Send this story Print this story

Adjust text size

News digest

'Poppies' in bloom

Veterans of Foreign Wars will be handing out small red flowers know as Buddy Poppies in front of businesses this weekend to remind everyone of the ultimate sacrifice made by some members of the armed forces. The tradition was inspired in 1923 by the poem commemorating World War I that begins, "In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow."

The poppies are assembled by disabled American veterans and purchased by local VFW Post 6298 and distributed each Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The veterans will have donation jars to help fund rehabilitation programs in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore. The Buddy Poppy tradition is celebrated in the United States, Canada and England.

Run to help Sandy victims

Amador Valley High is holding an all-day Run 4 Relief on its track Wednesday to raise money for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

"After seeing the devastation we felt there was something more we should do," said PE teacher Peter Scarpelli.

In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the Gulf Coast region, Granada High School started Run for Relief to help Katrina's victims. Nearly one thousand Granada participants raised $23,000 for a New Orleans' school district.

In 2007, the Southern California wildfires destroyed thousands of homes. Again, Granada stepped up with Run For Relief 2 and raised over $12,000 for families that had been financially, emotionally and physically affected by the disastrous wildfires.

In 2010 Amador Valley joined Granada in Run for Relief 3, a benefit for victims of the Haiti earthquakes. The two schools combined to raise over $30,000 to help thousands of men, women and children in despair.

Now, Amador is holding Run 4 Relief 4, to help residents on the East Coast.

Beginning at 8 a.m., students, faculty, administrators and community members will run or walk in 40-minute shifts until 4 p.m. with everyone welcome for the first and last turns. Each lap will be tallied, with a PE coach totaling the tally marks for runners, who can then collect the promised contribution from their sponsors.

Sponsorship forms can be picked up at the school, 1155 Santa Rita Road.