REPORT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE
ACTIVITIES, JULY – DECEMBER 2002
JANUARY 31, 2003
Members
of the Club purchased and donated bottled water and Gatorade to benefit a local
food bank.
Number
of Members: 5. Man-hours:
10. Value of donations: $200
Beneficiary: Capital Area Food Bank, 6833 Park Hill
Drive, Lorton VA 22079, (703) 541-3063.
National
Kidney Foundation Chili Cookoff – September 21
The
Club entered four member-prepared chili recipes and one salsa recipe in Virginia’s
qualifying contest for the National Chili Society Championships, held in
Alexandria. In support of the regional
chapter of the Kidney Foundation, Club members in attendance cooked and served over
25 gallons of chili (at members’ own expense), served almost 2 gallons of
member-made salsa, and passed out tropical leis (for donations) for over 2,000
attendees of the day-long food and music festival. In addition, several Club members designed and set up a
20-foot-long, 6-foot-wide and 15-foot-high pirate ship in Oronoco Bay Park
along the banks of the Potomac River. The
Club was responsible for collecting $1,186 through the day, all of which is
donated to the Foundation. The Club was
awarded first place in both the Showmanship and People’s Choice contest, a
testament to team spirit. Service for
the day-long event began before 8am with setting up a cooking area, a serving
area and a display area for Club information, and lasted until materials were
packed up at 6:30. Over 40 competition
chilis and salsas were entered for judging; although no cooking awards were
won, it was an honor to participate in this event, which raised approximately $75,000.
Number
of members in attendance: 23. Man-hours:
160. Money raised: $1,186
Contact: National Kidney Foundation of National
Capital Area (www.kidneywdc.org);
Meredith Kirchner, (202) 244-7900.
Members
of the Club participated in a 5-mile recreational walk in Chevy Chase, MD to
help raise money for the regional chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation
of America, which raises research dollars for the study of Crohn’s disease and
ulcerative Colitis.
Number
of members: 10. Man-hours:
20. Money raised: $530.
Contact: Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (www.ccfa.org/chapters/washingtondc/);
Sarah Columbia, (703) 739-2548.
Alzheimer’s
Association Memory Walk - October 5
Members
of the Club participated in a celebration and a 5-mile recreational walk in
Fairfax, VA to help raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association
of the National Capital Area.
Number
of members: 24. Man-hours:
75. Money raised: $1,380 from registration fees and donations.
Contact: Alzheimers Association (www.alz-nca.org), Sandra Fields, (703)
359-4440.
Clothing
Drive – October and November
Club
members donated and collected used clothing and personal items for donation to
the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (men’s) and the Arlington
County Thrift Shop (women’s) for homeless and needy individuals.
Number
of members: 35. Man-hours:
50. Value of donations: approximately $1,500.
Turkey
Drive – November 23-24
In
response to a news report on a lack of turkeys received by the largest homeless
shelter and food kitchen in Washington within a week of Thanksgiving, Club members
organized a Turkey Drive to support them, so that needy individuals and
families would have food for a good holiday meal. Members solicited friends, businesses, local radio and local
television stations for support of the food collections, which took place over
the course of a weekend in Northern Virginia.
Members’ efforts led to the collection and donation of over 160 frozen turkeys and 1,000 pounds of additional food and
drinks over two days. Each day’s
collections were delivered to the food bank.
Number
of members: 24. Man-hours:
120. Value of donations: approximately $2,000.
Contact: Community for Creative Non-Violence and D.C.
Central Kitchen, Terri Bishop, ccnv@erols.com.
Holiday
Food Drive – November & December
Members
purchased, collected and donated an additional 90 pounds of canned goods for
Northern Virginia’s Capital Area Food Bank.
Number
of members: 15. Man-hours:
10. Value of donations: approximately $150
U.S.
Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Campaign – December
Members
collected and donated over 100 toys for distribution to needy individuals and
families in the area.
Number
of members: 15. Man-hours:
10. Value of donations: approximately $300.
Tropical
Voyage New Year’s Eve Cruise – December 31
Members
began planning in July for the Club’s 3rd Annual New Year’s Eve
Cruise, which was held on the Cherry Blossom, a Mississippi-River-style
paddlewheel steamship, in Alexandria VA.
The benefit event, which raised $4,900, was attended by 240 members and
friends of the Club. Advertising for
the event began in September through ads on our website, in local newspapers,
on internet sites and with businesses in the area. Two tropical music bands from the area were booked in
August. The food menu was finalized
with the caterer in August. A pre-trip
party was held at a hotel near the dock, which offered discounted room rates
for cruise guests, offered their lounge for a welcome party, paid for a local
guitarist to play, provided the use of shuttle vans to transport guests to the
dock, provided a substantial breakfast buffet, and granted guests late afternoon
checkout privileges. Decorations for
the boat were purchased, reservations were taken and collected, raffle
activities were organized, and guests were treated to a 3-hour party and a
4-hour cruise that everyone enjoyed.
Proceeds are scheduled for donation to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in
February 2003.
Number
of members: 70. Man-hours:
350. Money raised: $4,900.
Contact: Chesapeake Bay Foundation (www.cbf.org), Elizabeth Buckman, (410) 261-2036.