Students raise money to fight cancer

A man told me, “You won’t be able to get high school students to do anything,” said Team Bengals sponsor Pam Yardley.

That was the challenge that created the drive in the volunteer group. Team Bengals is a Relay For Life team that is comprised of more than 20 students from Gallup High School.

Last year, Team Bengals was the number two money maker for the cancer-fundraising events network. That was the most rewarding part of the year for team member Loisse Ledres, when she realized her team was able to raise over $4,000 for the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event, she said.

Last year’s benefit events included a staff...

Beloved program honors veterans

The Gallup community has a long-standing reputation for supporting and remembering their veterans and the American Legion Post #8 is no exception to this tradition.

The Hometown Heroes banner program was introduced in 2011 by Reverend Dennis Gardner who was inspired by a similar display of respect he witnessed when visiting his hometown in Pennsylvania.  Along with other members of Post #8, Gardner petitioned the city council to allow the display.

“It has been received real well and is growing,” he said.

This program functions as a way to recognize and celebrate the soldiers from McKinley County who have served or currently serving in the...

Renowned mentoring organization seeks sponsors, mentors and bowlers

“Luau at the Lanes!” is the theme of this year’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake bowl-a-thon put on by Big Brothers Big Sisters. Every penny raised is used here in McKinley County to help with the local mentoring program.

The bowl-a-thon is the biggest fundraiser sponsored by BBBS with its 2014 event raising more than $48,000.

Though the goal of the bowl-a-thon is to raise money, it is also designed to raise awareness. BBBS is the largest provider of one-to-one youth mentoring services in the United States. The offices of Northern New Mexico have been working with disadvantaged youth since the early 1980s. The...

Bills Expand K-3 Plus Program, Allow Excellent Teachers to Become Principals Much Quicker

ALBUQUERQUE — Gov. Susana Martinez signed two pieces of the legislation to help improve New Mexico’s schools. The first bill (HB 479) expands access to K-3 Plus, a program for struggling students that provides additional instruction over the summer. The second bill (SB 153) streamlines the administrator licensure process, allowing certain teachers to become principals much quicker.

“Helping struggling students and schools is at the very core of our reforms, and I’m proud of the progress we have made in just a few years,” Martinez said. ”But while we’ve seen important improvements...