COLUMBIANA- The Columbiana Mayor’s Breakfast was held at Columbiana United Methodist Church on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 a.m. Mayor Stancil Handley said the event served as a way to raise funds for the Greater Alabama Council of Boy Scouts of America and honor a notable person from the community.

Handley said Boy Scouts troops are important and have contributed to the community in a multitude of ways.

“As you travel through town, you’ll see a lot of beautiful things. Eighty percent of them are Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts projects,” Handley said. “Many of the people here are on the payroll for the Greater Alabama Council, and they are what makes this engine run. It takes money to do that.”

Handley announced $6,000 was raised for the Greater Alabama Council of Boy Scouts. Greater Alabama Council District Executive Jay Ellison said the money will be used to help troops and individual scouts in Shelby County.

“The money is going to be used for camps, for scholarships and for kids in the county who do not have the means to go to camp,” Ellison said. “All of it is going to go to the boys, and the money raised here is going to stay in this county.”

Greater Alabama Council Field Director Carson Comer expressed her gratitude for the county’s help in continuing Boy Scouts programs.

“We’re lucky to have the support of Shelby County for Boy Scouts. It’s a wonderful area,” Comer said.

Columbiana native Mike Hill, who was appointed as the Superintendent of the Alabama State Banking Department in July 2016, was recognized.

“Mike is a native son. He has served his county his whole life. He served in the Alabama Legislature for 29 years, and just recently left to become the Superintendent,” Handley said. “We’re proud of him and his accomplishments, and we like to brag about it.”

Hill said he it felt great to be back in Columbiana. Hill was a member of Troop 560 for eight years, and later served as a senior scoutmaster when he was in his last year of high school.

“It feels so good to be honored by my hometown. I love this community, and I love the Boy Scouts, so it worked out well for me,” Hill said. “As a senior scoutmaster, I helped the scoutmaster patrol and show the kids what to do. One of my biggest honors in the Legislature was preparing resolutions for Eagle Scouts.”