Messenger-Inquirer

The Vision Award is the highest honor the Daviess County Board of Education bestows, according to Lora Wimsatt, public relations coordinator for Daviess County Public Schools.

The award isn't given on an annual basis, and recipients are individuals or groups who have provided exceptional assistance to children in the school system, she said.

The Goodfellows Club was honored last week with the Vision Award. The organization has provided dental care, a holiday party and other charitable contributions for area children for more than 90 years.

"The Goodfellows Club not only provides exceptional assistance for kids in providing clothing and dental care ... we also appreciate the way in which they do it, which is treating the kids with respect and care," Wimsatt said.

The award is a crystal cube with DCPS' logo on one side, which can then be seen from several angles looking through the cube.

"It illustrates the way there are people who see clearly through obstacles and challenges and focus on the things (that are) most important -- to us, it's children," Wimsatt said. "Nobody does that better than the Goodfellows Club."

Besides the Vision Award, the Goodfellows Club also received a certificate of achievement from the county board of education, said Sally Wood, president of the Goodfellows Club Board of Directors.

"We were thrilled because I understand that they don't give this award out very often, and it's the highest honor that they do," she said. "It was exciting to be honored that way."

The Goodfellows Club also provides clothes, shoes and coats for children in need, and 100 percent donations go to meet children's needs, according to the organizations Web sites.

It works closely with family resource centers in the schools and other volunteers to help children, Wood said.

"We actually feel we're very fortunate to be able to do what we do for the kids," she said.

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Today's Roll Call

Community Foundation of Owensboro, Daviess County, Robert Shadwick Jr. Endowment $383.40

In memory of J.T. Walker by Ed Barrass $25

The Bellmar Family $25

Carole Bishop $10

Total as of Nov. 28 $443.40