In a community that continues to struggle economically and to wrestle with such major issues as school renovation, jail construction, water and sewer extension to Patrick Springs, and other expensive propositions, the Patrick County Music Association (PCMA) is one of many good things Patrick County has going for it. In its 5-year history, the PCMA has become one of the most popular entertainment venues in the history of the county and a key player in the effort to develop the county's tourist economy.
On Saturday night, Jan. 26th, the PCMA attracted an estimated 1,400 people to its January jamboree, almost filling the large exhibit building at Rotary Field in Stuart. PCMA shows each month provide good wholesome down home musical entertainment and fellowship for local residents. These jamborees have also proved to be just as popular with folks outside the area. A sizeable portion of the crowds that attend PCMA shows each month come to Patrick County from the surrounding region, other states, and, occasionally, even foreign countries. These gospel and bluegrass music enthusiasts are always treated to top quality musical talent that some folks have said can't even be matched in Nashville, Branson, or other music capitals. Thanks to the fact that a corps of the most talented musicians in the world who call Patrick and surrounding counties home are willing to donated their time and talents and the PCMA's many corporate and individual supporters, these shows can be presented free to the public. When it comes to promoting tourism in Patrick County, the PCMA, along with popular private venues such as Dominion Valley Park and Wayside Park, are at the forefront.
Not only does the PCMA attract local residents and tourists to its shows, it helps to support an array of non-profit organizations and churches in our community who regularly use the music association as vendors to raise funds to operate their essential programs in our community. Funds raised through concession sales at PCMA events are the lifeblood of many non-profits who provide invaluable services to our local citizens. For example, during the January PCMA Jamboree, Patrick County's American Cancer Society Relay for Life teams raised over $1,400 to help fight cancer in our community through the sale of food and beverages. The Patrick County Partnership for the Arts made over $70 to help promote the arts and music in our schools and the community by selling popcorn ($1 per bag). The music association also collected donations to assist the Vernon Harris family which recently lost all their belongings in a fire that destroyed their home. A total of $625 in money donated by concerned citizens attending the show was given to a grateful Vernon and Linda Harris at the end of the evening. The Patrick County Community Food Bank was also on hand to collect donations to help relieve hunger in our community and to inform the public about the hunger crisis in our community. Many other local organizations also partner with the PCMA in their effort to raise funds, including Hospice of Patrick County, the Patrick County High School Athletic Boosters, the Stuart Volunteer Fire Department, the Girls Scouts, and many others. What a win/win situation for all these organizations and individuals and the music association itself.
I am not advocating that Patrick County donate public money to help support the Patrick County Music Association. Right now we have too many other critical budgetary needs in Patrick County. I am, however, hopeful that the new board of supervisors will realize what a great asset the county has in the PCMA and give it the respect that it deserves as one important component in the county's overall economic development program as it relates to tourism. I am also hopeful that the board will be supportive of efforts by PCMA to secure grant funding from various sources to further its operations and ultimately to obtain a permanent home that is so desperately needed. I commend Peters Creek Districk Supervisor Lock Boyce who regularly attends PCMA shows as an avid supporter of one the organization and its corps of faithful volunteers who serve so tirelessly for free and out of a genuine love for our county! I extend my prsonal invitation to other members of the board of supervisors and citizens throughout the community who are unfamiliar with the PCMA to attend the monthly shows and see what a good thing we have going on in our community.
In addition to the PCMA, I would also like to reiterate my enthusiastic support for other great entertainment venues in Patrick County. I am eager to support, to promote, to attend, and to emcee events at Dominion Valley Park, Wayside Park, and the myriad of festivals spread throughout the year that are so important to our comunity. Together, these are all good things going on in our community that make Patrick County such a wonderful place in which to live and an increasingly attractive place for tourists to enjoy and to spend their money.
Blessed to live in "God's Country,"
Richard Rogers
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Celebrate...Remember....and Fight Back!
"We live in the 'Bible Belt,' and we also live in a "Cancer Belt," said Relay for Life volunteer and cancer survivor Garland Cockram at the recent kickoff of the 2008 American Cancer Society Relay for Life Campaign in Patrick County. Cockram noted that his church, Woolwine United Methodist Church, has recently lost 3 of its members to cancer. "We have to fight this thing," he added with determination. Garland is right! It seems that the incidence of cancer in our community is rising rapidly, and it is time once again to do something about it.
This statistic is numbing. One of every three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Even if you are one of the two lucky ones who are fortunate enought to remain cancer free, almost certainly a loved one or dear friend of yours will have hear the chilling words, "you have cancer." Cancer affects us all in some way, shape, form, or fashion. It is time to "fight back" and come together as a community to do our part in the effort to wipe out this dreaded disease.
The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life cancer crusade in Patrick County is underway as teams of volunteers throughout our community hold fund-raising events to raise money to fund the research that it will take to find a cure and to provide vital services to cancer patients and their faithful caregivers in our community. The theme of the 2008 Relay for Life drive is "Celebrate...Remember...and Fight Back! Please join the fight against cancer locally, and "celebrate" the lives of our many cancer survivors and caregivers who serve as an example of courage and determination to us all; "remember" those who have fought so galantly but have lost their lives to cancer and in whose memory we battle for a cure; and "fight back" against cancer so that our children and grandchildren and succeeding generations can enjoy their lives free of this killing scourge.
You can "fight back" against cancer in many ways here in Patrick County. Please join one of the existing relay teams which have been formed by individuals, churches, businesses, schools, civic organizations, government agencies, and other groups in our community. Better yet, start a new team by recruiting your friends, colleagues, peers, and neighbors as members and plan some activities to raise funds and to educate the community about cancer prevention. Be creative! You can also "fight back" by supporting the fund-raising efforts of other teams (car washes; spaghetti dinners; bake and yard sales; and any number of other events that could be used to raise money for this cause). The goal for the 2008 Relay for Life fund drive in Patrick County is $52,050, which American Cancer Society Community Manager Robin Minter called "very attainable." With your involvement and just a little bit of work by everyone, we can far exceed that goal and even top our $62,000 plus record total of last year.
One of the first fund-raisers of the 2008 cancer crusade here will take place Saturday, Jan. 26th when "Relay for Life" volunteers will provide the concessions at the Patrick County Music Associaiton Jamboree at Rotary Field, Stuart. Doors open at 4 p.m. We will be serving hamburgers, hotdogs, chips or fries, barbecue, grilled chicken, along with homemade desserts and soft drinks, bottled water, coffee, hot chocolate, and Russian tea. Come hungry and enjoy the food, fellowship, and down home music.
Also mark your calendars for Friday, May 16, when WHEO radio's Relay for Life team, the Kilowatts for a Cure, presents "12 Hours for A Cure," the second annual radio-thon to raise funds to fight cancer. Last year's radio-thon...a day long event featuring live music by local artists and interviews with cancer survivors....raised well over $17,000. I think we can reach $20,000 this year with your help. Musicians that would like to perform during the radio-thon may call me at 694-3114 to schedule a time to perform on the radio. The radio-thon will be followed by the annual Relay for Life event on Sat., May 17th at Dehart Park in Stuart, a touching family-oriented event that everyone will enjoy.
The most important way that you can support the Relay for Life cancer crusade in our community is to pray for the event, for the many Relayers, the volunteers who devote their time and energy for this wonderful cause, for the teams that are participating, and for the researchers who are continuing the search for a cure that is being funded by dollars raised here in our community.
Not only does Relay for Life money go to research for a cancer cure, it benefits many cancer patients and caregivers in our community through programs and services that are available to help them. One such program is "Road to Recovery" that is available to any cancer patient undergoing treatment. Volunteers provide free transportation for cancer patients to and from their treatment appointments. Another such program funded by dollars raised by Patrick County Relayers is "Look Good...Feel Better" which benefits female cancer patients. This program teaches beauty techniques to women undergoing treatment to help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatments. "Reach to Recovery" provides one-on-one visitation for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Trained breast cancer survivors offer support and information. "Man to Man" is a program for prostate cancer patients. This is an education and support group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their loved ones. It offers information about cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management of prostate cancer. "Dietician-on-Call" is available to cancer patients, family members, caregivers, and health professionals and provides nutritional information regarding the management of cancer treatment side effects. The "Cancer Survivor's Network" provides an outlet to cope with the challenges and emotions of living with cancer. Patients, survivors, and caregivers can join and network with others going through similar experiences from around the world.
Those are just some of the good things that are possible because of our involvement in the fight against cancer in our own community. Won't you get involved! Please join me and others who are passionate about defeating cancer and "Celebrate...Remember...and Fight Back"! For information on how you can get involved in in the war on cancer in our community, call me at (276) 694-3114 or call 1-800-ACS-2345, or visit www.cancer.org. Let's get "ready to Relay". It is going to be a banner year in the fight to eradicate cancer from the face of the earth.
I am personally involved in the fight against cancer in loving memory of my wife Sandra Merritt Rogers, who passed away on July 25, 2006, after a long and courageous fight against cancer. Her struggle against cancer was not in vain because she serves as an example of courage, grace, and love that inspires me to "fight back"! What is your reason for getting involved, a spouse, a child, your family, for everyone in the community, for whom or what? Please consider why you too should "fight back" and join me as a Relay for Life volunteer crusader.
May God bless our efforts to make a way for a cancer-free tomorrow!
Kilowatt for a Cure,
Richard Rogers
This statistic is numbing. One of every three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Even if you are one of the two lucky ones who are fortunate enought to remain cancer free, almost certainly a loved one or dear friend of yours will have hear the chilling words, "you have cancer." Cancer affects us all in some way, shape, form, or fashion. It is time to "fight back" and come together as a community to do our part in the effort to wipe out this dreaded disease.
The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life cancer crusade in Patrick County is underway as teams of volunteers throughout our community hold fund-raising events to raise money to fund the research that it will take to find a cure and to provide vital services to cancer patients and their faithful caregivers in our community. The theme of the 2008 Relay for Life drive is "Celebrate...Remember...and Fight Back! Please join the fight against cancer locally, and "celebrate" the lives of our many cancer survivors and caregivers who serve as an example of courage and determination to us all; "remember" those who have fought so galantly but have lost their lives to cancer and in whose memory we battle for a cure; and "fight back" against cancer so that our children and grandchildren and succeeding generations can enjoy their lives free of this killing scourge.
You can "fight back" against cancer in many ways here in Patrick County. Please join one of the existing relay teams which have been formed by individuals, churches, businesses, schools, civic organizations, government agencies, and other groups in our community. Better yet, start a new team by recruiting your friends, colleagues, peers, and neighbors as members and plan some activities to raise funds and to educate the community about cancer prevention. Be creative! You can also "fight back" by supporting the fund-raising efforts of other teams (car washes; spaghetti dinners; bake and yard sales; and any number of other events that could be used to raise money for this cause). The goal for the 2008 Relay for Life fund drive in Patrick County is $52,050, which American Cancer Society Community Manager Robin Minter called "very attainable." With your involvement and just a little bit of work by everyone, we can far exceed that goal and even top our $62,000 plus record total of last year.
One of the first fund-raisers of the 2008 cancer crusade here will take place Saturday, Jan. 26th when "Relay for Life" volunteers will provide the concessions at the Patrick County Music Associaiton Jamboree at Rotary Field, Stuart. Doors open at 4 p.m. We will be serving hamburgers, hotdogs, chips or fries, barbecue, grilled chicken, along with homemade desserts and soft drinks, bottled water, coffee, hot chocolate, and Russian tea. Come hungry and enjoy the food, fellowship, and down home music.
Also mark your calendars for Friday, May 16, when WHEO radio's Relay for Life team, the Kilowatts for a Cure, presents "12 Hours for A Cure," the second annual radio-thon to raise funds to fight cancer. Last year's radio-thon...a day long event featuring live music by local artists and interviews with cancer survivors....raised well over $17,000. I think we can reach $20,000 this year with your help. Musicians that would like to perform during the radio-thon may call me at 694-3114 to schedule a time to perform on the radio. The radio-thon will be followed by the annual Relay for Life event on Sat., May 17th at Dehart Park in Stuart, a touching family-oriented event that everyone will enjoy.
The most important way that you can support the Relay for Life cancer crusade in our community is to pray for the event, for the many Relayers, the volunteers who devote their time and energy for this wonderful cause, for the teams that are participating, and for the researchers who are continuing the search for a cure that is being funded by dollars raised here in our community.
Not only does Relay for Life money go to research for a cancer cure, it benefits many cancer patients and caregivers in our community through programs and services that are available to help them. One such program is "Road to Recovery" that is available to any cancer patient undergoing treatment. Volunteers provide free transportation for cancer patients to and from their treatment appointments. Another such program funded by dollars raised by Patrick County Relayers is "Look Good...Feel Better" which benefits female cancer patients. This program teaches beauty techniques to women undergoing treatment to help them combat the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatments. "Reach to Recovery" provides one-on-one visitation for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Trained breast cancer survivors offer support and information. "Man to Man" is a program for prostate cancer patients. This is an education and support group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their loved ones. It offers information about cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management of prostate cancer. "Dietician-on-Call" is available to cancer patients, family members, caregivers, and health professionals and provides nutritional information regarding the management of cancer treatment side effects. The "Cancer Survivor's Network" provides an outlet to cope with the challenges and emotions of living with cancer. Patients, survivors, and caregivers can join and network with others going through similar experiences from around the world.
Those are just some of the good things that are possible because of our involvement in the fight against cancer in our own community. Won't you get involved! Please join me and others who are passionate about defeating cancer and "Celebrate...Remember...and Fight Back"! For information on how you can get involved in in the war on cancer in our community, call me at (276) 694-3114 or call 1-800-ACS-2345, or visit www.cancer.org. Let's get "ready to Relay". It is going to be a banner year in the fight to eradicate cancer from the face of the earth.
I am personally involved in the fight against cancer in loving memory of my wife Sandra Merritt Rogers, who passed away on July 25, 2006, after a long and courageous fight against cancer. Her struggle against cancer was not in vain because she serves as an example of courage, grace, and love that inspires me to "fight back"! What is your reason for getting involved, a spouse, a child, your family, for everyone in the community, for whom or what? Please consider why you too should "fight back" and join me as a Relay for Life volunteer crusader.
May God bless our efforts to make a way for a cancer-free tomorrow!
Kilowatt for a Cure,
Richard Rogers
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