Awards presented at Boy Scout dinner

Michelle Quilter and the Rev. David Reinhart at the Stritch fund-raiser.

Toledoans are always out and about, giving back to the community and just enjoying life.

THE ERIE SHORES COUNCIL of the Boy Scouts of America celebrated 95 years of scouting Tuesday night during the annual Scouter Recognition Dinner at Camp Miakonda. It is also the 75th anniversary of Cub Scouting.

Numerous awards were presented, including the Silver Beaver Award, the highest honor the council can bestow for volunteer service. Greg Hendel, a past Silver Beaver recipient and chairman of the distinguished awards committee, presented the award to Steve Ellersick, Ronald Hafner, Doug Haynam, John Moore, Michael Mowery, Robert Thompson, and Diane Wilkie-Smith.

Michael Gocsik and Judy Zbierajewski.

Veteran Awards were presented to Jack Sears for 75 years of scouting and Homer Meder for 70 years. The District Commissioner Service Award was presented to Lucille "Boots" Graf.

SIX WINNERS split the grand prize Saturday night at Cardinal Stritch High School's 17th Annual Reverse Raffle and Silent Auction presented by Fifth Third Bank. The fast-paced event in the Stranahan Great Hall was emceed by Dan Cummins of WTOL-TV, Channel 11, who kept the evening moving. The Rev. David Reinhart, president of Stritch, drew the first of the 250 numbers, then Mr. Cummins finished the job. And just before 11 p.m., Dominic and Betty D'Emilio, Tony and Carla Zsigray, Joseph Schmidbauer, Jason Manders along with Fifth Third Bank and Triple G., Inc., became the winners of the $6,000 cash prize. Fifth Third and Triple G. donated their winnings back to the school.

In addition to the reverse raffle, silent auction, and dinner, a live auction run by Father Reinhart reaped $18,000 for the Rev. John Stites Scholarship Fund. Father Stites was not present because he is on sabbatical learning Spanish in San Antonio. The event, not including the live auction, netted about $20,000.

STRIKE! The 2005 Bowlathon presented by the Ability Center of Greater Toledo Sunday at Ottawa Lanes was a great success.

Michelle Quilter and the Rev. David Reinhart at the Stritch fund-raiser.

"Our event was truly a fun-raiser," quipped president Sue Cardone, who was also the event chairman. As the pins fell, bowlers gathered for pizza, pop, and tons of door and raffle prizes. Mr. Entertainer spun tunes and a few bowlers danced in the aisles between games.

The event raised more than $13,000 and organizers are still counting. That's thanks to all the local businesses that contributed, the volunteers, and the 150 bowlers. Proceeds support the L.I.F.E. teenage mentoring program in six area high schools.

Assisting Mrs. Cardone was the steering committee: Debra Lantz, Marsha McCoy, Marina Joy, and Claire Browning.

NEWSMAKERS and shakers hobnobbed over snacks and drinks Feb. 10 in Mancy's Italian. It was the Press Club of Toledo's Afterwork Networking. The gathering is the second Thursday of each month at various Toledo-area locations. But don't expect an invitation in the mail. Word about the two-hour soirees flows through e-mail and the grapevine. The next gathering is March 10 in the Erie Street Market.