Get Muddy This Weekend with The Trinity Mud Trek!

Trinity Mud Trek 2013

Looking for a family friendly event, something to do with your friends or a challenge to say you accomplished? Trinity is hosting their annual fundraiser, the Trinity Mud Trek, on April 27. This fundraiser is a 5k run including 10 obstacles through 139 acres of woods, fields and, of course, mud! This is such a great event to participate in. You can use it as an opportunity to accomplish a personal goal, a fun way to get muddy, or maybe a metaphor for a spiritual obstacle. Help Trinity Christian School raise money to better their school and assist students in attending there. A little mud never hurt anyone, right? 

Want to register? Here is the link to their website:

http://www.tcsmud.com/8227.html

Check out KSLA’s coverage on the sneak peek of the course on March 15th.

http://www.ksla.com/category/240198/new-video-landing-page?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=8638866

Two Local Girl Scouts Receive Top Honors!

GIRL SCOUTS – DIAMONDS ANNOUNCE GOLD AWARD RECIPIENTS FOR 2013; TEXARKANA GIRLS HONORED

TEXARKANA, AR – On April 20, 2013, two local Texarkana girls received the highest honor awarded to a girl member in Girl Scouting – the Girl Scout Gold Award.  Natalie Jarvis and Destiny Williams joined eleven other girls from the Girl Scouts – Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas’ jurisdiction honored at the Diamonds Council’s Annual Recognition Ceremony Luncheon, held at the Grand Masonic Lodge, Albert Pike Scottish Rite Temple in Little Rock on Saturday, April 20.

            Girl Scout Gold Award recipients are an elite group of girls.  Annually, only approximately 5% of eligible Girl Scouts earn this award.  The Girl Scout Gold Award requires Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts (grades 9-12) to dedicate a minimum of two years to complete all requirements.  With the Girl Scout Leadership Experience at its core, the Girl Scout Gold Award challenges girls to identify issues about which they care deeply and plan and execute a Take Action Project that will leave a lasting impact on the benefiting community.

            For her project, Natalie organized and executed a community garden to provide food for the needy in the community.  After researching, Natalie discovered that Harvest Texarkana, a local food bank, had not been receiving enough produce to provide all those that they served.  Natalie partnered with Harvest Texarkana and through the community garden, provided 200 pounds of fresh produce including summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and some watermelons for those in need in the community.  Natalie plans to attend Texarkana College and Texas A&M University in Texarkana to pursue a degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Special Education.  Natalie is the daughter of John and Larkin Jarvis and she has been a Girl Scout for eleven years.

            Destiny created the Berry Blissful Patch program at Theron Jones Elementary School.  The Berry Blissful Patch was the first small garden to be planted at Theron Jones Elementary.  Destiny’s project combined learning and health by allowing the students to enjoy a healthy snack while learning math and gardening skills that they will hopefully take home to continue the education with their parents.  Destiny’s focus was to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity and encourage the students to grow their own gardens at home.  After high school, Destiny plans to attend college to pursue a degree in social work.  She plans to continue volunteering with the Girl Scouts and Theron Jones Elementary and hopes to someday start a troop of her own.  Destiny’s dream is to start a nonprofit organization to help children in single parent homes, those in homes of low socioeconomic status, and abused children.  Destiny is the daughter of Charles and Ericca Jordan, and Michael and Phronda Williams and she has been a Girl Scout for six years.

            In addition to achieving the highest honor in Girl Scouting, a girl who has earned her Gold Award can immediately advance one rank in any of the United States Armed Forces branches.  Special scholarships are also available for Girl Scout Gold Award recipients who meet certain criteria.

Girl Scouts – Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas serves over 9,000 girls and 3,700 volunteers and encompasses all counties in Arkansas except Crittenden, includes Adair, LeFlore and Sequoyah counties in Oklahoma as well as Bowie and Cass counties in Texas. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. 

Carnival Under the Stars Raises Money for Arkansas Children's Hospital

Carnival Under The Stars 

Interested in helping out with a worthy cause? Come join the fun at 
Carnival Under The Stars, benefiting Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Saturday, April 20
7:00 p.m.
Ramage Farms 5600 FM 560, Hooks, Texas

You are invited to an evening full of food, music and more. Ten of 
Texarkana’s finest establishments will be present with samplings of 
their delicious food. Roger Sheppard will be there performing his 
magic, there will be a silent auction as well as a live auction, and 
the band One Night Stand will be playing! Tickets are $50 per person. 
Contact Melissa Massey at 903-293-7734, or any member of Texarkana 
Circle of Friends, to purchase tickets. This is a wonderful 
opportunity to have a fun filled night, while also benefiting a place 
in great need. Come out and help Circle of Friends raise money for 
Arkansas Children’s Hospital!

Celebrate Earth Day Paddling on Caddo Lake

Outdoor enthusiasts can discover new paddling trails, soak in the sun, and explore a baldcypress forest during the 2^nd annual Caddo Lake Earth Day Paddling Regatta on Saturday, April 20.

Canoe or kayaks can put in on the lake near Uncertain, Texas located 20 minutes from Marshall. Three new paddle trails, featured for the Regatta, range from four miles to 4.7 miles. “Old Folk’s Playground’” “Turtle Shell,” and “Cathedral” are part of the new designated trails established by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Registration is $10.00 per boat online at www.caddolakeinstuite.us/Regatta2013.html or in person at the Caddo Grocery at the corner of Cypress Drive and FM 2198 in Uncertain beginning at 7 a.m. on April 20.

Prizes will be awarded from raffle tickets dropped in marked buckets located on each tail. Drawings will be held at 1:00 p.m. in the registration tent located at the Caddo Grocery. Prizes include handpainted cypress canoe paddles by local artists, vintage Caddo Lake boat road markers, a hand thrown mug, t-shirts, photographs and other fun items. Individuals must be present to win.

Caddo Lake, located in northeast Texas on the border of Texas and Louisiana, is one of the best examples in the southern United States of a mature baldcypress forest. The area is known for its exceptional wildlife diversity.

The “lake” is actually a sprawling maze of bayous and sloughs covering 26,810 acres. The average depth of the lake is 8'-10' with the deep water in the bayou averaging about 20.' The Caddo Lake area has 10 trails designated as part of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Texas Paddling Trails system.

Event sponsors include Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area, City of Uncertain, Friends of the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Greater Caddo Lake Association of Texas, Marshall Convention & Visitors Bureau, Texas Master Naturalist Cypress Basin Chapter, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and Caddo Lake Institute.

Overnight lodging can be confirmed in Marshall at VisitMarshallTexas.org or information is available from the Marshall Convention & Visitors Bureau, 903-702-7777.

Touch A Truck - This Saturday!

Touch a Truck Blog

This Saturday, April 13th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. get the 
family to Central Mall west-side parking lot (on Kennedy Lane) for 
Touch a Truck to support a wonderful local organization. 

Touch a Truck is an annual family festival fundraiser by The Junior League of 
Texarkana. There will be many different things on wheels to explore, 
such as big rigs, construction equipment and emergency vehicles. There 
will also be entertainment such as interactive children’s 
activities, costumed characters, face painting, safety demonstrations, 
local children’s group performances and refreshments. 

Admission is $3 per person. Children under the age of 2 get in for free. Tickets 
will be available at the door. Don’t miss out on this wonderful 
opportunity for your family. Hope to see you there!

For additional information:
http://www.jltexarkana.org/?nd=tat