The Chronicle
Toy Exchange
from page A3
guns, super soakers, violent
videos, violent games, etc. to
exchange. In exchange for three
boxes of violent toys, the kids
received such rewards as bikes,
scooters, basketballs, footballs
and dancing Playstation games,
CD players, headphones, ethnic
dolls, stuffed animals, footballs,
board games, computer sports
games and PhatFarm attire.
This was the first year that
schools, government agencies,
banks, retail stores and other
organizations accepted donation
boxes as participants in this ven
ture. Santa made stops at dona
tion sites such as Paul’s Schwinn
Cycling and Fitness Inc., Christ
mas Cheer Toy Shop, Hill Tradi
tional Academy’s Junior Honor
Society, Carver High School,
Special Occasions Book Store,
Borders at Thruway, Jeff Doo
ley’s Best Buy, Cook’s Flea Mar
ket (University Parkway), Pied
mont Federal Saving and Loan
(Parkway), N.C. Driver License
Bureau, Segmented Marketing
Services Inc. (SMSI), Weed and
Seed (William Sturdivant),
Strategic Approaches to Com
munity Safety Initiative (Loretta
Biggs), Winston-Salem Optimist
Club and the Delta Alpha Chap
ter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity
Inc. Individuals also donated
funds for toys. Forsyth County
Sheriff’s Department school
resource officers provided crowd
control, and WSMX radio sta
tion and WSNC 90.5 FM
helped advertise.
Several students also won
cash prizes for participating in
the local North Carolinians
Against Gun Violence/Millions
Moms March essay contest as a
demonstration against gun vio
lence. Hayes and Gail McNeill
of the Winston-Salem Chapter
of North Carolinians Against
Gun Violence distributed the
cash awards. In the 6-8-year-old
category, winners from Jefferson
Davis Diggs included Bryanna
McCorkle (first place), Lauran
Coleman (second place) and
Ebony Monroe.
In the 9-11-year-old group,
Diggs students were Leah Lewis
(first lace), Abriana Coleman
(second Place) and Tamala
Carter (third place). Students
from Hill Middle School placed
in the 12- and 13-year-old divi
sion: Samantha Beal (first
place), Lola Edward (second
place), Tacara Jones/Tara Keen
er (third place) and David Field
(honorable mention).
The 14-15-year-olds from
Hill Middle School were: Rita
Dennison (first place), James
Gutierrez (second place). Santa
congratulated Hayes and Hail
McNeill for winning the 2000
NCGV Gun Violence Preven
tion Citizen of the Year Award.
Santa awarded Biggs,
Womble, Delta Alpha Chapter
of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity
Inc. and Hayes and Gail
McNeill for their continual sup
port of the Peace Toys for War
Toys Movement at the Sims
Center. Santa also congratulated
Tim Grant for his years of ser
vice to the Winston-Salem
Recreation Department and the
job promotion in Durham as
assistant recreation director.
Santa thanked Brian Manns,
Belview Recreation Center
supervisor; Todd Barr, Miller
Park Recreation Center supervi
sor; Alderwoman Joycelyn John
son; and Frank Williams for
their support of the program.
Santa’s next mission is to
establish a peace statue to serve
as a children’s monument
against violence. Although he
stomped out the violent toys
with his feet Friday night, he
hopes children will eventually be
able to march to a site to
observe peace vigils.
Photo by Kevin Walker
Claudette Henry looks at a list of her passing GED grades.
Inmates
from page A1
the numbers were small, but
when the inmates saw their peers
achieving, many on them said
‘we can do this too,”’ Valenti
said.
This week’s graduation also
served as a book release party
for an anthology of poems and
personal narratives written by
the inmates. The aptly titled
“Beyond These Walls” features
the works of 17 inmates, includ
ing Henry’s poem. Contributors
got copies of the booklets before
the graduation ceremony. Some
read their works from a podium.
Kelley Williams read a poem
titled “My Black Queen.”
Williams said he wrote the poem
as a tribute to strong black
women like his mother and
Manley, who he says has been a
guiding force. The inmates dedi
cated the anthology to Manley.
Some inmates wrote about the
frustration of being locked up;
others had a remorseful tone
and themes of change and
renewal.
Fast lives and wrong turns
stood between many of the
inmates and their high school
education, but one of their GED
teachers reminded them that it’s
never too late to start anew. Judy
Wilkers described it as “reinven
tion.”
“This is what you are doing
today,” she told the graduates.
(This is) validation in some
way.”
Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Presents...
Cruisin’ Delta Style
Saturday, December 30,2000
9:00 p.m. -1:00 a.m.
M.C. Benton Convention Center
$20.00 Per Person
Dressy Cruise Attire
Games • Prizes • Vendors
Brown Bagging Permitted, No Food Allowed!
Please Call Delta Vision at 773-1700for Tickets