We would like to congratulate two major civic organizations in Atmore, who both had worthwhile projects this week, projects designed to help improve the education and quality of life for our young people.

On Monday, the Atmore Lions Club sponsored a pancake supper at David’s Catfish House, and all of the proceeds went to help purchase new instruments for the Escambia County Middle School and Escambia County High School band program. Earlier this year, band director Hayley Canterbury said interest in the band program was so high that there were not enough instruments for all of the students. Thanks to the hard work of Lions Club members who donated their time cooking pancakes and serving the meals, some of those students will now be able to have those much-needed instruments.

Also during this week, the Rotary Club of Atmore has been participating in a project to help improve the education of local third-grade students. The club’s District 6880 recently received a grant from the Malone Family Foundation of Alabama, to provide a personal copy of a dictionary to every third grader in the district, including those students in Escambia County.

Rotary Club members have been visiting the different schools in Escambia County throughout the week, in order to personally present the dictionaries to the students. Research has shown that third grade is the best time for students to begin using a dictionary, and that most third graders in Alabama do not have dictionaries of their own. The Rotary Club is doing its part to make sure that all students have the same chance at academic success. Club members are also teaching the kids about Rotary’s “Four Way Test,” which is a creed that encourages always telling the truth, being fair, and promoting goodwill and better friendships.

It is often said that children are our future. And thanks to the volunteerism and efforts of civic organizations like the Lions Club and Rotary Club, that future looks brighter for our local school children.