Commentary by Cindy Benedict
Let me tell you some great, true stories about Noblesville and its people. These are people who love their city and go the extra mile to keep it special. Some of them volunteer hundreds of hours, others professionally provide services, but all of them care in extraordinary ways. Some of them have grown up in Noblesville; others have recently joined our community. But they all care. That’s the premise of this column – to inform, inspire and engage all of us with the people and programs that are keeping Noblesville a vibrant, caring community, even as we grow.
Such inspiration comes in all ages, by the way. Meet Draven and Dresdan Hendricks (ages 4 and 2). They stopped by the office with a “surprise” for the July 4th Fireworks Festival Committee Chairperson Cara Culp. Now the fireworks show, entertainment and activities at the festival are fully funded by the community – there are no tax dollars paying for these things. This year the Festival Committee partnered with Citizinvestor to provide a way for residents to donate for the festival directly. Marcy Simon, their mom, was reading the article in The Current in Noblesville at the breakfast table and mentioned to her kids that “the city needs help and helping out is a good thing.” Draven jumped up and went to their “Disney Bucket.” It is an empty water cooler bottle where they throw in all loose change to pay for a future trip to Disney World. He cheerfully began to shake out some coins.
Draven and Dresdan’s “surprise” was a $10 donation to the Fireworks Festival – $5 each. The kids were so excited to help and be a part of this grand community tradition – especially as they enjoy the festival every year as a great way to celebrate the fourth as a family. Draven is a big fan of the bounce house! Their mom wisely brought them to the Mayor’s office so they could experience the joy of giving first-hand. It was a real honor and treat to shake Draven’s hand and thank him for caring. I was especially impressed that he shook each of our hands firmly and looked us in the eye – this child has great “soft skills” that will serve him well the rest of his life. If you happen to meet the Hendricks family – Patrick, Marcy or the kids – be sure you shake their hands and thank them for being great Noblesville neighbors (and pretty impressive parents).
Cindy Benedict is the manager of Vision Noblesville. She can be contacted at 770-2007 or [email protected]. To learn more, visit www.visionnoblesville.com.
