Courtesy of Falling Branch Elementary School

Montgomery County special education teacher Joe Aldridge told students at Falling Branch Elementary School if they collected 2,000 cans of food for the Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program, he would chop off his hair and beard. The students collected 1,300 cans, and a local company also gave 50 cents to MCEAP for each can the students collected, so Aldridge went through with it.

Photos by ALAN KIM The Roanoke Times

Virginia Tech football tight end Greg Boone visited Christiansburg Elementary School on Tuesday to read to fourth-graders. He settled his 6-foot-3-inch, 280-pound frame in a student's chair and read "The Firefighters' Thanksgiving" by Maribeth Boelts. Boone also took questions from the students — mostly about the football team and his favorite food. Montgomery County schools often have "celebrity" readers visit children. Last week, a group of Tech baseball players read to students at Shawsville Elementary School as a part of the school's reading program.

A Montgomery County special education teacher has 20 fewer inches of hair this week after students at his school voted that he shave his long head and facial locks.

A parent chopped Joe Aldridge's beard and long ponytail because students at Falling Branch Elementary School collected 1,300 cans for the Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program.

Aldridge told them if they collected 2,000 cans of food, he'd face the scissors. Because a local company also gave 50 cents to MCEAP for each can the students collected, Aldridge decided the additional funds constituted more than 2,000 cans.

This is the second year that students at the school have collected the cans.

"It's very important that they take part in community service at a young age," said Assistant Principal Tamra Oliver.

Oliver and administrators at the school turned the can donations into a competition but said the kids understood the meaning all along.

"There are certainly children at our school, as with any of the schools in the county, that need this food during the holidays," she said.

Children's program looking for volunteers

The Children's Health Improvement Partnership of the New River Valley is trying to develop a volunteer transportation service for parents who don't have reliable transportation or access to public transportation.

CHIP offers developmental and health screenings for children and medical and dental care.

Sue Farrar, a VISTA volunteer in the transportation division of the New River Valley Community Action, is asking for volunteers to donate a few hours each month to help take parents and school-age children to doctor's appointments, for immunizations and other health-related appointments.

Volunteers must have a valid driver's license and liability insurance. Contact Farrar at 633-5133 ext. 19.

Anna L. Mallory covers events and issues affecting Montgomery County schools and beyond. If you have information you'd like featured, e-mail anna.mallory@roanoke.com. You also can visit Chalk Dust, the New River Valley's education news source, at blogs.roanoke.com/chalkdust.