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Community work celebrated

Multiple area organizations, people recognized during event

BELLEVILLE — Tuesday evening was a night of community and celebration at the Brookmere Winery.

Members and community leaders from across the central Pennsylvania Region gathered together for Kish Celebrates Community, where volunteers and non-profit organizations were recognized for their work in their communities.

“We are so proud to call this place home,” William Hayes, chairman, president and CEO of Kish Bank, said. “You are the reason central Pennsylvania is a desirable place to live.”

Hayes said the heritage of Mifflin County is similar to that of other rural communities across the country. He told those unfamiliar with Kish Valley that settlers came and went through phases during different wars and time periods.

“It was the Amish and Mennonite communities that came back and settled in the area,” he explained. “Now the area is the third largest for Amish and Mennonite communities.”

Throughout the evening five awards and presentations were made to the 100 or so guests in attendance.

The first was presented to NuVisions of Mifflin County. The award, Outstanding Non-Profit of the Year, was given to NuVisions for their work improving the lives of people who have vision, physical or mental impairments. The organization achieves this through education in the community, client services and employment opportunities.

The second award given was to D. Holmes Morton, M.D., as the Outstanding Humanitarian.

During the presentation Hayes said Morton was receiving the award for his work in Amish and Mennonite communities. Morton works in genetic disease research and has created clinics to help combat the issue in those communities, where genetic disorders are more common. The clinics Morton has built, one which is in the Belleville area, is taylored to the needs of the plain communities. They also provide general practice care like immunizations and general check-ups.

Penn State women’s basketball coach Coquese Washington was also at the event and presented four local hospitals and cancer treatment centers with a check for $225,000 for the Pink Zone program.

The Pink Zone raises money to educate, work with diagnoses and treatments and help with research for breast cancer. Washington said the program is there to make sure that families stay together.

“The hardest thing for a child is not knowing if the family will stay together,” she said. “With this program we help those families stay together.”

The four organizations that benefited included JC Blair Hospital, Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital, Mount Nittany Medical Center and Hershey Cancer Institute.

Hayes also presented local Kish Branch employee Dave Coble, with the Kish Community Impact Award. The award was given to Coble for his work with the Mifflin County Habitat for Humanity. Hayes said Coble not only helps the organization get the financial help they need to build the homes, but also takes the time to help build them.

During the event Winthrop Watson, president and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank Pittsburgh, gave Kish Bank the Pillars of the Community Award. Watson said the award was given to Kish Bank for the work it does with the community both on the banking level and on a personal level.

Hayes gave closing remarks then saying there would be too many people in the community falling through too many cracks, if not for the community outreach of the Kish Bank employees.

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