The following is written by Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow:

If you believe everything you hear on the news, the debates, or pretty much any form of social media, it sure seems like we’re all going to “heck” in a handbasket.

There are a lot of problems out there, to be sure, and Sumner is not immune.  We have noticed an increase in homelessness.  We have to deal with traffic congestion, drug abuse, theft, etc., and there is never enough money to go around.

In spite of all the negatives we hear about, I think Sumner often has examples that far outweigh the challenges to remind us that we live in a very caring, charming community.

Benefit Night is one of those examples.

Actually, it’s “benefit nights”(plural) starting tonight and also going tomorrow and on March 2. The high school students use this event to benefit someone in the community who is going through a pretty major health issue.

This year, they chose a Sumner preschool teacher who is battling breast cancer.  The students are hosting two talent shows that include performances from students, alums, teachers and community members.  The dinner auction is on March 2.  Last week, I wrote about the Senior Center starting a scholarship.  This is yet another example of the entire community coming together, across generations and neighborhoods.

We’ll let the nation debate about the health care system and the future of education and who should pay.  Meanwhile in Sumner, our students are singing and performing to help pay for health care costs – and I hope you’ll turn out to support them – but most importantly I think they’re teaching us a valuable lesson about the true definition of community.