LIMA — Shirley Torsell, the namesake of Bluffton’s Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn, loved reading, often taking stacks of books with her to give out to children watching movies at the Shannon Theatre. To continue that legacy, Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn has dedicated its philanthropic efforts to fostering literacy. In keeping with that goal, the company donated almost $6,000 Thursday to the Lima Junior Service League, a non-profit dedicated to promoting children’s literacy.
“For Shirley’s birthday celebration, which was a special event held in June, we decided to present 100 percent of the day’s sales to the Lima Junior Service League in honor of the work they do in Lima and Allen County schools encouraging reading programs for children,” according to Dan Stanowick, communications director for Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn. “It’s really important for our business, as we grow, to be engaged in our communities, and we’re just pleased to honor Shirley by supporting reading programs, particularly this group and all the work they’re doing.”
The donation was certainly welcome for the league, which is looking to expand its efforts in the Lima area.
“We are just beyond thrilled,” Junior Service League member Angela Stewart said. “Each year, we donate around $10,000 worth of books and scholarships to area students, and this past year, we were able to increase our distributions to two a year, in the fall and in the spring. This donation will really allow us to complete our efforts to reach out to more students in more schools.”
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
