LIFE

Find Your Strength

Local Fitness Coach Publishes Book to Provide Long-Term Roadmap to a Healthier Lifestyle

By Emily Williams-RoBERtshaW

Taking control of your health and fitness doesn’t have to be miserable, according to local fitness guru Susan Finley, owner of the fitness coaching studio TrainSmarter in Crestline Park.

In her recently published book, “The Smarter Way: To Exercise Eat Move Think Live,” Finley strives to debunk myths that surround the notion of what it is to live a healthy lifestyle.

Throughout Finley’s 35-year career in fitness, she has cultivated her own method that isn’t focused on short-term results. The Smarter Way is a roadmap to find strength over time, resulting in less pain and better health.

“If you exercise and eat well, you might not live longer, but it’s going to bring so much more life into the years that you have,” Finley said.

Finding Strength

Finley wasn’t born with a love of exercise. It wasn’t a part of her life in any significant way until she was an adult.

“It would be fair to say that I was not remotely athletic,” Finley said, adding that she recently flipped through an old yearbook and was surprised to find that her high school had a track team while she was there.

“My parents were both school teachers,” Finley said. “We didn’t have a lot of money. The money that they had to put into my sister and me they put into piano lessons, which of course was more sitting down.”

The family took care of themselves in other ways such as doctor and dental exams, but the notion of building strength to live a healthier life was not at the forefront of anybody’s mind at the Finley house. It wasn’t a societal norm either.

“I remember my mom saying, quote, ‘Don’t stand when you can sit. Don’t sit when you can lie down.’”

Finley also found exercise in her youth to be a bit degrading – changing clothes in front of classmates and the self-consciousness that can come with group exercise.

Her interest in exercise began to develop as she watched her parents age. There were many aches and pains they dealt with that could have been avoided had they lived a healthier lifestyle.

Finley’s mother struggled with obesity and many orthopedic issues. Toward the end of her life, she needed two knee replacements and two shoulder replacements.

“Now I know that a lot of her knee pain came from lack of hip strength and balance in her hips,” Finley said. “The fact that she was overweight pulled her pelvis forward. That internally rotates the knees, which causes pressure down on the feet, which causes bunions, which she had.”

At the time, Finley couldn’t figure out why her mother’s shoulders were so worn out. Shoulder replacements were something heavy trainers like swimmers and tennis players have, she thought.

“At one point, I asked her,” Finley said. “Once her knees got bad, when she climbed up stairs she would grab the hand rail and try to pull herself up.

“She didn’t have the muscle strength for it so she just yanked on the joints.”

She now sees just how much her mother could have benefited from strength training to manage those symptoms early in their development, before they worsened.

Beyond back problems and joint issues, Finley’s mother dealt with many cardiovascular issues as well – high blood pressure and cholesterol, to name two.

“If (my parents) had just known. If we hadn’t eaten the way we did and if we had moved and moved well, worked on posture,” she said, maybe they would have lived without so much pain.

Journal photo by Jordan Wald

Building Strength

While Finley had the drive to become stronger, it took her a while to begin to love the practice. It took finding the right method.

Over time, she began teaching and learning and eventually found strength training. It was exciting, and she was good at it.

“The part that really changes your life is the strength training,” she said. “This is where you find out you don’t get as tired when you are doing things.”

Finley noted that as your muscles strengthen, you feel it in your everyday life.

You don’t get winded when you climb a few flights of stairs. It’s easier to move that heavy box without throwing your back out. When you wake up in the morning, things just hurt less.

Finley also stresses that it’s not about how long you exercise, it’s about making sure you do it.

“Say tomorrow, ‘I’m going to work out,’” she said. “If you only have a little bit of time, then do a little, but don’t say I don’t have enough time to do anything, because that gets in the way of progressing.”

The vast majority of her clients are working out with her virtually from their homes, sometimes without the need for any specialized gear.

“We train based on five movement patterns and one of the most important ones is pulling, because your pulling muscles are also your postural muscles,” she said. “So, you can pull against gravity, but it’s a little bit limiting.

“If you have bands, that’s another way to pull,” she said. “A TRX suspension trainer is another way to pull.”

People can invest in these things slowly as they progress.

“The cool thing is that a lot of people have just discovered that, if it is a rainy day, if the car breaks down, if the babysitter didn’t show up, it’s no worry,” she said. “What do you have nearby? Grab it and let’s get to work.”

There are so many reasons to remain stationary in our technologically advanced world, Finley noted. You can outfit your home in such a way that a simple “Alexa, please …” turns on the lights and the television or does many other things you might otherwise have moved to do.

“We have to make up for the movement we lose somehow,” Finley said.

Adults bear the burden of teaching by example, she noted. Having grown up in a family that didn’t exercise, Finley finds it critical to show her kids how important it is.

“Instead of saying, ‘Let’s go to the movies,’ take a walk,” she said. “It takes a little bit more effort to get yourself to do it, but it’s worth it.”

In addition, prove to your kids that exercise doesn’t have to be as miserable as it was when you were a fifth grader in PE class.

“If you don’t stay strong, you’re going to pay the price sooner or later,” Finley said. “We need to show that (exercise) matters because your health matters.”

If you’re just starting out, Finley said to take away the pressure. Start out with a little. Once you see the progress, you may just find yourself wanting to invest more.

“Your health is something that is really easy to take for granted until you don’t have it. You’ve got to tend it the same way you would take care of your body.”

Susan Finley, owner of the fitness coaching studio TrainSmarter in Crestline Park.

‘As Common as the Common Cold’

New Nonprofit Aims to Raise Awareness of HPV Vaccine and Battle Cervical Cancer

By Emily Williams-RoBERtshaW

Alabama tops the country for cervical cancer deaths and comes in third for the rate of cervical cancer diagnosed in patients, according to a new, Birmingham-based nonprofit organization, Vax 2 Stop Cancer.

Organization founder and Executive Director Barbara Schuler believes those numbers can be lowered significantly. It all starts with a vaccine.

According to the American Cancer Society, 99.9% of all cervical cancer cases are caused by human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted disease that infects both men and women.

HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get the virus at some point in their lives, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.

“It’s as common as the common cold,” Schuler said.

She and her board members founded Vax 2 Stop this year to provide information about HPV and the vaccine that controls it to doctors and to parents in an effort to increase vaccination rates.

HPV can be symptomfree, and infections, for the most part, resolve within two years. But for some people, the infec- Tracie Richter tions remain as abnormal cells in the body and cause the development of cancers.

In women, HPV can cause cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer. In men, it can cause penile cancer. In both men and women, it can result in anal or oropharyngeal cancer.

The good news is that, since 2006, a vaccine has been available that protects against cancercausing strains of HPV. It is more than 90% effective when taken at the recommended age of 11 to 12 years.

But only 21% of Alabamians are vaccinated. Vax 2 Stop is on a mission to raise that number.

Life-Changing Effects

Had the vaccine been available when Tracie Richter was an adolescent, her adult life may have been vastly different.

Richter, an advocate for Vax 2 Stop and

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Mountain Brook Olive Co.

New Year New Name

Lane Parke’s go-to gourmet store is just as happy as ever... with a fresh new name for the new year. The Happy Olive is now Mountain Brook Olive Co - a name that reflects more than ever the store’s celebration of its home in Mountain Brook, Alabama. “We had planned the new brand for more than a year, and the community’s response during these past challenging months reinforced that decision even more,” says owner Vickie Bailey, above with husband Richard. “Customers, fellow merchants, the chamber and friends supported us and one another - and stayed determined to shop local. Every small retailer purchase - whether curbside or online - made a world of difference. We truly live in a special place.”

Look for new products, expanded varieties of the store’s gourmet small-batch mustard on tap along with Ronaldo’s Collector Club selections and seasonal gift ideas featuring Etta B and other local makers. To celebrate - how about EVOO for an entire year? Like and tag a friend on FaceBook (@ mountainbrookoliveco) for the chance to win - three names will be selected Feb 1!

Mountain Brook Olive Co. is located at 261 Rele St. and their phone number is 205-703-9003.

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by Judy Butler

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Home

Once we had a client who thanked me for allowing her to come to our “Treatment Home”. I thought this was unusual until I realized that Bayshore Retreat is exactly that. The home environment with the small number of clients (no more than 6 at a time), the individual attention and the aroma of wonderful meals coming from the kitchen all contribute to health and wellness from addiction. We prove everyday that life can be good without drugs and/ or alcohol. Before going to one of the big box drug treatment centers with vending machines, cafeteria food and twelve step meetings consider the difference. Our “treatment home” is different and can make a difference. Most importantly the home environment adds a touch of self-esteem for our clients. Likewise, we allow clients to bring their cell phone and laptop and stay in touch with family, friends and business. Our holistic approach to health includes dry sauna and massage therapy, as well as vitamins and gourmet prepared food. Our 30 hour of counseling include at least two individual sessions weekly, group counseling, and Life Skills coaching that covers real issues such as irrational thinking, relationships, anger, self awareness and other real life issues. Clients love it at Bayshore Retreat as is proven by the client thanking me for allowing her to come to my treatment home. If you or someone you love needs help with addiction, compare everything when looking for a rehab. No one compares to Bayshore Retreat. Its difference can make a difference. Give me a call anytime or visit our web site at www.bayshoreretreat. com.

From page 8 member of the cervical cancer survivor support community Cervivor, was first diagnosed with Stage I cervical cancer at 27.

Richter and her husband were busy raising two sons – one 3 years old and another 5 months old – when she received her diagnosis. It was the night before Thanksgiving.

The family’s plans for the future changed immediately. Plans for a third child were pushed to the side as she underwent treatment, including an abdominal radical hysterectomy and lymph node removal.

“It took me a while to get to a place where I felt like I could share my story,” Richter said. She found strength through the Cervivor community, where she was able to connect with other survivors.

“It’s easy to find a cancer survivor, of course, but if you find someone who is in a similar stage of life as you with the same cancer diagnosis as you, it makes a huge difference,” Richter said. “I didn’t have that during my first diagnosis and my first surgical treatment. Looking back, that would have been so helpful.”

After three years in remission, Richter experienced a recurrence. During her treatment, she had chemotherapy treatments as well as internal and external radiation.

In the three years she now has been clear of cancer, Richter has amped up her efforts to give back to the cervical cancer community.

“Through Cervivor, I started working with the Society of Gynecologic Oncology,” she said, participating in one of the organization’s lobby days in Washington, D.C.

She was later connected with Schuler and Vax 2 Stop through the UAB Division of the Gynecologic Oncology Director Dr. Warner Huh, also president of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology. Among his many accomplishments, Huh was among the first oncologists to test Gardasil as an HPV vaccine.

Richter said she was more than ready to join the Vax 2 Stop mission, not only as a cancer survivor and advocate, but as a mother to two young boys who are nearing their vaccination age.

“I’m so drawn to getting reliable and accurate information out into the public about the vaccine,” she said. “My boys are 7 and 10. Many people don’t realize that boys need to be vaccinated, too.

Her advice to parents seeking more information is to make sure what you are reading is reliable medical information. If you aren’t sure the sources are reliable, ask your doctor.

“Just be open with your doctor,” she said. “Talk with your doctor about any concerns you have about the way you are feeling.”

Cultivating an open relationship with your general practitioner is something about which Richter is passionate. She wonders how they can help you if they do not know how you are truly feeling.

Richter is celebrating Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, in January, by reminding women to stay on top of their wellness visits.

“It’s extra hard right now during a pandemic,” she said. “There are so many people who have not gone for their pap test, but it is so important to have those yearly visits.

“Stay in tune with your body, don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor and, please, show up for those annual visits,” she said.

Rapid Growth

Despite a year filled with disruption and health and safety concerns surrounding the pandemic, Schuler and her board members were able to create and launch Vax 2 Stop Cancer.

“I never thought we would accomplish all that we have accomplished this year,” she said.

The organization received six grants in 2020, starting with Blue Cross Blue Shield.

“Blue Cross is extremely aware of this epidemic,” Schuler said. “They have been working on this issue and have not had great results, because the vaccination rate is so low.”

When the Vax 2 Stop team presented its mission and plan, the company was on board.

“When you have somebody like Blue Cross supporting you, it’s really easy for the others to jump on board.” she said.

It led to recognition and support from other national companies and organizations, such as the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

“They had never given a grant to the state of Alabama,” she said. “It knocked me off of my feet. I was so humbled by that.”

Schuler believes that one of the big reasons parents don’t choose to have their children vaccinated is because they don’t believe their child needs it, especially the boys.

“The vaccine is recommended for ages 11 to 12,” Schuler said. People can get the vaccine as young as age 9 and up to 26, but that is when it is most effective and builds the most immunity. In fact, Schuler noted that a recent study stated that people up to age 45 can get at least some small benefit from it.

When given at the correct age, it is typically administered by a doctor at the same time as a Tdap vaccine – which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis – and the meningococcal vaccine.

Both vaccines have a much higher rate of usage than does the HPV vaccine, according to data Schuler pulled from the Alabama Department of Public Health. Tdap has a 71% usage rate and is required for school, while the meningococcal vaccine has a 58% usage rate.

The vaccination rate for HPV is 21%.

“There are layers of problems that contribute to the low rate,” Schuler said. Parents think their kids don’t need it, they don’t think their kids are having sex.” Many parents find it hard to imagine their child contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Additionally, the vaccine receives a large amount of criticism due to misinformation. “This is FDA-approved,” Schuler said. “It’s safe, effective and it’s one of the most highly studied vaccines available.” Schuler’s own sons never received the vaccine.

Do you have h high blood pressure? “I didn’t know about it,” she said. “The pediatrician wasn’t calling me

Do you want to start e exercising about it, so we just didn’t know.” It doesn’t help that the vaccine regularly this New Year? fights a disease that could show up so many years in the future. “If it was a breast cancer vaccine, prostate cancer or what have you that is more widely talked about, people would line their kids up around the block,” Schuler said. “This is something that they are vaccinated for that they usually wouldn’t get until decades later. Schuler doesn’t fault pediatricians for lack of awareness. Pediatricians and general practitioners have a lot on THE ACES STUDY their plates, she said. Through Vax 2 Stop, Schuler and

The ACES Study is a randomized, controlled trial at UAB to board members are working to equip determine if blood pressure medications combined with regular internists with the information they exercise can improve health and quality of life. need to tell their patients about the importance of the HPV vaccine. The organization was inspired by You May be Eligible If: Schuler’s recent work with the  You are age 60 or older Alabama Department of Public  A doctor has diagnosed you with Health. The ADPH conducted a prohigh blood pressure gram to raise HPV vaccination rates,  You are able to walk across a small working with 50 practices across the room without the use of any type of state to train doctors on ways to effecassistive device (cane/walker) tively recommend the vaccine. “We’ve seen their rates come up almost 10%, which was the goal,” Schuler said. “Some of them didn’t quite make it and others surpassed the goal, but we’ve made a huge dent with those 50 practices and brought over that experience.” In the ADPH’s program, 10 pediatricians each mentored five practices. “My program is that we are working with 14 pediatric or family medicine practices,” she said. Guided by a program developed by the Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Vax 2 Stop provides doctors with cards that showcase how to impart vaccine information and answer parents’ questions. “One of the biggest things about this program is that it has made doctors feel more confident in their recommendations, which is all they really needed,” Schuler said. With the new non-profit, Schuler also is working on social media campaigns to raise awareness and combat the spread of false information on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. “We’re trying to reach 500,000 people in Alabama through social media so that they understand the importance of (the vaccine), the efficacy of it and the safety of the vaccine – parents, adolescents, just general public.”

Enrolled participants will receive:  Supervised exercise training at no cost  Blood pressure medication provided  Complimentary parking  Compensation for your time Sponsored by the Reed Foundation and the THE UNIVERSITY OF For more information, ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM please call: 205-996-3005

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

If you have a plan for surgery or have had surgery within the past 3 years for cancer of the liver, bile duct, gallbladder, esophagus, stomach, or pancreas then you may qualify for UAB’s PACE study.

You will receive exercise and nutrition counseling provided by trained dietitian and exercise specialist.

Contact our staff to see if you qualify: (205) 975 – 0002

Or email: moveforward@uab.edu

Brookwood Baptist Medical Center nurse Lauren Lewis, left, helps Ellie, Gracie, Laura and Dalton Hollis unload books.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS EXERCISE RESEARCH STUDY

RECRUITING 400 PEOPLE TO COMPARE HOME-BASED TO GYM-BASED EXERCISE PROGRAM

You may qualify if you:

– Are 18 to 65 years old – Have multiple sclerosis – Can walk but have some diffculty – Do not exercise regularly – Have not had a relapse in the past month – Can commit to exercise 2 times a week for 16 weeks – Can drive to study site – Have reliable internet access

COVID-19 SAFETY

Local Family of Six Donates 500 Books to Brookwood Baptist NICU

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The Hollis family of North Shelby County presented a donation of more than 500 books to staff at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center on Dec. 14. Through their Four the Love of Books and Babies campaign, a nod to the family’s four kids, one book will be given to every family with a baby so that they can read to their infants. After struggling with infertility, Natalie Hollis, her Petra SIlIc husband and their eldest daughter, Addie Jo, welcomed triplets at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center in February. Following 205-975-1336 their birth, the triplets spent more than a month in the NICU at Brookwood. The parents experienced the same anxiety many stepforms@uabmc.edu parents go through of not being able to hold their babies receiving a high level of care in the NICU. To pay forward the support they felt during their babies’ stay, the family created the Four the Love of Books and Babies drive. Reading materials were Visit our website for more information: donated by family, friends, businesses and members of the community. HTTPS://WWW.ICONQUERMS.ORG/WELCOME-STEP-MS

Pandemic Inspires Vestavia Hills Neighbors to Band Together for Bible Club, More Activities for the Kids

By Emily Williams-RoBERtshaW

Though the pandemic shrouded 2020 in darkness, the Vesthaven neighborhood in Vestavia Hills made a silver lining as neighbors came together in ways they had never experienced before.

Over the summer, with no end to the pandemic in sight, Carol Pritchard decided she could do something for the neighborhood kids who spent their days playing out in the yard while their parents worked from home.

“We got to talking in (the) front yard one day and I said, ‘Hey, do y’all want to have a vacation Bible school.’ I’ll put it together and we can share the teaching responsibilities,” Pritchard said. So, she began handing out little bags with scriptures, lessons and arts and crafts activities.

After summer had ended and school was back in session, one of the first graders in the Bible study, Jude, reached out to Pritchard hoping to learn more.

“He wanted to know more about the story of Daniel and the lion’s den,” Pritchard said. “His church was closed. He was supposed to get his Bible this year and he was supposed to be dedicated, but that wasn’t going to happen.”

With the desire for a continued Bible study in place, Pritchard reached out to her neighbors with the idea that she would run an hour-long children’s Bible club once a week.

As Christmas approached, Pritchard found a way to use what they had been learning throughout the summer and fall by making a live Nativity.

Pritchard’s chosen theme for this year’s Bible studies was John 3:16, which says God loved the world so much he gave us his only son, Jesus.

So, as Christmas approached, she took the idea to the kids, who loved it. Parents were all-in, helping coordinate costumes and set designs, and every child had a role to play in the scene, including that of Mary and Joseph, the three Wise Men, angels and the star.

Pritchard counted 69 cars in line to view the live Nativity on Dec. 18, along with 25 people who walked over to the event.

“After it was over, I said to the kids, ‘You realize that you have touched 69 families with the story of Jesus’ birth?’ And they were all amazed,” Pritchard said.

She hopes to do the same thing next year, maybe on a larger scale with more children involved.

“It’s teaching them a little bit about the reality of everything and the simplicity of everything,” she said. “I think that’s the beauty of it.”

Little Miracles

“Quarantine Miracles”

It’s not all about the Bible study. The families have found joy watching the children feed off of each other and find ways to thrive in a dark year.

“(The pandemic) has allowed the kids to be kids,” she said. “These children, their job has been to play outside, to get along, to enjoy learning to ride a bike, to have fun on a simple swing and a tree, to have clubs in the clubhouses, play hide and seek and learn to throw a football. These are the things that we take for granted every day.”

The kids also had plenty of free time to hone skills that would have otherwise taken a long time to develop.

“We had bike races in the street in front of the house during the summer, because four of those children learned to ride a bike during quarantine,” Pritchard said.

Pritchard’s neighbors, the Fangs, moved to the area from Taiwan a year ago in September.

“The boys literally came off of the plane and went to school the next day,” Pritchard said.

The two sons, Vincent and Connor, were both born in the United States while the parents were continuing their education. While the older son, Vincent, could speak English, Connor, eight years old at the time, had a language barrier.

“Well, now he’s in the gifted program, because all summer long we spoke English to him,” Pritchard said.

In addition, Vincent, now in seventh grade, struggled with United States history, having spent most of his school years in Taiwan.

“I had the opportunity to teach him civics while he was still in the (staggered) schedule, so on his days at home we would work on it,” she said. “Now he’s got a 99 average.”

Their entire group also had the chance to watch Vincent nurse a blue jay, named Squeaky, back to health. For weeks, he fed the bird with chopsticks to simulate a beak, getting up throughout the night to care for Squeaky until they were able to fledge the bird.

“Blue jays never live,” she said. “Usually, if you find them by the nest, they die within 24 hours,” Pritchard said.

These are the experiences Pritchard defines as little “quarantine miracles.”

Before the pandemic, Pritchard and her neighbors communicated online for the most part.

Pritchard founded the Friends of Vesthaven group, which now exists as a Facebook group online, in 1993.

Several of the children from her Bible study had lived only about five doors from Pritchard, but because of their parents’ work schedules, day care and everyday life, she hadn’t met most of them.

“Being here during this lockdown brought our neighborhood so close together and allowed us to do food trucks and have 4th of July with just (the) little street,” she said.

Community has been especially important as the pandemic separated families. Pritchard’s children are grown and were quarantining on their own, and the children in neighboring families couldn’t see their grandparents during lockdowns.

One of Pritchard’s neighbors who works as a nurse educator at Grandview Medical Center has been hunkered down with her family during the entire pandemic. “They still have all of their groceries delivered,” Pritchard said.

On Halloween, the neighborhood hosted an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating. The live Nativity gave people a save way to celebrate, and the neighborhood organized a caroling night to reach out to other quarantining families.

“It’s been the most wonderful season for this neighborhood,” Pritchard said.

As 2021 brings with it the hope of a new year as well as a vaccine, Pritchard is looking forward to the potential of safely opening the Bible club to other children in the neighborhood.

“The Bible club has been just the group of kids that play together,” she said. “Hopefully, next year we can expand it and include the other kids in the neighborhood who are interested, because parents have reached out.

“We’d love to have them, but we just want to have a little more control over what is going on in the world,” she said.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Members of the Vesthaven neighborhood bible club, from left, Connor Fang, Vincent Fang, Wilson Sneed, Brantley Noto, Jude Thaxton, Libby Smoot, Reese Thaxton, Townes Smith and Nicholas Noto.

From Page One 1988. He worked as an officer for eight years before being shot in the head. He spent weeks in a coma after hours of surgery. The shooting left him deaf in one ear and blind in one eye, and he experienced difficulties with speech.

Legg grew up with Smith, and they were teammates on sports teams and friends throughout the years.

“I first met Randy when I was 10 years old, playing Little League baseball at West Homewood Park,” Legg recalled. “He was a competitor and a fighter. I’m not talking a fist fighter, but just a tough, tough competitor.

“But he was also one of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet. He was a wonderful teammate and friend.”

Former Homewood football coach Alvin Bresler, who led the Patriots to that 1974 championship, complimented Smith’s longtime friend and fellow police officer Jim Henderson for helping plan Smith’s funeral service.

“Jim Henderson and the Birmingham Police Department did a beautiful job with the ceremony celebrating Randy Smith’s life,” Bresler said. “It was well attended by a lot of players who played with him at Homewood.

“We paid tribute to a great person. He not only played offensive line but inside linebacker on our 1974 championship team. He was about 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. He was not just strong, but a tough cat. You could see it by how he took things on.”

Homewood High School Yearbook

Homewood co-captain Murray Legg, right, said he always felt a little taller when he walked onto the field with Randy Smith, left, for the coin toss before games in 1974.

A Loyal Friend

Bresler remembered Smith for just loving life.

“Randy loved to kid, but he didn’t just dish it out, he could take it,” Bresler said. “When his accident happened 25 years ago, it didn’t change him. He had a strong will to live and he had to overcome a very tough situation.”

In his obituary, Smith’s family wrote: “Randy’s spirit, optimism, and love for others remained unharmed. Randy was very involved with his family and loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. A true hero, he also enjoyed investing his time and giving back to others by visiting patients at the Lakeshore Foundation and the Alabama Head Injury Foundation sharing his story of hope and survival.”

That didn’t surprise Legg.

“Randy was always a giver,” Legg said. “He was loyal to his friends and family. I know he loved his family and dearly loved his children. After his accident, he never complained and never said, ‘Why me?’ He took life as it came and made the best of it that he could.”

Smith was a recipient of the city of Homewood’s Quality of Life award and was appointed grand marshal of the We Love Homewood Parade in 2008.

“The last three years, several of us got together with Randy for lunch and you could tell how he tried to stay positive after all he had gone through and was going through,” Bresler said. “He had a way of making you feel good.”

About 10 years ago, the Homewood High School athletic department established the Randy Smith Courage Award Scholarship to be given during its Senior Awards Day.

“It’s voted on by the coaches,” Bresler said. “I haven’t presented it yet, but this year I want to be the presenter as a tribute to Randy.”

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Santa Came to Town

Holiday in the Hills Breakfast With Santa Goes Drive-Thru

There was no way COVID-19 would stop Santa from visiting good girls and boys throughout the Vestavia Hills area. But the visit was tweaked a bit. This year, the city and the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce coordinated a drive-thru Breakfast with Santa. As community members drove up to Vestavia Hills Elementary West, Santa and his helpers greeted the children and passed out free Dunkin’ Donuts.

JOURNAL PHOTOS BY JORDAN WALD

SANTA’S HELPERS From left, Isabelle Jackson, Mary Catherine Morrow, Sarah Jane Richardson and Emily Wigley.

Family Friendly Holiday Parades

Above, the Vestavia Hills High School Marching Band. Left, from left, Blake, Claire and Rachel Thomas and Ann Adele, Alice, and Woods Allen.

Right, back, David, Carissa and Ben Larimer; front, Daniel, Genevieve, Michael and Matthew Larimer. Below, Crystal and Rhett Dew.

Vestavia Hills Hosts Annual Liberty Park Christmas Parade

Vestavia Hills’ Holiday in the Hills celebrations culminated Dec. 13 with the annual Christmas Parade in Liberty Park. The parade traveled from Liberty Park Sports Complex to Alston Meadows with audiences lined along the street to watch while socially distanced. In addition to decorated floats, the parade included performances from groups such as the Vestavia Hills City Schools marching bands and the Vestavia Hills High School Rockets and Majorettes. Special guests at the parade included Santa and Mrs. Claus. Above, the first-ever Car Menorah Parade makes its way through downtown Crestline Village. Left, Ilene and Ezra Kosoff.

Right, Rabbi Yosi Friedman and Rabbi Levi Weinbaum. Below, getting parade ready.

Chabad of Alabama Hosts First Car Menorah Parade

A parade of cars lit up the streets of Birmingham Dec. 17 as Chabad of Alabama hosted its first Car Menorah Parade. The parade celebrated the second-to-last night of Chanukah, the Festival of Lights. Led by a motorcycle crew organized by Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway, a lead truck carrying a big menorah was followed by a number of cars decorated with magnetic car menorahs or Chanukah flags.