Supporting the 11Alive/Salvation Army Can-A-Thon has been an annual school-wide tradition at Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC) since 2012. This year, the GAC student body of 1,800 students came together and provided 28,730 non-perishable food items for the Salvation Army.

The food collected will be used in the fight against food insecurity in the Gwinnett County community and beyond to not only fill stomachs but also nourish souls.

On collection day (Friday, December 6), student service and leadership groups from every GAC school level efficiently collected, counted, boxed, packed and delivered food to the Salvation Army. The GAC Concert Choir provided festive Christmas music, creating a joyful atmosphere as volunteers worked.

Competition and collaboration

Throughout November, students and families, infant-12th grade, rallied their efforts in varying ways to accomplish their goals. Friendly competitions and celebrations spurred the number of donations to grow. 

This successful commitment to Can-A-Thon resulted from a collaborative effort across GAC to live out Christ’s call in John 17:25-26 to make God known to the world.

“At GAC, we often say, ‘To whom much is given, much is required,’” said Justin Bagwell, GAC’s director of Christian life. “We encouraged our students to use their gifts and talents for this service project and for families to shop together for each student to bring 18 food items. We’re blown away by how our community showed up this year to surpass our goal.”

As the GAC community celebrates this season of giving, the success of the Can-A-Thon serves as a reminder of the true spirit of Christmas — sharing God’s love through generosity and service to others.

About Greater Atlanta Christian School

Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC) is one of Atlanta’s largest Christian schools, serving over 1,800 PK-12th grade students.

The walkable 90-acre campus is located in Norcross, Georgia, a half-mile off I-85 and Indian Trail Road. GAC provides an array of in-person, online and hybrid options with over 65 STEM courses, 29 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, dual college credit courses and personalized and project-based learning.

In addition to forward-thinking innovation, GAC students benefit from caring, responsive teaching and small class sizes. GAC is a faith-infused, academically rich community, ranking at the top of the state for teaching quality, arts, and athletics.

For more information, visit greateratlantachristian.org.

Peachtree Corners resident, Alex Everett traveled to Italy this past September — not as a tourist but as an athlete. The 28-year-old accountant and liver transplant survivor, served as goalkeeper on Team USA as they competed in the first-ever Transplant Football World Cup.

The event — part of the larger World Transplant Games — promoted giving the gift of life through a week of connection and sportsmanship, showcasing how people with organ transplants can live a normal, active life.

“I first heard about the US Transplant World Cup team a few years ago through a social media post,” said Alex. “The first Transplant World Cup was originally going to take place in 2022 but was postponed due to the uncertainty around international travel and COVID. Fast forward to 2024 and Team USA had an interest meeting via Zoom to discuss details about the tournament and fielding the American team.”

Team USA

All together, they had 14 people from around the United States (hailing from Georgia, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, California and Hawaii) join the team, which traveled to Cervia, Italy in September to compete.

“There were 10 other countries that were represented in the World Cup, and we were split into two groups, one of five and one of six,” Alex explained.

“It was an incredible experience representing the US at an international level, competing against other transplant recipients from around the world. We not only were able to share our passion for soccer but also our stories of transplantation and what obstacles we had to overcome to be where we were.”

Coming together to compete

Team USA played well in their matches but placed 9th out of the 11 teams. Because players came from all over the country to join the team, they hadn’t had the opportunity to practice together — or even meet in person — before the tournament started.

“The first time we met face to face and kick a ball as a team was our first game against France,” said Alex. “While that outcome was not what we wanted, we progressively got better as the tournament went on. Eventually ending with a win in a penalty shoot-out against Wales and a normal time win in our final game against Northern Ireland.”

“It was an incredible experience, and I would highly recommend anyone who’s involved with transplantation to reach out and get involved with not only Team USA but also with the Transplant Games of America (TGA), which is an Olympic-style competition for people who have received transplants or living donors,” he added.

Most states in the US have their own TGA team, including one here in Georgia.

World Transplant Games 2025

The next World Transplant Games will be held in Dresden, Germany on August 17-24, 2025.

Over six days, athletes and teams from 60 countries will meet to compete in 17 different sports. The US Team is excited to be part of it again and are currently looking for more players interested in taking part.

Leave a lasting legacy

Alex is also involved with the Peachtree Corners-based organization LifeLink® of Georgia, a division of the LifeLink® Foundation.

Established over 40 years ago, the foundation’s mission is to inspire new organ donor registrations and celebrate those who have decided to save lives as a registered organ, eye or tissue donor. The mission is carried out locally through education programs and community awareness campaigns.

Earlier this year, LifeLink of Georgia launched The Infinity Campaign, a state-wide educational effort aimed at motivating and registering new organ donors. The campaign is represented by the infinity symbol, to demonstrate the lasting impact of organ and tissue donation.

About LifeLink of Georgia

LifeLink of Georgia partners with hospitals to support and guide families as they establish their loved one’s legacy through organ and tissue donation.

They carry out the decisions of registered donors or their families and honor the life of each donor by providing organs and tissue for transplant to as many patients as possible. 

In 2023, 457 men, women and children gifted a legacy of life through organ donation with LifeLink of Georgia, yet there are still nearly 3,000 patients in the state awaiting an organ transplant and thousands more that could benefit from tissue transplantation.

“When you become an organ donor, your life story continues through the lives you save, ensuring that your legacy lives on indefinitely,” says Katie Payne, executive director, LifeLink of Georgia. “Life is an invaluable treasure, a lesson we learn anew each day from our donor families. Thanks to their generosity, LifeLink of Georgia saves thousands of lives every year, and we are deeply honored to continue this extraordinary mission.”

The Infinity Campaign 

The Infinity Campaign features a series of real stories from registered donors, each telling what inspired them to register and emphasizing the effect this decision has on saving lives. By sharing these stories, LifeLink aims to motivate more people to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and spread the message of hope and life.

“The decision to become a donor was deeply personal. It is an opportunity to give the ultimate gift — the gift of life,” said Adán Bean. “I get to continue to tell the story for others, be a little bit of ink in their pen and help them write what they want to write.”

As part of the launch, LifeLink has created the website mystorycontinues.com, which spotlights stories from donors and recipients and offers innovative tools, including the opportunity to upload a photo to share your support and spread the word on social media about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. 

Become a donor

Being a donor is an incredible way for individuals to make a difference and have an impact on the lives of others. One organ, eye and tissue donor can potentially save or improve the lives of more than 75 people.

The need for organ and tissue donors is greater now than ever, given the growing numbers of people on transplant wait lists and increasing numbers of people with diabetes and kidney disease.

Currently, there are about 3,000 people in Georgia on the organ transplant list and thousands more on the tissue transplant list.

There are several simple ways to register your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor: 

• Visit mystorycontinues.com and sign up today.
• Register when renewing or receiving a driver’s license or identification card at the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
• Register when obtaining a hunting or fishing license through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

For more about LifeLink of Georgia, visit lifelinkfoundation.org/our-story/#llgeorgia.

The Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) awarded a check for $3,500 to Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries (NCM) at their November Business After Hours networking event. 

NCM was chosen by PCBA’s Outreach Committee to be a recipient of the charitable donation because of their continued commitment to providing physical, financial and spiritual assistance to those in need within the community.

Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries

Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries provides food and clothing, rent and utility assistance, temporary hotel stays, counseling, church connections and more to at-risk Gwinnett County residents from Doraville, Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Tucker and the greater Gwinnett area.

Through community partner referrals and various funding cycles, the organization’s mission is to “help those in crisis by collaborating with the community to offer programs and services that transform lives through the love of Christ.”

“Your $3,500 check will go towards feeding 180 people for three months,” shared Ryan Jones, executive director at Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries. “Our programs are designed to help our neighbors who sincerely want to break their cycle of poverty and regain financial independence. Making sure they have the basics is critical to their success.”

Giving back to support the community

“The PCBA is pleased to award a check for $3,500 to the Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries to contribute to their ongoing need of restocking their pantry and providing financial assistance as part of our community outreach,” said PCBA President, Lisa Proctor. “Our outreach committee and board are committed to supporting our community as our businesses continue to grow.”

Funds for the PCBA Community Outreach Program are raised throughout the year from PCBA membership, sponsorship and an annual charity event. Donations and scholarships are awarded at their monthly events so that members have the opportunity to learn more about the community organizations and their programs.

Over the past 12 years, the PCBA has awarded 19 scholarships to outstanding graduating high school seniors and donated in excess of $165,500 back into the community.

About Peachtree Corners Business Association

“Where businesses come to grow,” the Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) is a business membership organization that focuses on innovative approaches, programs, shared resources, community outreach and opportunities for member businesses and professionals to connect, develop, grow and prosper.

The PCBA is made up of businesses of all sizes and types who want to expand their reach and grow their business within Peachtree Corners and the greater metro Atlanta area. 

For more information visit peachtreecornersba.com.