What We Do

Dear South Richmond Rotarians,

April 28, 2007 was a banner day for SRRC.  I am very happy to report that last Saturday more than 20 volunteers from our club dawned their glad rags and showed up with tools in hand to do their part for our Rebuilding Together project.  Rotarians were crawling all over the 2 story house in the Highland Park section of Richmond with an attitude of just "GIT-R-DONE".   At one time we were fixing steps, replacing window glass, rebuilding fences, fixing electrical problems, trimming trees, planting bushes, painting, fixing gutters and down spouts and more!  Yes, your humble prez was even replacing and fixing doors (with professional help, of course).  All of this in the midst of maximum harassment of each other, corny jokes and total chaos while Lee Crenshaw directed traffic.  We were all steady at it until Cervarich showed up with his rolling barbecue pit.  All work promptly stopped as Bob served up the best burgers and dogs you could eat.  The beer flowed of course which acts as construction lubricant.  Had a few volunteers cut a trail after lunch like rats deserting a sinking ship.yours truly was the lead rat (but my doors were complete).  All in all it was a fantastic day that allowed us to fill Mary Davis' house with the real spirit of Rotary...helping others.  We hope to meet Mrs. Davis in person at our lunch meeting next week.

I want to thank project chairman Daniel Adler for championing this event.  He stuck with the idea that he developed back in July and made sure that South Richmond Rotary had a community service program this year.  Great job, Daniel!

Dan

Riders for Readers Starts Kids Rolling in the Right Direction

Last Thursday Dr. Greg Kontopanos led a bunch of Rumblin' Rotarians to deliver books to children at Hopkins Elementary School .  This is the annual “Riders for Readers” program that encourages literacy with elementary aged students.  In addition to the excitement of the attention grabbing motorcycles,  the children are allowed to pick out books of their choosing and given neat looking tee-shirts to commemorate the day.  If you missed this heart lifting experience last week, you get a chance to join in the fun this Thursday, April 17.  Greg and his group are on the road again, this time headed to Falling Creek Elementary.  They'll leave Meadowbrook C.C. right after our meeting.  So “get your motor runnin'…get out on the highway” and participate in Riders for Readers.  You'll be glad that you did.

Velocity Motorcycles has developed a unique community partnership of motorcyclists, public schools and not for profit organizations which enables elementary schools which have a high proportion of at risk students to establish personal home libraries for their students, increasing opportunities for children to read and for family members to read to children.  Motorcycle and scooter riders visit elementary schools, bringing a wide selection of books for pleasure reading and event t-shirts for the students and faculty.  The riders talk to the students about their enjoyment of reading and about the books they have at home which they share with family members and friends.  The young readers are encouraged to begin their personal home libraries and develop an interest in pleasure reading.

Riders for Readers has conducted events at several Elementary Schools, the children museum of Richmond and an interstate experimental program in cooperation with the Arts Council of Manatee County Florida and is planning to conduct several more events in the very near future at other locations in the Richmond area.  In addition to sponsorship from multiple Rotary clubs in the Richmond area and the participation of Rotary Club members, these events have been conducted with help from Communities in Schools (the nation's largest dropout prevention program operating in more than 2500 schools across the country), Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Scholastic Literacy Partners, Youth Matters, Richmond BMW Riders, James River Vintage Riders, Supreme Ladies, Boys II Men, Cobra I, Cycle Kings, Velocity Motorcycles and the donations and participation of dozens of enthusiastic motorcyclists and other supporters.

Research indicates a correlation between poverty and low academic achievement. Students attending some elementary schools are at greater risk of not attaining the academic success of their peers. In comparison to the average, some of these schools serve three times as many single-parent families at or below the poverty level and three times as many students eligible for free or reduced cost lunches. In one third of the families served, parents have less than a high school education and are minimally involved in the educational process.

The response from the students, parents, teachers, and administrators has been dramatic. Knowing that someone outside their family or classroom would volunteer a few hours to bring free books has encouraged young readers to give thoughtful and often entertaining explanations for selecting certain books from the hundreds of titles brought to each event.  Funding for the first year of the program has come mainly from the Brandermill Rotary Club, South Richmond Rotary, Huguenot Trail Rotary and Velocity, with help from the Richmond BMW Riders and the G.E. College Bound program. Additional funds have come from pocket change donated throughout the year at Velocity Motorcycles which coordinated and hosts the events and stores the books.

Participating riders and their passengers donate a registration fee which offsets partially the cost of event T-shirt and books. Spectators and other supporters may buy shirts year round for fifteen dollars to support the program.  Riders for Readers is a tax exempt 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation looking for individual and corporate sponsors in order to involve more schools and bring books to more children this year. To learn how you can help and how your company can sponsor a Riders for Readers event, call or email Eric at Velocity 804-353-3456.

Fortune & Fun Auction Supports Burn Center

The Rotary Club of South Richmond held its annual fundraising event on February 9, 2007 to benefit local charities. Approximately 300 persons attended the auction at Willow Oaks Country Club. The “Fortune and Fun” Charity Auction offered bidders the opportunity to purchase exotic trips, excursions, specialty items and artwork.  South Richmond Rotary president, Dan Apple, said, “South Richmond Rotarians once again stepped up to the plate with their financial support, prize donations, time and

attendance. The event was ‘service above self' personified. “ 

The event was chaired by Hugh Cline and was organized to provide support to the Evans-Haynes Burn Center at VCU Medical Center.  On May 10, 2007 The Rotary Club of South Richmond presented their donation check in the amount of $28,200 to the Dr. Andrea Pozez, the director of the burn center.   For more information about the Evans-Haynes Burn Center at VCU, click on www.burncenter.vcu.edu .