Dear Editor,

The Alumni Committee of Leadership Shelby County would like to say, &8220;Thank You,&8221; to all those who made our Shelby Senior Christmas project a tremendous success.

The goal of the project was to prepare and deliver a minimum of 200 gift bags containing essential items and treats for homebound senior citizens throughout Shelby County. Support for the project was overwhelming! As word of the effort got around, a Boy Scout troop sold cookies and hot chocolate and used the proceeds to prepare gift baskets. Sunday School classes adopted Shelby Senior Christmas as their special project.

In addition to cash and material donations from Leadership Shelby County alumni, employees of Alabaster Parks and Recreation and the City of Alabaster all pitched in. Other donations were made by Bud&8217;s Cookies, employees of HealthSpring of Alabama, local dental offices and others.

A group of Leadership volunteers and volunteers from the Alabaster Senior Center spent an afternoon at the center packing and preparing gift bags for delivery. Boy Scouts delivered gifts, as did meals-on-wheels volunteers and Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging&8217;s (MAAs) Shelby County Social Worker.

It is our hope that Shelby Senior Christmas will become an annual event sponsored by Leadership and supported wholeheartedly by the community as it was this year.

Carol B. Reddoch / Alabaster

Dear Editor,

In the last couple of weeks, I have been honored to be selected to interview for ten different tobacco-prevention

positions. Near the end of my recent fourth interview the regional director told me, &8220;Mike, you are &8216;too passionate&8217; to work for our health department. Our state health department won&8217;t even allow you to use the word &8216;kills&8217; with tobacco or smoking.&8221;

However, this director of many years was affirming and encouraging when he repeatedly told me. &8220;There&8217;s a place somewhere for you.&8221; It makes me wonder if the University of Alabama, as they are seeking for someone to continue the winning tradition of Head Coach &8220;Bear&8221; Bryant, would not hire someone due to being too passionate about winning. Regretfully there&8217;s no scoreboard for promoting and practicing health.

Do you think a person could be too passionate to promote health while demoting tobacco? Please remember tobacco aborts 450,000 Americans every year. Ironically, I share the same Sept. 11, birthday with the late Bear and Coach Tom Landry, were they too passionate?

Mike Sawyer / Birmingham

To Santa&8217;s helpers:

We at Montevallo Elementary School want to say a big &8220;thank you&8221; for helping our students to have a wonderful Christmas.

Many of you sent gifts, money, food, gift certificates, heaters, blankets, bikes, dishes and beds.

Thank you for spreading the word to your friends and organizations.

You helped to make Christmas special for many students in the Montevallo community.

Happy New Year!

Jan Lovelady and Lori Martin / Montevallo Elementary Schoo