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On July 31, 2025, 26 Warren Coalition members, staff, and guests came together at the Warren County Community Center for the Coalition’s Annual Awards Luncheon. This annual event is held to honor outstanding members as well as the recipient of the 2025 Larry M. Funk Award for Outstanding Service to Children in Warren County.

Showing up is critical for success—especially when an organization depends upon volunteers–and so each year, the Coalition recognizes those who have attended 80% (or more) of the meetings. For the 2024-25 fiscal year, Perfect Attendance recognition was awarded to Treasurer Kay Schroyer, while Attendance Awards were given to Secretary Holly Goode and Michelle Smeltzer.

Some members go above and beyond their “official” volunteer service duties by assisting the Coalition with events, fundraising, etc. These members are awarded one to four stars each month for their above-and-beyond service. (For example, the treasurer does not receive stars for performing duties related to being the treasurer.) This year, only one point separated the top two Stars, with Kay Schroyer beating out runner-up Coalition President Nick Croft.

Once the member recognitions were announced, attention turned to the Larry M. Funk Award honoree: Harmony Hike. Nominated by Tiffany Halliday, Harmony is the co-founder of the Hike Kidz Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which launched its first initiative in November 2024. She devotes countless hours to the goals of the foundation, reaching Warren County children in need to ensure they have an equal opportunity to thrive. She has brought the community together to provide support directly to children and families that need it most.

Harmony works tirelessly to launch community campaigns and initiatives that strengthen ties in our community by raising funds and providing for basic needs like clothes and other essentials. Hike Kidz Foundation is dedicated to providing these resources to McKinney-Vento and foster students who have unmet needs. She created a campaign that raised enough funds to provide hygiene and art enrichment items to over 130 local children. Last year, the foundation raised funds to sponsor 11 families at Christmas, providing funds, toys, and dinners.

According to Tiffany, the five words that describe Harmony are “devoted, passionate, reliable, driven, and leadership.” In her write-up, Tiffany said, “Harmony is driven to reach and help the local students in need to feel equal. To thrive. To feel more confident.”

Upon being presented with the award, Harmony spoke a few words of thanks to the Coalition and recalled Larry Funk, who worked in the schools while she was a student. “He was active and jolly. Smiling from the inside. Always pleasant. Always present,” she recalled. She concluded her speech with a message: “Sometimes it’s not what you need from the world, it’s what the world needs form you. This is what Mr. Funk gave us and that was a community gift we all felt. A long-lasting impact of what it means to live fully and completely, doing all that you love, with all of your heart.”

Each spring, nominations for the Larry M. Funk Award are open for about four to six weeks. Anyone in the community can nominate someone who serves the children of Warren County. Once the nomination period closes, a small committee made up of Coalition members and staff select four to five finalists, which are then given to Larry Funk’s wife Linda and their son William to make the final selection of the winner.

Harmony received an engraved award and a $500 check, and her name will be added to the list of award recipients that is kept on a plaque in the Warren Coalition offices.

Warren Coalition is a nonprofit agency established in 1994 to help fill the gaps in health care and substance abuse awareness to the community. The Coalition began under the guidance of Warren Memorial Hospital as an outreach project, but it has since grown and was incorporated in 2001.  The office is currently located in the Warren County Community Center.  Their mission is to make Warren County a safe, healthy, and drug free community through many programs and in collaboration with 15+ member agencies.

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As it does each year, Warren Coalition is kicking off the school year with a free pool party for Warren County students entering grades sixth through eight this fall! This annual event will be held on Sunday, August 10, 2025, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at Claude A. Stokes Jr. Community Pool (1000 Stadium Drive, Front Royal). The Coalition is excited to welcome Young Life back to the Pool Party for some added activities and fun.

Although admission to the pool party is free, the Coalition will accept donations of nonperishable food for those in need. This includes pasta, rice, cereal, meat or fish in pouches, and canned vegetables, meats, and fruits.

Supervision is provided; parents are welcome to stay but are not required to do so. This event is open to all Warren County residents entering grades six through eight, whether they attend public or private school, or are homeschooled.  For more information, email wc@warrencoalition.org.

The Warren Coalition staff and Let’s Get Cheesy Committee faced their fair share of challenges leading up to their fundraiser, held on Friday June 6th at the North Warren Celebration Hall. During the week, unforeseen circumstances took the Coalition website down, but the staff cheerfully blamed cheese-seeking mice and borrowed the incredible block-built cat “Hobbes” from Play Favorites. Minor issues related to lighting and cooking were overcome fairly easily on Friday. But when Mother Nature brought a vicious storm through right before the event began, taking down a large tree that then blocked Rockland Court for over an hour—well, that challenge wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card.

Fortunately, no one was hurt, and everything that needed to be in place for the event to happen was already at the fire hall. A few of the guests had even made it to the event before the tree came down. After waiting a while for the tree to be cleared, some ticket holders chose to give up and headed home or to a nearby restaurant to wait. However, most persevered, parking along the road and then traipsing around the tree (in the soaking wet grass) to the fire hall.

Despite the soggy and potentially frustrating circumstances, the atmosphere was festive, and guests seemed delighted by the gorgeous charcuterie table, with cheeses from Happy Creek Cheeses and Dusty’s Country Store being guarded by Hobbes. Comfort food such as Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay biscuits, chicken and cheese empañadas from Garcia and Gavino, French mac and cheese from Savour by CRUSH, and lasagna from Anthony’s turned out to be the perfect menu for the wet, windy evening. The main course was rounded out by cheesy green bean casserole, seafood pizza, and Caesar salad provided by the Coalition. Cheesecake nachos from On Cue, cheesecake ice cream from C & C Frozen Treats, and cheesecake-filled strawberries graced the dessert table in turn. At the end of the night, after the votes were counted, the “Crowd Favorite” was the cheesecake ice cream from C& C Frozen Treats!

The guests, totaling 50 people, were encouraged to participate in crazy games, and while many preferred to watch rather than play, they all seemed to have a good time. One guest asserted that one of the games should come with a warning. “I laughed so hard I spit out my ice cream!” he complained good-naturedly.

The festivities were enhanced by the cheesy tunes from DJ Harold Chunn, the comedic commentary provided by M.C. Pam Foster, and a fun cheesy photo booth provided by In the Moment Photo Booth.

Thanks to the combination of a 50/50 raffle, auctions, sponsorships and ticket sales, Executive Director Christa Shifflett announced the net profit was about $5,700.

“Because this was a first-time event, we set our goal at $5,000, so we’re thrilled that we exceeded that,” she said. She added that the funds are going to the Coalition’s children’s programs: Project COURAGE, which equips kids to overcome trauma; HALO Read, the affiliate program of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library providing free books to kids aged 0-4; and various resilience-building events for youth and families.

“We couldn’t have reached our goal without the support of many businesses and individuals,” Shifflett said. “We are thankful for each and every one of them.” Those sponsors and supporters included:

“Rind Sponsors” ($500):
Jen Avery of Crum Realty, Inc.
Ellen Aders, State Farm Insurance
Warren County Veterinary Clinic
The Recovery Connection
Struckmann, White & Wisely PC

Wheel Sponsors ($250):
Harmony Hike
Auto Care Clinic, Inc.

Slice Sponsors ($100):
Charlie’s Auto Repair
Red Light Culinary Studio

Food Provided by:
Anthony’s Pizza
C & C Frozen Treats
Dusty’s Country Store
Garcia & Gavino
Happy Creek Cheeses
On Cue
Red Lobster
Savour by CRUSH

In-Kind Donations/Auction Items:
Aire Serv
Krista Beahm
Celeste & Kevin Brooks
Crush Wine Bar
Jeff Seese and Chelsey Foster (Chester Gap Cellars)
Front Royal Wines
Amanda and Whiticar Darvills (Fox Meadows Winery)
Holly Goode
Glen Manor Vineyards
Debbie Grove
Joyce Jenkins-Wimmer
Denise Hackney
Lori Howard
In the Moment Photo Booth
Tonia Meyer
Randy & Megan Morgan (Naked Mountain Winery & Vineyards)
Our Community Co-op Marketing
Lisa Parker
John Delmare, Kelly Knight, and Teres Delmare (Rappahannock Cellars)
Shelly Cook (Reitano Vineyards)
Gary & Elaine Roland
Shenandoah Caverns/American Celebration on Parade
Melissa Simmons
Skyline Caverns
Kay Schroyer
Christa Shifflett
Michelle Smeltzer
Stokes General Store
Target Corporation
The Vine & Leaf
White Picket Fence

A wrap-up meeting and follow-up survey to attendees confirmed: “Let’s Get Cheesy” will return in 2026!

Warren Coalition is a 501(c)3 established in 1994 to help fill the gaps in health care and substance misuse awareness to the community. It began under the guidance of Warren Memorial Hospital as an outreach project, but it has since grown and was incorporated in 2001.  The office is currently located in the Warren County Community Center.  Their mission is to make Warren County a safe, healthy, and drug free community through many programs and in collaboration with 15+ member agencies.

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On Friday, June 6^th, Warren Coalition will host a new fundraiser, “Let’s Get Cheesy,” providing an evening of incredible food combined with some ridiculous (in a good way) fun! The funds raised from the event will support Warren Coalition events and programs for kids and families. This includes Red Ribbon Week activities held in the middle schools, the HALO (Helping All Little Ones) Read program affiliated with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and activities designed to build resilience in kids and promote family togetherness.

This event won’t be just cheese and crackers—although unique and popular cheeses will certainly be included. Instead, the Coalition will have varying dishes based in delectable gooey cheesiness. Think French mac & cheese, lasagna, cheesy biscuits, Caesar salad, cheesecake nachos, cheesecake ice cream, and much more!

Leaning into the double entendre of “let’s get cheesy,” the event will also feature some crazy (a.k.a. cheesy) fun games, some of which will have attendees “cracker” up with laughter!  There will be contests such as “Name the Movie This Cheesy Line Is From,” and entertaining activities involving rubber chickens and goldfish crackers. There will be many other activities, but the Let’s Get Cheesy planning committee has declined to go into detail, saying that they don’t want to give too much away. However, they did add that this is an evening during which they want adults to relax and allow themselves to have some crazy fun—or at least laugh with the people who are brave enough to try! (And those brave souls will have a chance for some fantastic–or cheesy–prizes!)

Let’s Get Cheesy will be held at the North Warren Celebration Hall (North Warren Fire Station) at 6:30 pm on June 6^th. Please note: because this event includes wine and mead, it is only for people 21 and up. Tickets are $75 each until June 1st, and are on sale now at warrencoalition.org/cheesy. Only 100 tickets will be sold.

As this is a fundraiser, there will be a chance auction, a small silent auction, and a live auction featuring a vacation as well. Some of the “brie-lliant” items up for grabs include a hummingbird cake made by Debbie Grove, a cheesecake by Shane Goodwin, wine tastings from three different wineries, and gift cards to local restaurants. Thank you to Jen Avery of Crum Realty; Warren County Veterinary Clinic; Ellen Aders-State Farm Insurance; The Recovery Connection; Struckmann, White & Wiseley PC; Auto Care Clinic, Inc.; and Harmony Hike for sponsoring this event! Sponsorships and items for the auctions are still being accepted—the cheesier, the better (but cheese is not required)! If you are interested in sponsoring or donating an item, contact Celeste Brooks at celeste@warrencoalition.org for more information.