The little children at Elmcrest in Early Education are delighting in a treasure trove of new storybooks. These generous donations honor the memories of other children who once loved storytimes. They came from the hearts of two sets of parents whose children were in tragic accidents they did not survive.
The Annals work to improve literacy and foster the love of reading in children. Each classroom at Elmcrest received books, and these generous donations helped create a “free book table,” for families to expand their children’s story collections.
Mark and Kelly Shetsky have brought hundreds of happy children smiles, in the name of their daughter Regan. Through Regan’s Acts of Kindness, they reached out to many area charities. They have donated playground equipment, Christmas presents, a memorial garden, and an inaugural book drive that brought in 1300 new books.
Regan’s image on their website is of a beautiful smiling little girl her mom and dad describe as “spunky, bubbly, and funny.” In her name, they promise to continue spreading joy. That wish has been realized in the smiles of Elmcrest children.
om and Maureen Annal founded Annal’s Angels in memory of daughters Maryella and Elizabeth. Tom suffered a traumatic brain injury in the accident, which has fortunately healed. Maureen suffered a spinal cord injury and is still working hard in recovery.
Since the accident, Tom and Maureen have been living by the motto to do “the next right thing.” From this has come the creation of Annal’s Angels to honor their daughters and to make sure they are never forgotten. The Annals delivered 740 books to the Early Education Center in early April.
Tom and Maureen describe their children as “sweet girls who enjoyed helping others and were loved by all who knew them. Maryella loved reading, and Elizabeth loved all things computers. They both loved our family dog Bogey.”
