retired from the Air Force and owns a small recruiting company that helps place veterans with companies in the oil and gas fields.

Saturday, April 4th at the Old Brickyard Golf Course in Ferris, the Stagecoach Cowboy Church has a 4-man Scramble Golf Tournament planned. The shotgun start begins at 8:30am followed by a meal at noon catered by Bubba’s BBQ & Steakhouse of Ennis.