Photo by Mike Brothers
Hydro-Gear employees pitched in donating 7084 food items plus $6,696.38 in matched funds to the Moultrie County Food Pantry as the result of a companywide two-week fund raising effort. Helping unload seven pallets of food onto the food pantry shelves Monday were Hydro-Gear volunteers (from left) Chad Woollen, Larry Conlin, Larry Rose, Andy White, Krystal Rose, Trudy Patterson, Jim Buck, Troy Yokley and Christopher Zerrusen. Accepting the giant check on behalf of the food pantry was Moultrie Outreach Director Mariah White-Landrus who expressed her appreciation of Hydro-Gear’s employees’ generosity. Donations filled the food pantry shelves at a time when the need is greatest.

•November 28, 2018•

A volunteer team of Hydro-Gear employees filled the Moultrie County Food Pantry in Sullivan Monday, Nov. 26, unloading seven pallets of food items.
Hydro-Gear in Sullivan recently hosted a food drive to support the local food pantry.
“What started as a hope to change a few families’ Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays ended with a response that no one would have seen coming,” said Krystal Rose of Hydro-Gear.
The Moultrie County Food Pantry provides meals to more than 400 families in the county.
“We really appreciated the effort of the employees of Hydro-Gear to help the Food Pantry help those who need it most,” CEFS Moultrie County Outreach Coordinator Mariah White-Landrus said.
The Hydro-Gear family rallied together and hosted an internal competition, leaving one big winner…the patrons of the Moultrie County Food Pantry.
“I have helped in food pantry drives in the past that didn’t get nearly this response,” Hydro-Gear volunteer Chad Woollen of Shelbyville said. “To collect 7000 food items is an amazing effort by Hydro-Gear employees over just two weeks.” Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
Flesor’s Candy Kitchen is set up at Cathrine’s Gallery in Sullivan Nov. 17. Devon and son Paul will help visitors select from the variety of holiday treats with 20 percent of sales on Saturday helping the Moultrie County Food Pantry. A sweet deal all around.

•November 14, 2018•

By Jimi Candy
for the News Progress

Saturday, November 17 is a sweet time in Sullivan.
The annual Flesor’s Candy Kitchen candy sale for the Moultrie County Food Pantry will be held at Cathrine’s Gallery from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Sullivan.
With 20 percent of all sales donated to the food pantry, Devon Flesor Story and son Paul, a fourth generation candy maker, will be on hand providing delicious hand dipped chocolates, original gift designs including a variety of the Flesor signature candies and the traditional chocolate turkeys just in time for Thanksgiving.
Devon noted visitors to the candy sale Nov. 17 may still make special orders for Christmas gifts.
With Flesor’s prices remaining the same, the value of the custom made gifts increases. “If a customer wants to make a custom order, we can do that,” Devon said of the flexibility of the candy kitchen in Tuscola.
In addition to the favored candy tins and assorted treats, Devon is introducing a larger gift basket just in time for the Sullivan sale this year.
Innovative packaging is part of the creative side of the team of Devon and sister Anne Flesor Beck’s resurrection of their grandfather Gus’s Candy Kitchen. Read More

•October 31, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Moultrie County Relay for Life won the American Cancer Society Pacesetter Award for exceeding the 2018 fund raising goal of $50,000 for the first time in the history of the Relay.
The American Cancer Society North Central Region representatives will present the award to the Moultrie County Relay for Life during an awards banquet Saturday, November 3 at the Vineyard Church in Sullivan. Dinner is at 5 p.m. with awards presented at 6 p.m.
Moultrie County Relay for Life Chairman Adam McReynolds noted that not only did the county Relay for Life team achieve the goal for the first time but exceeded it by $9,000 covering Relay for Life expenses as well as donating to the local needs. Read More

•October 17, 2018•

The Illinois Amish Heritage Center will hold its Harvest to Home event Friday and Saturday, October 19-20. The event will start at 9:00 a.m. each day and continue until 8:00 p.m. Friday and 4:00 p.m. Saturday.
Admission is per person or by vehicle load, children under 12 are free. All proceeds go to the development of the Illinois Amish Heritage Center.
On-going active field demonstrations throughout the two day event will include ear corn picking, corn cutting and shocking, disking and plowing, shelling corn with small and large shellers, harvesting and chopping of corn stalks, and grinding corn into corn meal using an early grist mill. Read More

Photo by Mike Brothers
Bicyclists supporting the 500 mile Gold Star ride stopped at the Sullivan American Legion for lunch then rode on to support the annual scholarship ride honoring Illinois National Guard members who lost their lives serving overseas.

Cyclists Visit Sullivan American Legion

•October 3, 2018•

By Mike Brothers

Always remember! Never Forget!” was the shout out given by 34 Gold Star bicyclists as they left Sullivan Sept. 26 heading for Paris.
Following lunch served by Sullivan American Legion Post 68, the group gathered for the second 57 mile leg of the four day 500 mile endurance ride.
Gold Star ride coordinator Dave Helfrich announced that Sgt. Garrett Smith of Sullivan had given his life while serving in the lllinois National Guard. Smith is among 34 members of the Guard who lost their lives overseas and honored during the four day ride.
The Gold Star Mission ride raised $34,000 for scholarships which were presented to 34 students in the state last year. Read More