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RivahFest Community Grants 2011
RivahFest Grants 2009-2011
RivahFest Grants 2010
RivahFest Community Partnerships 2009
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RivahFest Supports Red Cross with a Community Grant |
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 Above: RivahFest Steering Committee presents a $500 grant to the American Red Cross River Counties Chapter. From left to right: Rick Stott, Jennifer Stott Edwards (Essex County American Red Cross representative), Elizabeth Franklin (RivahFest Co-Chair 2009-2011), Julie Dudley (Executive Director, ARC River Counties Chapter), Judy Brown (ARC Disaster Coordinator), Will Franklin, and Joey Reinhardt (RivahFest Steering Committee). Tappahannock, VA (October 4, 2011) – RivahFest Steering Committee announces the fourth 2011 grant in a continuing series of partnering with local community organizations. The organization selected as recipient of the $500 grant is the American Red Cross River Counties Chapter headed up by Executive Director Julie Dudley and within Essex County by Jennifer Stott Edwards. The American Red Cross River Counties Chapter provides disaster and armed forces emergency services, health and safety education and blood services to five counties – Essex, Lancaster, Middlesex, Richmond & Westmoreland -- in the Middle and Northern Neck. Staffed by volunteers, 14 are trained in shelter management, 3 are trained as disaster action team responders, and a further 3 are experts in disaster assessment, and by necessity are always ready to operate at a moment’s notice. During the last year, the River Counties Red Cross team have responded to the Deltaville tornado, a major disaster in our area, with several families sheltered and financially assisted. One of the ongoing constants is to respond to single family home house fires -- some 2 to 3 fires in Essex County annually, typically as many as 3 dozen throughout the River Counties -- working with fire department, police and Social Services, the Red Cross provides food, clothing, financial and accommodation resources and expert coordination. As with most volunteer organization in the area, the River Counties Red Cross is short on funding, needs more fundraising volunteers and disaster volunteers. Typically the average cost of training runs $300 per class and assistance to a family devastated by a house fire requires over $1,000 per incident. Sharon James, incoming RivahFest 2012/13 Co-Chair and Essex Bank Vice-President commented “At last there is a great deal of satisfaction that RivahFest can begin to return some of the surpluses to the community in a meaningful way. In the early years RivahFest struggled to become self-supporting. Today, through our community grants program, we can make significant gifts to organizations and improve the lives of our county’s residents”. Kristen Morris, another Essex Bank employee and RivahFest 2012/13 Co-Chair, added “Community grants is a win-win project for the RivahFest volunteers – they have a lot of enjoyment from organizing a really fun festival day that puts Tappahannock on the Virginia map, and then we turn around and have the satisfaction of using the RivahFest proceeds to directly improve other people’s lives”. The next RivahFest is scheduled for Saturday, June 18, 2016. The 2015 RivahFest steering committee manages over 500 volunteers from the community and welcomes new help either the day of the festival, or, more importantly, in the winter and spring planning stages. The steering committee is continuously working throughout the year on new projects and improvements to the event and brings together a varied and talented skill set including Thomas Bradshaw (Entertainment), David Broad (Promotion & Website), Terry Brooks (Arts & Crafts), John Clickener (Treasurer), Kevin Dolan (Past Chair), Elizabeth Franklin (Past Chair), Rebecca Hubert (Sponsorship), Jeff James (Planning & Liaison), Sharon James (Co-Chair 2012/13), Kristen Morris (Co-Chair 2012/13 & Tastes of Tappahannock), Katherine Newman (Past Co-Chair) and Joey Reinhardt (Publications). For more information about Tappahannock-Essex RivahFest contact David Broad at 804-443-9000 - if you want to be part of the RivahFest activities planning team contact Katherine Newman / Elizabeth Franklin at EVB 804-443-4333 or Sharon James / Kristen Morris at Essex Bank 804-443-4343. Read more on How to Apply for a RivahFest Grant |
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