Georgia Magazine - December 2022 - 4

MailBOX Comments from our readers * Compiled by Jennifer J. Hewett
Sharing Abbie's story
Continuing
theGOOD
WORKS
Nursing student Abbie DeLoach's
life inspires a mission
By Rosalyn Dunn * Photos courtesy of the Abbie DeLoach Foundation
O
Top: Each year, Abbie DeLoach Foundation scholarship winners
are celebrated at a luncheon and are listed in a commemorative
" Good Works " book. Above: From left, Anna, Jimmy and
Abbie DeLoach
20 Georgia Magazine January 2022
20-22_Addie_DeLoach_0122 (Conflicted copy from Trudie new MacBook Pro (3) on 2021-12-07).indd 20
n April 22, 2015, five nursing students from Georgia
Southern University (GSU) in Statesboro were killed in a
horrific automobile accident on the way to their final clinical
rotation at St. Joseph's/Candler Hospital in Savannah. It was a loss that
devastated the women's families, friends and school.
But Jimmy DeLoach Jr., father of 21-year-old Abbie DeLoach, was
determined to not let his daughter's life be defined by its ending.
" She wouldn't want to be remembered as a tragedy or an
accident, " DeLoach says. " She had so much more to give in life. "
accident, " DeLoach says. " She had so much more to give in life. "
He spent some time grieving and talking to other parents who'd
suffered similar losses and decided how the rest of his life was going
to look.
it to give, " he says. " For me to get past this and into a 'new normal,'
I had to get something in me to give out. "
That something is the Abbie DeLoach Foundation (ADF),
The article " Continuing the good works " about
[Georgia Southern University nursing student] Abbie
DeLoach [and the foundation named for her] was
excellent. [See January 2022, page 20; bit.ly/gm122ad.]
Abbie is my niece and Jimmy DeLoach is my brother.
It was an excellent article, and I appreciate that it was
included in your magazine.
I do not have a subscription to Georgia Magazine,
" You can't give anyone anything-love, grace-unless you have
launched in Savannah in 2016 to serve the community through the
passions that drove Abbie DeLoach: academics, athletics, service
to others and faith.
The academic approach
Since 2017, the ADF has awarded more than $1.25 million
in scholarships. This includes 34 medical scholarships and 16
student-athlete scholarships. The foundation targets nursing
students at GSU, which awarded Abbie DeLoach a nursing degree
posthumously.
but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. So many people
sent my family the magazine after the article was
written about Abbie. Thank you again!
-Pam DeLoach Huff, Winterville
12/10/21 8:10 PM
Readers respond!
Thank you for offering the trivia contest-it's informative and fun.
-Barbara Dawson, Dahlonega
My 9-year-old daughter loves to use the trivia
contest questions for reading comprehension. She
always enjoys reading Georgia Magazine. Thank you!
-Jessica Palumbo, Swainsboro
Thank you for the trivia questions. I enjoy
Georgia Magazine from cover to cover.
-Sharon and Timothy Manley, Zebulon
I enjoy and appreciate so much the very
interesting, varied, helpful and informative articles
in Georgia Magazine. Thank you so much for all
your effort in providing this magazine for us.
-Wilma Abney, Kennesaw
ATTN: READERS ...
'What brings you
joy?'
Share your story and photo and let us know what
Share your story and photo and let us know what
brings you joy! We will select and publish the best
essays, photos and children's art in our August 2023 issue.
The rules:
1. 200 words or fewer.
2. One entry per person, per household.
3. Photos should be 300 dpi and emailed to magazine@georgiaemc.com; one photo
per email, please.
4. Children's art can be produced in pencil, crayon or paint, no larger than 10x12
inches.
5. Include your name, mailing address, phone number, email address and the name
of your electric co-op.
6. Email stories to magazine@georgiaemc.com or mail to: Reader Stories, Georgia
Magazine, P.O. Box 1707, Tucker, GA 30085. Georgia Magazine reserves the right to
edit published stories for the purposes of space and clarity. Deadline: May 1, 2023.
Share your thoughts. Email us at magazine@georgiaemc.com. Please include your name, address
and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.
4 Georgia Magazine December 2022
www.georgiamagazine.org
Georgia
Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle
®
MAGAZINE
Dawgs
Raising Dogs
page 16
Georgia
Georgia
Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle
®
MAGAZINE
Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle
®
MAGAZINE
t
t
'Critter Fixers:
Country Vets'
page 20
For the love of cats
page 32
t
t
t
t
Honoring the
hard-working mule
page 34
Koi story: Fish fascination
can be contagious
page 40
SEPTEMBER 2022
From THE EDITOR
If attending a seasonal theater
production is on your holiday wish list,
then consider your wish granted.
Theaters around the state are preparing
to spread some holiday cheer with
traditional performances that are sure
to leave audiences in a festive mood.
Live entertainment can be just the
ticket to alleviate the stress of shopping,
decorating and entertaining, so turn to
page 16 to learn how three theater
companies are celebrating the season
with productions that have become
staples in their communities.
The holiday season is traditionally a
time for sharing wishes, and P.K. Beville
has helped more than 10,000 of them
come true for seniors living in nursing
homes and assisted-living centers. Her
Roswell-based Second Wind Dreams
organization is founded on the principle
that people are never too old to dream or
to have their dreams come true.
Read " Wishes fulfilled, " starting on
page 24, to learn how these longed-for
experiences-including adventures such
as parasailing and going on a ride at an
amusement park-have become realities
for seniors, changing their lives and those
of the people who helped them realize
their dreams.
Georgia also is the home base for
one of the Southeast's most iconic
restaurant chains: Waffle House. The first
Waffle House opened in DeKalb County
in 1955. Since then, the company has
expanded to 400 restaurants in Georgia
and nearly 2,000 locations across the U.S.
Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
Waffle House serves a menu of American
staples in a consistent fashion-offering
the same dining experience at every
location and to every customer. See
" More than waffles, " starting on page 20,
to find out how these quintessential
Southern restaurants provide fast,
affordable comfort food to locals and
weary travelers alike.
Enjoy!
Laurel George
Editor
GEMC
GEMC
GEMC
T
T
T
T
T
T
e
e
e
e
e
e
h
h
h
h
h
h
u
u
u
u
u
u
e
e
e
e
e
e
P
P
P
P
P
P
I
I
I
I
I
I
e
e
e
e
e
e
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s

http://www.bit.ly/gm122ad

Georgia Magazine - December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - December 2022