Smilestones
SKULTETY WINS SHPOA PHOTO CONTEST
The Stone Harbor Property Owners Association announced Eileen Skultety as the first-place winner of the 2017 photography contest. Skultety was presented with a $500 gift certificate for her photograph of a girl and seagulls on the beach. The second-place winner was Jen Reimer, who received $300 gift certificate, and third place went to Doug Basile, who received a $200 gift certificate.
The second annual contest had nearly 400 entries and a panel of five judges each selected 12 photographs to judge. Judges for this year’s contest included Stone Harbor Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour, Kim Miller of Ocean Galleries, Marnie Lengle of the Stone Harbor Chamber of Commerce, SHPOA president Frank Byrne and former SHPOA trustee Lew Ferguson. The 12 photos that received the most votes from the judges were posted on the SHPOA web site for online voting. More than 1,400 votes were cast and the winner was announced during the organization’s annual meeting at the Harbor Square Theatre on Sept. 9.
SHPOA will run the contest again in 2018 and will be accepting entries from Memorial Day through mid-August.
Tying the Knot
O’CONNELL, GRIFFIN ENGAGED
Briana O’Connell and Patrick Griffin became engaged in August and are planning a May 2018 wedding in Avalon. Briana is the daughter of Tom and Mary O’Connell of Marlton and Avalon, and Patrick is the son of Dan and Meg Griffin of Newtown, Pa., and Ocean City. Patrick surprised Briana when he proposed on the beach in Avalon and then took her to the Windrift Hotel Resort for an engagement party with family and friends. The couple was introduced by mutual friends at a bar, in Philadelphia, and they connected a few weeks later at a Phillies game. Briana, who has degrees in marketing and nursing from Saint Joseph’s and Villanova, works in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Patrick, a Penn State graduate, is also a recent graduate of the accelerated law degree program at Drexel. They reside in Philadelphia.
Avalon Lions Club board members present check to Lions Club International to help victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.
LIONS CLUB DONATES TO HURRICANE RELIEF, CARA
The Avalon Lions Club recently presented the Lions International Relief Fund with $9,300 following the devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean, Florida and Texas. The donation comes from money the Lions Club raised this year during its White Cane days that were held outside Avalon stores including the Wawa, Avalon Market, Hoy’s 5 & 10 and the Avalon Acme, as well as contributions from Lions members.
The Lions International Relief Fund will distribute the money to local Lions chapters in the hard-hit areas of the disasters to make sure it is spent where it is needed most. One hundred percent of the money raised is spent on relief efforts.
“Even though the focus of our fundraising efforts during the year benefit more than a dozen charities in Cape May County, when we see special circumstances that merit special attention we stay true to our motto: We Serve,” says Mike Sowers, president of the Avalon Lions Club.
The Avalon Lions also contributed $4,000 to the Coalition Against Rape and Abuse (CARA), which supports victims of violence and domestic abuse in Cape May County by providing crisis intervention, counseling, legal help, shelter and food for clients in need.
To learn more about the Avalon Lions Club, go to avalonlions.com.
