Because of the fact we only have an issue every four weeks in each of our markets, sometimes the stories that appear in our issues are or become “old” even before (or shortly after) that issue arrives in your mailbox.
In our Feb. 6 issue, we had two such stories that really needed to be updated in this issue and a third that was an event that took place after that issue hit mailboxes.
The most important, and saddest, of these was the fact that Gabriel Hassan who was on the cover of our last issue for receiving his diploma for graduating from Wharton High on Jan. 22, while he was still at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital — passed away less than two weeks after that event.
Gabe, who was suffering from terminal leukemia, succumbed to his cancer and was buried by his family on or the day before Valentine’s Day. We also learned that his specific form of leukemia is called Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome, or SDS.
When we posted the story that Gabe had passed, his father Mahmoud Hassan commented on our Facebook page:
“He was my beloved boy — a precious soul who loved people and life.
He loved service to others, EDM music, Roblox, Video Games, Going to the movies.
He was our proud Eagle Scout and graduated HS despite all of his challenges.
Gabriel was a sweet angel and he will be missed dearly. We are grieving for our angel in heaven. We miss him so much.”
Although I never met Gabriel or his family, we join the Hassan family in their grief. Rest in Peace.
To help those afflicted with SDS, please search“Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome Alliance” on Facebook.
Suzy Tkacik Falls Short Of Award
We also knew that our story about Pride Elementary media specialist Suzy Tkacik (photo) being a finalist
for the Hillsborough School District-wide Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year award would be old news by the time the Feb. 6 issue reached your mailbox.
Even so, we still felt it was important to highlight Ms.Tkacik in these pages, as she was the only finalist for any of the District’s “Excellence in Education” awards from a New Tampa school.
Well, at the District’s award gala on Feb. 1, this year’s Ida S. Baker award went to Dr. Ilfault Joseph, the community resource teacher at Jennings Middle School.
Congratulations again, Suzy. You’re still a winner in all of our eyes!
Wharton Tournament Nets $6,400!
The third story we needed to update was the second annual Wharton High Cornhole ithloma. Tournament, which was held on Feb. 10 and ended up raising more than $6,400 to provide teacher grants and classroom needs for the school.
Our congratulations go out to Wharton teacher Matt McKernan (left in photo, left) and his partner (and fellow former Wildcat) Tate Wheeler, who outlasted 28 other teams to take home the top prize, after finishing as the runners-up in last year’s inaugural Cornhole Tourney. The second-place finishers were Benito Middle School teacher Christopher Taylor and his uncle Shawn Quinn. Both winning teams left with prize packages worth more than $700!
No comment yet, add your voice below!