2020 Summer Shipp
Family Newsletter

Kelley Cain was playing in the Women's Chinese Basketball League (WCBL) in Daqing, China. Daqing is in Northeastern China - near Russia. News broke about COVID-19 in Central China during her team's mid-season break in January. Fearing the possibility that she would be unable to leave China if she remained until the end of the break, Kelley and her agent requested an immediate release so she could return home to Atlanta. Because the WKBL had not faced a pandemic previously, it took a few days of contract negotiations before her release and travel plans were finalized. Family and friends were ecstatic and very thankful when she texted that she was on her way home. Her return trip consisted of several legs and even an overnight stay; however, Kelley safely arrived in Atlanta on January 27th.

Dr. Minda Harris Reed and Rojah Reed are expecting Baby Jaxon Harris Reed this month and are taking advantage of the extra time at home to prepare the nursery and enjoy quality time together before two becomes three!!

Clarence Sr. and Peggy Harris are still quarantining at home in New Jersey and finding new shows to watch on Netflix. They are praising God for a successful surgery that removed Clarence's recently diagnosed lung cancer. Fortunately, it was caught early through screening. They encourage the family to take care of themselves and prioritize their health! Please keep Clarence in prayer as he prepares to begin chemotherapy later this month.

Darrian Harris is a proud 2020 graduate of Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Health & Society. He is looking to pursue a military career as an officer and is currently exploring his options.

Rachel Peters just finished her junior year of high school. Despite the challenges of a pandemic, she ended the year with a 4.4 GPA for the final quarter. Though her volleyball season ended early, she is already thinking ahead to college and has been meeting with coaches from several universities about their interest in her joining their teams.

Clarence Harris Jr. is jogging to maintain his fitness and take much needed breaks from his studies to become a network/cyber security specialist.

When the world was still somewhat normal, Dr. Laurie Walker went to Cuba for Spring Break. There is little to no internet access in Cuba, so news of the spread did not reach her. Upon her return, everyone was wearing face masks and her job had transitioned from face-to-face instruction to 100% online instruction. Though the changes were challenging, she remains thankful she was able to continue working.

At the 2018 reunion in Columbus, many of us noted the deterioration of Porterdale Cemetery. While we cannot fix the whole cemetery, we can do something about the family plot. The walls around the plot need to be replaced. All of this costs money and every little bit helps. If you are interested in helping, please contact Laurie Walker.