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COUNTY LIFE

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By BARBARA GREEN
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It’s a beautiful summer day in Texas. Kids are fishing, canoeing, making crafts and singing silly songs. It’s all part of a typical day at summer camp, but for the special needs campers at Charis Hills it’s a unique opportunity to just be a regular kid.
Charis Hills is nestled across 100 acres of beautiful wooded and rolling hills outside Sunset. Opened in 2009 by Rand and Colleen Southard, the couple had been in the camp business since 1983, and while they had been dealing with special needs children for years, they had a desire to provide a place for what they call the under served population of youngsters with autism.
They explain Charis is Greek for grace and acceptance, so the name Charis Hills seemed perfect for a place where everyone is accepted for who God made them.
Looking back
Rand Southard can look back to exactly when he knew helping children was going to be the passion of his life. At five years old he became an amputee after his left leg was removed just below the knee due to a birth defect. As a disabled child he knew first hand the pain of not being picked for the baseball team and not being included.
As a youngster Southard went to Texas Lions Camp, the world’s largest camp for children with disabilities that welcomes those with lost limbs, the deaf and blind. He recalls it being the first place where he saw children who looked like him.
Southard didn’t want to go at first, but little did he know it would become a life-changing experience. He attended the Kerrville camp for two summers and after graduation from high school he returned as a counselor for two summers. It was a time that decided his future.

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COUNTY LIFE

May 8 deadline to honor your graduation in the Bowie News senior section

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May 8 is the deadline to honor your graduate in the 2024 Keepsake Graduation section. It is the only section where you will see senior photos of every high school in Montague County and Bellevue.
If you want to honor your graduate with a special ad call 872-2247 or print a copy of the submission form at bowienewsonline.com. The section will publish on May 22.

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COUNTY LIFE

Cruisin’ Nocona kicks off on Friday

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From a road trip around North Texas to a colorful car show, Nocona is gearing up for its 11th annual springtime festival Cruisin’ Nocona on May 3-4 with lots of family fun activities. 

Enjoy the popular Poker Cruise on May 3 as drivers travel a 120-mile trek through the countryside of Montague County enjoying several stops along the way before looping back to Nocona for lunch. 

Early-bird registration is $50. Forms are available at the Nocona Chamber of Commerce office at 304 Clay St. #3 or go online to Nocona.org/events to get a form. After April 25 the cost goes up to $65. 

There will be on-site registration from 9 – 10:30 a.m. that day at 915 E. U.S. Highway 82, where the cruise starts at 11 a.m. Each driver gets a goodie bag with a Cruisin’ Nocona T-shirt and ticket for the cruise lunch. Additional lunch tickets may be purchased for $20. 

First-third place prizes will be awarded to the best poker hands. There will be a big truck light show at 8:30 p.m. at The V at 8:30 p.m. Friday night. 

A pancake breakfast served from 8-10 a.m. at The V opens Saturday morning followed by downtown Nocona being filled with classic cars and big trucks for Cruisin’ Car Show. This is the second year to include the big trucks set up along Clay and West Walnut Streets. 

Prizes will be awarded to the top 10 cars and pickups, top five motorcycles, Big Truck People’s Choice and Big Truck that traveled the farthest to the show. All makes and models welcomed to enter. Forms are available on the chamber’s website. 

The car show will have registration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Clay and W. Walnut with judging from 1-3 p.m. Awards will be presented at 4 p.m. at the H.J. Justin Building, 100 Clay. 

There will be a power wheel car show from 3-4 p.m. in the Justin building. Cecil Allen Moore will entertain at the same location starting at 5 p.m.

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COUNTY LIFE

3 Bowie seniors ‘sign’ for their future education

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Bowie High School staff and students celebrated its first “Signing Day” on April 25 looking on as three seniors signed their letters of intent to pursue different paths to higher education.
Principal Joanne Keeler said she was excited to present this program and show students the success they can have if they work hard and they also could be signing up for their future. She hopes to see the program expand adding more students who are planning their futures.
Jacobi McGregor signed his letter of intent to attend Ottawa University in Kansas on a powerflifting scholarship. He plans to study sports administration.
Iron Atkinson will be joining the United States Army. His grandmother Sherri Waldrop, looked on as he signed the paperwork.
Traycee Stewart, daughter of Susan and James Stewart, will attending West Texas State A&M University on a music education scholarship.
Read the full story on signing day in the mid-week Bowie News.

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