Winter's bite has been made a lot less bitter thanks to the efforts of a special program at Clay Central/Everly Elementary.

Staff members last year spearheaded the creation of Maverick Missions, which raises money to purchase various items for local families in need. According to Director of Student Services Michelle Huntress, staff noticed children had needs that were hard for some families to meet when the weather turned cold. They wanted to do something about it, and thus Maverick Missions was formed.

"Boots and snow pants can be very expensive items that need to be replaced often as chi...