Monument Hill Kiwanis Club presents money raised during Empty Bowls to Tri-Lakes Cares

The Monument Hills Kiwanis Club recently presented a check for $11,000 raised as a result of the annual Empty Bowls Dinner & Silent Auction fundraiser to nonprofit Tri-Lakes Cares.

Tri-Lakes Cares plans and executes the Silent Auction portion of the October event and MHKC plans and executes the Empty Bowls Dinner.

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Local cadets initiated into Missouri Military Academy Corps of Cadets

Bryce McIlwain, son of Christopher Ryals and Maureen Ryals, of Monument; and Joseph Roach, son of Jamie Roach and Jeff Roach, of Colorado Springs, were inducted into the 134th Missouri Military Academy Corps of Cadets at the MMA Passing Through Ceremony Oct. 22 at the all-male, college preparatory military boarding school (middle school and high school) in Mexico, Missouri.

The Passing Through Ceremony is an MMA tradition that officially welcomes new cadets into the corps following their successful completion of the Maroon Phase training, the cadet handbook test, and the Crucible. The handbook test consists of questions concerning MMA rules and regulations, the Honor Code, and Academy history and traditions.

The culminating event is the Crucible, a series of mental and physical challenges cadets must navigate as individuals and as a team. The Crucible includes such tasks as a physical fitness test, 5-mile hike, 16-obstacle trail run, team paintball challenge, team relay shuttle run, team boat run, and river crossing exercise conducted in MMA’s Olympic-sized pool.

To signify their official entry into the corps the cadets were awarded and authorized to wear the coveted MMA hat brass that bears the MMA crest.

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Education updates

Alex Pierce, of Palmer Lake, was named to the University of Minnesota Duluth Dean’s List for Spring Semester 2022. Pierce is a junior in the UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions studying Pre Teaching Physical Science.