University of South Alabama Press Release

University of South Alabama, Office of Public Relations

June 3, 2009
Contact: Jennifer Z. Ekman, Office of Public Relations, (251) 460-6360

Cottage Hill Civitan Distributes $12,670 for Local Charities, Scholarships

Accepting the Civitan donations were Marty O'Malley, executive director of L'Arche Mobile Inc.; Mary Zoghby, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama; Lenny Reichelt, a resident of Mulherin Custodial Home; Britnie McLain, early intervention specialist at the United Cerebral Palsy of Mobile; Rose Pugh, executive director of the Mulherin Custodial Home; and Jeff Zoghby, executive director of MARC.

The Cottage Hill Civitan Club recently distributed $12,670 to local civic and charitable organizations and funded several scholarships. The club raised these funds through its sales of Claxton Fruit Cake, and candy and coin boxes at area restaurants and businesses, said President Peggy Windham.

“The Cottage Hill Civitan Club wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to the businesses that support the candy and coin box program and the customers who make the donations, as well as those who purchase Claxton Fruitcake,” Windham said.

The club’s other major civic project is the annual Mobilian of the Year award and banquet. Mobile Mayor Sam Jones was honored as the 2008 Mobilian of the Year Award at a banquet in March at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Center.

The club’s donations include: $1,150 to United Cerebral Palsy of Mobile; $1,000 to MARC; $1,000 to Augusta Evans School; $1,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of South Alabama; $700 to L’Arche Mobile Inc.; and $500 to the Mulherin Custodial Home.

It also gave $1,920 in scholarship money for six area high school students to attend the National Leadership Forum and Seminar at Harding University in Searcy, Ark., from June 7-12. The club’s $4,900 donation to the Civitan International Foundation will be used for the Civitan International Research Center. In addition, the club made a $500 contribution to the Alabama West Florida Civitan District.