National Donor Sabbath ends today, and it's hoped that the message to give life — spread through 400 worship centers since Friday — has persuaded someone to be an organ donor.

        Probably no family could appreciate more how important it is to donate life than does the Rev. Jim Webster and his wife, Vicki.

        They lost their 7-week-old son, Michael, five years ago to undetected cardiomyopathy.

        The Rev. Mr. Webster said they had begun to monitor the heart of their daughter, Sarah, from birth. She also suffered heart failure when she was 7 weeks old, during a doctor's appointment.

        “God miraculously sustained Sarah's life, divinely intervening to have her at the right place at the right time,” the Rev. Mr. Webster said.

        Sarah received a heart transplant on Aug. 27, 2000, from an unnamed donor.

        “She is doing just fine,” he said. “She is energetic, walking and bubbling with enthusiasm.”

        He said they pray daily for the comfort and healing of the unknown donor family.

        “The depth of our gratitude to this family, who lovingly gave life in the midst of their darkest hour of death, is beyond comprehension.”

        National Donor Sabbath has been designated for six years as a way to promote organ and tissue donation by the Division of Organ Transplantation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

        “We sent out 90,000 bulletin inserts for the churches,” said Jeff Lueders, public affairs manager for LifeCenter, a non-profit organ recovery agency for the Tristate. “In the Tristate, more than 250 patients are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant.”

        For information, call Mr.Lueders at 513-558-5555 or 800-981-5433.

The Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum, 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Winton Place, will host a Veterans Day memorial in its historic Civil War section, 1-1:30 p.m. today.

        Monika Jorg, public relations manager, said they expect veteran's groups from throughout the Tristate.

        “This is to honor Greater Cincinnati's veterans,” she said. She said the service will include a rest on arms, presentation of arms, a rifle salute and patriotic music.

        The Sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a living history and re-enactment group, will perform the veteran salutes.

The Fall 2001 Youth Symposium Forum II will be 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Este Conference Center, 6270 Este Avenue, Carthage.

        Using the theme, “Your visions can become a reality,” the forum will deal with setting goals and standards, demonstrating leadership, promoting a positive attitude and making good decisions and choices.

        The symposium is free and offered to youths and young adults, ages 14-21.

        Otis Williams, a renowned motivational speaker, will be the morning presenter. For more information, contact the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Community Action Agency at 569-4510, ext. 15.

        The Rev. H.L. Harvey Jr., pastor of New Friendship Baptist Church in Avondale, will accept a posthumous award for his brother, Elton “Arybie” Rose, for his contribution to boxing and community services.

        The award will be presented by Willie “Sonny” Lewis at 5:30 p.m. today at the annual tribute to Cincinnati boxers, trainers and coaches at Sonny's Blues Cafe & Lounge, 4040 Reading Road, North Avondale.

        Mr. Lewis, a former boxer, is sponsoring the event.

        Mr. Rose was fatally wounded last June when he tried to help a neighbor who was being attacked. A former safety director of Lin coln Heights, Mr. Rose was a middleweight boxer in the 1950s and '60s and was once a Golden Glove teammate of Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay. Mr. Rose later trained and coached boxing at the Lincoln Heights YMCA.

        The Cheviot/Western Hills Purple Heart Chapter has won a national Americanism Award, the only chapter in Ohio to receive such an honor.

        “We were able to win the award after only 16 months in existence,” said Tim Culbertson, commander. “We won because we participated in 27 different events, including memorial and veterans parades, graveside services and providing honor guards at different services.”

        He said the chapter has 43 members and will provide an honor guard at the Eden Park Memorial Services, 11 a.m. today.

        Allen Howard's “Some Good News” column runs Monday-Friday and Sundays. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are committing random acts of kindness that are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at (513) 768-8362; at ahoward@enquirer.com; or by fax at (513) 768-8340.

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