WCPO Weatherman Steve Raleigh was the guest emcee for the awards dinner
Chamber Board Member, Brian Garry was the Emcee for the Awards Dinner
Loveland, Ohio – On Thursday evening, November 16 the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance held their annual Awards dinner at the Oasis Conference Center. Chamber Board Member, Brian Garry was the Emcee for the evening and WCPO Weatherman Steve Raleigh was the Guest Emcee.
Kaitlyn Brennan is the site manager of Gigi’s Playhouse Cincinnati, the Emerging Business of the Year. She told attendees about the organization’s free educational, therapeutic-based, and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome.
A raffle was held and the proceeds were divided between the Chamber’s scholarship fund and Gigi’s Playhouse Cincinnati. Kaitlyn Brennan is the site manager of Gigi’s Playhouse and made a presentation about their delivery of free educational, therapeutic-based, and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community, through a “replicable playhouse model”.
Emerging Business of the Year: Gigi’s Playhouse Cincinnati
Beautification Award: Loveland PaddleSports (Loveland Canoe and Kayak)
Community Involvement Award: The Works
Business Community Advocate Award: LIFE Food Pantry
Non-Profit of the Year: The Grail
Woman Owned Business of the Year: The 1859
Young Professional of the Year: Katie Taylor
Randy K. Stanifer Health, Wellness & Fitness Business of the Year: Gray Nutrition
Customer Service Award: Hometown Café
Community Responder Award: Loveland Legacy Foundation
Hidden Hero Award: Angels by the Trail
Chamber Choice Award: City of Loveland Public Works
Lift Up Loveland Award: Ralph Dunnigan
WCPO Weatherman Steve Raleigh was the guest emcee for the awards dinnerJimmy Hooper accepted the Customer Service Award given to Hometown CaféTasha Danzilo accepted the Community Involvement Award for The WorksShawn Hartness accepted the Chamber Choice Award on behalf of the City of Loveland Public Works DepartmentRalph Dunnigan received the “Lift Up Loveland Award”Mark and Robyn Bersani were awarded the Beautification Award for Loveland PaddleSports (Loveland Canoe and Kayak)President Martha Hadley accepted the Community Responder Award given to the Loveland Legacy FoundationThe Hidden Hero Award was accepted by founder, Stacey Lund for Angels by the TrailAngelo Veotte-Board President of Gigi’s Playhouse Cincinnati accepted the Emerging Business of the Year awardLinda Bergholz the Executive Director, accepted the Business Community Advocate Award for the LIFE Food PantryKate Harden the owner of The 1859 was recognized as Woman Owned Business of the Year.Katie Taylor, Owner of The Outsourced COO was chosen as the Young Professional of the YearJohn Zielke accepted the Business of the Year honor on behalf of Paxton’s GrillTerri Pucket accepted the Non-Profit of the Year award for The Grail
The silent auction still has a few items remaining. If you would like to bid or buy now, please CLICK. The auction benefits Gigi’s Playhouse and the chamber scholarship fund and is live until Monday, Nov 27.
Loveland, Ohio – Stacey Lund and Tori Morrison met with me on Friday afternoon at the Angles by the Trail Mural that is on the Loveland Bike Trail in Historic Downtown Loveland. Stacey created the project so that the names and lives of young people from the area would be remembered – those who died too young.
You will hear why and how the Mural came to be from Stacey. Tori tells the story of her son Ben who took his own life and what it means to her that his name is in the mural.
If you have experienced the loss of a school-aged child (aged 3-23 only please) who lived in the Loveland, Ohio area and you would like their name included in the Angels by the Trail Mural, please complete this FORM. The team will review submissions on a monthly basis and contact you.
Stacey said that this will be an ongoing project and that she will always be adding names as needed. Here is the LINK to submit a Loveland school-aged child’s name to the mural.
“If you would like to sponsor someone else’s Angel or simply contribute to the project, we thank you and invite you to either complete this form or visit our GoFundMe page. Angels by the Trail GoFundMe page,” said Stacey.
Loveland, Ohio – Angels by the Trail will become a permanent, brightly painted memorial wall space that forever “Celebrates Loveland’s school-aged children whose lives were cut short.”
I interviewed muralist, David Uy as he was putting away his paint and coming off a rented SkyJack on Monday. The colorful 65′ X 20′ memorial will be facing the bike trail and the Little Miami River near the Linda Cox parking lot on Karl Brown Way in Historic downtown Loveland. It is being painted on a previously bare industrial wall of the Eads Fence Company.
David said he is painting Guardian Angels or Guardian Loveland Tigers by the Loveland Bike Trail.
Stacey Lund, a Loveland resident and parent is leading the project. She said, “I am a Loveland resident, parent, and neighbor. I, like many here, am passionate about giving back to this terrific community of ours for all that it has given to me and my family.”
If you see David Uy while he is finishing the mural, do what I did and ask him if you can add a few strokes. David said he had already encouraged others to add a few sprays before he is finished.
As a way of giving back, a group of Lund’s friends are in the process of creating a special mural that is named, “Angels by the Trail”. Lund added, “The bright joyful mural will be created in celebration of the memory of school–aged children, ages 3-23 who lived in the Loveland community that have passed away much too soon.”
She gives special thanks to Dale Eads of Eads Hardware and Fence for generously allowing them to use one of their large, trail-facing walls for the project.
On the GoFundMe page created for the project, Lund said, “Our hope is that the conversion of this plain industrial wall into the “Angels by the Trail” installation will bring joy to the families of these children and those who love them and will give our community another beautiful, bright and cheerful landmark and backdrop within our special home of Loveland.”
If you would like to have an Angel’s name, a child who has passed on and was a resident of the Loveland community and was between the ages of 3-23 added to the mural, please click the following link.
The feature at the center of the mural is a large set of angel wings painted in graffiti-style swooping colors and will be “Fun, whimsical, and as special as each of our ‘Angels’ was in life,” said Lund. Angels’ names will be added throughout the design.
Is there another way I can donate other than GoFundMe and Venmo?
Lund answered: “I have a donation box at each event, or you can mail a check to 118 Bares Creek Ct, Loveland, OH 45140 made out to Angels by the Trail.
Angels by the Trail is a 501(c)(3). Follow HERE to see current fundraising events.
Stacey’s Inspiration…
My inspiration for Angels by the Trail – a community project, was inspired by Jenifer and Mark Winter’s Angel Alley in Mason. I thought we should have one in Loveland. With the help of Dale Eads, Great American Soft Wash, and City Manager David Kennedy, it became a reality.
How can you help?
Follow our Facebook Group at Angels by the Trail to find out about the fundraisers and the progress of the mural.
Share with friends and family that lost a Loveland school-aged child too soon. I would love to include their child’s name in the mural. The google form is at the bottom of the GoFundMe page. GoFundMe
Consider donating. We are truly grateful for any donation we receive from anyone who supports the idea.
Stacey’s “Why”
When I first saw Angel’s Alley in Mason, I was so touched, I felt like every community should have such a special, celebratory place. I have been touched by the loss of several children in the area. With the support of local parents who have suffered those unthinkable losses, I sought out a local artist to create the vision, including a representation of Tigers for Loveland’s school mascot and Loveland’s Little Miami River. And, I found the right wall and made it a mission to make it happen.
The GoFundMe will raise funds for the cleaning and painting of the wall itself, a bench for those wishing to visit the wall, and modest landscaping. Lund hopes that supportive businesses and community members may wish to donate.
We are truly grateful for any donation we receive from anyone who supports the idea.
Donations are tax-deductible.
Learn more about David Uy and his other most recent projects…
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland, Ohio non-profit “Ben Morrison Fund” and Tori Morrison have announced the date of the 2023 2nd Annual Ben’s Birthday Bash will be February 19th, 2023.
The Ben Morrison Fund was recently honored by the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance as their “Hometown Hero”.
The event will take place at the Fowling Warehouse and will feature tournament-style fowling, BBQ provided by JD’s Meat Shack, and the auctioning of the fan-favorite “Liquor Trove.”
All proceeds will go directly to helping young people struggling with mental health crises, normalizing conversations about mental health, and building hope. Every year the Ben Morrison Fund gives scholarships to graduating Loveland seniors and works to erase the stigma of mental health struggles in honor and in the memory of their son Ben.
“We are so grateful for the support we receive to strengthen our efforts to help erase the stigma of mental health struggles and to help those struggling to move forward,” says Tori Morrison, President of the Ben Morrison Fund and Ben’s mom. “This event is particularly special to me as it celebrates Ben’s life as well as his lasting legacy of helping others. It’s a lot of fun, we hope you will come join us!”
Ben’s Birthday Bash will take place February 19th from noon until 3 PM at the Fowling Warehouse in Cincinnati. $20 Tickets can be purchased in advance at benmorrisonfund.org or at the door. Participation in the tournament is $5. Lunch will be provided.
“We are so grateful for our sponsors, volunteers, and our incredible community for their continuous support as we work to make a lasting difference in helping young people continue their story,” said Stacey Lund, Vice President of the Ben Morrison Fund.
To learn more about the Ben Morrison Fund or to donate, visit benmorrisonfund.org. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland has always been known as a community that gives back, and ALWAYS takes care of the youth. Over the past few months many have been fighting for the Loveland School levy because, without the appropriate funds, Tiger student-athletes have to “pay-to-play.”
Recently two Loveland School levies failed, leaving both Tiger student-athletes and their parents at a stand-still. Now those Tigers wanting to participate in a sport will have to pay $310. This did not sit well with Loveland Tiger advocate, Tori Morrison, so with the approval of the Loveland Athletic Booster Board she created a Facebook group that would help those athletes that could not afford to pay the sports fees.
“With the recent failure of two school levies, we knew that Pay to Play fees would be increasing this year,” Morrison explained, “In anticipation of that, the Athletic Boosters decided that we needed some way to help the athletes to continue to play. We feel that no tiger should be left out. Fees were previously $105 for all sports except football and lacrosse which were $155. Now all sports will be paying $310 per sport.”
Morrison attended Loveland Schools from 2nd through 6th grade before she moved with her family to New Richmond where she eventually met her husband and moved back to Loveland when her oldest child entered into 3rd grade.
“We have had three children graduate from Loveland schools – Ashlei (03), Chelsei (10), and Ben (20). My kids have been involved in soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, football, lacrosse, yearbook, drama, and choir,” Morrison said, “Over the years I have been a team mom for various sports and most recently organized and planned the Homecoming Parade for the last six years. When my son graduated I decided I was ready to become involved in a different way and decided to run for the Loveland Athletic Booster Board.”
Morrison says that the newly created Facebook Group “Loveland Athletic Boosters” is focusing on raising money for the student-athletes that may not be able to afford the pay-to-play fees.
“We want to share information and we encourage everyone to spread the word,” Morrison said, “The more people that join the group the more Tigers we can help! We want everyone to get a chance to play regardless of their financial situation. It’s going to be really tough for some families to pay the now $310 pay to play fee. Some athletes won’t be able to play at all and others will be forced to pick one sport where they used to be able to play two or three.” Many, many families have more than one child that will want to participate in a sport.
Thus far Morrison told us that the entire Loveland Athletic Boosters (LAB) Board is behind the fundraising efforts including, President Jeff Williams, Vice President Rich Myklebust, Treasurer Stephanie Bashardoust, and Secretary Stacey Lund. Soon LAB will be offering Business Memberships which would be a first for the Board.
I asked Morrison if the new Facebook Group would be holding any fundraising events and she said they are ALWAYS searching for new ideas and ways to raise money. The LAB’s do in fact have some awesome events planned that they hope will bring in a lot of funds for Tiger Student-Athletes.
Learn more about theannual Golf Outing on July 27 at O’Bannon Creek Golf Club.
“Our annual Golf Outing is July 27 at O’Bannon Creek Golf Club.
The Membership drive kicks off on July 1 and fall student-athletes will be selling discount cards that will be good at local restaurants and businesses,” Morrison said, “We will also be having like we do every year in January our Tiger Ball. One hundred percent of the money from these events will go towards helping our student-athletes with fees, gear, and anything else they need.”
Business of the Year: Paxton’s Grill
![[VIDEO] Stacey Lund and Tori Morrison Angels by the Trail interview](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/angel-mural-heart.jpg)
by David Miller
by Cassie Mattia
Click Here To Sign Up Now! to be a Memember of the Loveland Athletic Boosters
