Saybrin Thomas, 5, ambassador for Rowan County’s 2008 March for Babies, visited Kmart, 815 E. Innes St., Feb. 29 to thank employees for their support of March for Babies.
Formerly WalkAmerica, March for Babies is the March of Dimes’ fundraising event that benefits all babies ó those born healthy as well as those who need help to survive and thrive.
“This cause is very important to me and to our employees,” said Erin Ketchie, Kmart employee, whose sister was born prematurely. That sister is now taller than she is, she said.
Ketchie showed Saybrin and her parents, Chris and Susan Thomas, the piggy banks, Dum Dums for sale and wishing well at the front of the store, all promoting March for Babies.
Customers can purchase cutouts when they check out to support the March for Babies. Kmart of Salisbury has been a supporter of March of Dimes for many years and raised $5,200 last year.
Saybrin was born at 28 weeks gestation, weighing 2 pounds and 3 ounces. She was on a ventilator for 21 days, on oxygen for her entire stay in the hospital and for a month after she went home. She experienced anemia, bacterial infection, antibiotics, BPD and received surfactant. She had two blood transfusions. She spent 79 days in the neonatal intensive care unit and went home weighing just over 5 pounds.
She is now a 5-year-old kindergartener with lots of energy and personality, according to her mother.
The March of Dimes also held a March for Babies Family Team Kickoff Saturday at J.F. Hurley Family YMCA.
Visit marchforbabies.org or call 1-800-525-9255 to sign up as an individual, start a corporate, family or friends team or make a donation to help babies be born healthy.
Sponsors of Rowan County’s 2008 March for Babies are Dillard’s and the Salisbury Post.
QuickBooks course
Small business owners looking for help with QuickBooks Pro can take a course offered by the Small Business Center at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.
“QuickBooks and Your Business Level 1” will be offered 6-9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays March 31-April 14 at RCCC’s Cabarrus Business & Technology Center, 660 Concord Parkway North, Concord. Tuition is $55, textbook, $25.
Brian Huber, a certified public accountant with Daniel Ratcliff and Co., will be the instructor.
For more information, contact Alesia Burris at burrisa@rowancabarrus.edu or 704-216-7213.
Brown receives award
Jimmy Brown of Mocksville was awarded the Governor’s Land Conservationist of the Year award by the N.C. Wildlife Federation Feb. 23 in Raleigh.
Brown is director of maintenance services for EnergyUnited. The award, given for outstanding land conservation effort in the past year, was for the co-op’s right-of-way maintenance program, which focuses on protecting the right-of-way corridors for wildlife with selective herbicide applications while keeping the area around power lines free of trees and brush.
“Over the years, Jimmy has developed a truly award-winning environmentally-friendly maintenance program,” H. Wayne Wilkins, chief executive officer said. “He has worked hard on behalf of EnergyUnited to ensure that not only do our members receive reliable service, but that we are doing our part to protect the environment.”
AFLAC office opens
Susan B. Wetmore, district sales coordinator for AFLAC, has opened an AFLAC district office in Suite 102 of the Ramsey Building, 627 W. Innes St.
Wetmore has been with AFLAC three years and was promoted to a district sales manager in January. She lives in Woodleaf with husband, Robbie, and son, Justin.
She can be contacted at 704-267-1253 or by e-mail at susan_wetmore@us.aflac.com.
Consulting firm opens
Kyle Overacker has opened a business named Competitive Edge to provide consulting services.
According to Overacker, he provides consulting services that revolve around customer service.
“We help companies with marketing, advertising, customer service, operations management and more,” he says.
Overacker runs the business from his home at 140B Mahaley Ave. and can be reached at 704-213-3641. He is currently a senior marketing major at Catawba College and has been a server at DJ’s Restaurant.
New sales associate
Veleria Levy of Kannapolis has joined Century 21 Cornerstone as a sales associate.
Levy specializes in residential/commercial property sales in Cabarrus, Rowan, Mecklenburg and surrounding areas. She will be working out of the Copperfield office location in Concord.
Genesis service pins
Employees of the Mooresville Center of Genesis HealthCare were recently honored with service pins in recognition of their years of service at the facility.
They are:
One year: Feticia Grandy, Marie Raymond, Ashana Conley, Lakia Conley, Felicia Furr and Caren McCaskill, certified nursing assistants; Heather Ferrell and Kimberly Winowitz, nurses; Dianne Blackwell, dietary; and Kathleen Nazzaro, housekeeping.
Three years: Laurrie McKee, bookkeeper; Mary Riffle, certified nursing assistant; and Brandi Turner, admissions.
Five years: Dayna Taylor and Natalie Adkins, certified nursing assistants.
10 years: Cynthia Walton, certified nursing assistant.
Silver ADDY award
KANNAPOLIS ó The City of Kannapolis was recently awarded a Silver ADDY Award from the American Advertising Federation of Charlotte for the direct mail it sent to residents and businesses announcing the new storm water program.
The awards recognize excellence in creativity in every facet of advertising ó print, radio, television and interactive categories.
Kannapolis and the City of Charlotte were the only two local governments recognized.
“When we launched the federally mandated storm water program, we needed something that our local citizens and business would notice in their mailbox,” said Wilmer Melton, Kannapolis Public Works director. “It was important to us that no one was caught off guard by the new fee, and this direct mail helped us achieve that goal.”
Kannapolis sent out two versions of the storm water direct mail, one for the businesses and one for residents. They worked with their marketing firm, Walker Marketing, on the design.
The City of Kannapolis has also received a BMA of the Carolinas Silver ProAd Award and a Silver Davey Award for the City Magazine, a MarCom Platinum Award for the storm water direct mail and a MarCom Platinum Award for the summer events series direct mail.
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Linda Braswell compiles the Rowan Roundup of companies, organizations and individuals. You can submit information about new businesses, honors and management promotions to her at the Salisbury Post, P.O. Box 4639, Salisbury, NC 28145-4639; fax it to 704-639-0003; or e-mail lbraswell@ salisburypost.com. Please include a daytime phone number.