The great American game of baseball has certainly been tainted by the steroid scandal this past winter, but, as spring training approaches and a new season looms on the horizon, die-hard baseball fans like me tend to forget the game's negatives (the cheating, exorbitant salaries, an influx of foreign players, etc.) as the warmth of spring and summer rekindles our passion for this game that many of us grew up playing in backyards, playgrounds, and cowpastures. Despite the game's many problems and its apparent decline in popularity relative to professional and college football, collegiate basketball, NASCAR auto racing, and perhaps other sports, there is something about baseball that is truly special. Like ballpark hotdogs and mom's apple pie, it is part of the fabric of American life and a sport that is still to be revered as our National Pastime, in my humble opinion.
Baseball has always been a strong and popular sport in Patrick County, which has become noted for its outstanding youth baseball program over the years. We are quickly gaining respect in football, basketball, soccer, and other school sports here, but Patrick County has always excelled in baseball. This athletic reality stems from the fact that the baseball progam has been developed in our county from the ground up. We have an outstanding recreational program that allows youngsters to play baseball (and related games) at an early age and to develop sound fundamentals taught by first-rate coaches, parents, and citizens who are highly involved in the positive physical, mental, and spiritual development of our children.
One great example of the stellar baseball program that exists in Patrick County is the Virginia Tribe, the traveling Triple A baseball team for 14 year olds in our community. This team is comprised of many talented young Patrick County baseball players who have been playing together for much of their young lives. In fact, assistant coach Michael Hall, said some of the current members of this team have played together for 6 years. He added that six Virginia Tribe teammates had the unforgettable experience of playing together as a team that went to the Dixie Youth World Series several years ago. Members of the Virginia Tribe have developed such a close relationship over their years playing together that they consider themselves "brothers." In fact, Hall said team members often wear t-shirts stating that they are "Tribal Brothers."
These years of playing together as a team has certainly paid off. Hall said the Virginia Tribe is ranked #1 among 14-year-old Triple A teams in Virginia and #11 in the United States of America in its category. The team travels around the region participating in tournaments in North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and other states. The Tribe will begin the 2008 season on Mar. 15th when it competes in a tournament in Greensboro, NC. Last fall, the team compiled a 20-5 record, winning tournament after tournament. The coaching staff includes assistants Michael Hall and Don Durham and head coach David Ratliff. These outstanding achievements are remarkable accomplishments in which our whole community can take great pride and draw inspiration.
The baseball program (and other youth sports programs, for that matter) in Patrick County are about much more than just athletics. Virginia Tribe assistant coach Michael Hall noted that many valuable lessons are taught on the baseball diamond. "Many life lessons are learned on the baseball field," said Hall. These include teamwork, sportsmanship, fair play, integrity, responsibility, and countless other lessons that will benefit these young ball players for a lifetime in all walks of life.
I commend the Virginia Tribe and its players, coaches, fans, and community supporters, individual and corporate. I urge our community to rally around the team as it begins what should be another championship season. As young ambassadors for our county, members of this team have generated great community pride and inspired Patrick Countians with many uplifting moments over their years of playing baseball and learning the lessons of life together.
Play ball!
Richard
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A 95-Years-Young Community Treasure!
One of Patrick County's most beloved citizens, Mrs. G.I. McGhee, was honored by the Patrick Springs community and citizens throughout Patrick and surrounding counties on her 95th birthday, Saturday, February 16th. The guest of honor at a gala birthday celebration, Ms. Etta McGhee, smiling and full of life, greeted hundreds of friends, admirers, and family members during a reception in the new Ministry Center at her beloved Patrick Springs Pentecostal Holiness Church Saturday afternoon. Earlier in the day, she had received a buttered nose from owner Denny Alley during a family birthday breakfast at the Coffee Break Cafe in Stuart.
Ms. McGhee received a tablefull of gifts and cards from citizens who enjoyed family fellowship, food, birthday cake, and a video highlighting some of Ms. McGhee's memorable moments as they joined in celebrating her remarkable life. On display in the spacious new Ministry Center were many of the handmade quilts that Ms. McGhee to which she has devoted countless hours and her enormous talents. I was proud to be among the many folks who honored Mrs. McGhee on this very special occasion.
Ms. McGhee joined Patrick Springs Pentecostal Holiness Church when it was founded in an old garage in 1943. Today, it is one of the largest churches in Patrick County having recently dedicated a new multi-purpose Ministry Center. Ms. McGhee and Ms. Ruth Martin are the only two surviving charter members of the church. Her husband, the late G.I. McGhee, and her brother Elmo Hopkins, served as the first pastors of the church of which she is so proud.
Ms. McGhee brought up her 7 children in the church. "That's the first place I carried them was to church, and they didn't know anything but to go to church," she said of her children during a recent interview. Ms. McGhee's 7 children are (from oldest to youngest): Gerald, Pearlie, Elaine, Naomi, Nadine, David, and Tommy. David and Tommy McGhee, the two youngest, both followed in their father's footsteps and became ministers. Bishop Tommy McGhee serves as the conference superintendent of the church.
Ms. McGhee is truly proud of her family, her church, and her community. "There's no place any better than Patrick Springs," she said.
At 95, Ms. McGhee still leads a relatively active life and is full of playful humor and good cheer. In fact, she recently renewed her driver's license for another 5 years. Happy motoring well into your 100s, my dear lady!
What is her secret to her long long life? "Just keep going. Keep going, keeps you going," Ms. McGhee told me in our interview. I wish her many more happy and productive years of life. Ms. G.I. (Etta) McGhee is truly an inspiration to her family, friends, church, community, and to the many near and far who have come to know and to love her dearly. I am among her many admirers. Happy 95th birthday to my friend, Ms. Etta McGhee, and many happy returns of that blessed day. God bless this dear lady and community treasure!
I celebrated my 57th birthday the day before Ms. McGhee's birthday. It was one of the happiest I've ever had thanks to my radio listeners who called in on my show to wish me a happy birthday and sent cards and gifts of all sorts. During my birthday show (along with my frequent radio co-host Vernon Harris) on Fri., Feb. 15th, I received a beautiful birthday cake from my friend Faye Staples, a tasty heart-shaped cake from Amy Fain and her mother Ann Burnette, a half of a beehive cake from Wanda Ayers Slate of Wanda's Jewelry, as well as sweet treats from my friends Cheryl Gunter and Phyllis Eastridge. Thanks to these and to many others for your birthday cards and your many kind words and deeds as I began a new year in my life. Please pray that God will continue to bless me with the opportunity to serve these beloved listeners, our caring citizens, and this wonderful county that we affectionately call "God's Country" on WHEO for many years to come. Thanks again for your kindness; I love you Patrick County!
Still "cuttin' the mustard",
You friend, Richard
Ms. McGhee received a tablefull of gifts and cards from citizens who enjoyed family fellowship, food, birthday cake, and a video highlighting some of Ms. McGhee's memorable moments as they joined in celebrating her remarkable life. On display in the spacious new Ministry Center were many of the handmade quilts that Ms. McGhee to which she has devoted countless hours and her enormous talents. I was proud to be among the many folks who honored Mrs. McGhee on this very special occasion.
Ms. McGhee joined Patrick Springs Pentecostal Holiness Church when it was founded in an old garage in 1943. Today, it is one of the largest churches in Patrick County having recently dedicated a new multi-purpose Ministry Center. Ms. McGhee and Ms. Ruth Martin are the only two surviving charter members of the church. Her husband, the late G.I. McGhee, and her brother Elmo Hopkins, served as the first pastors of the church of which she is so proud.
Ms. McGhee brought up her 7 children in the church. "That's the first place I carried them was to church, and they didn't know anything but to go to church," she said of her children during a recent interview. Ms. McGhee's 7 children are (from oldest to youngest): Gerald, Pearlie, Elaine, Naomi, Nadine, David, and Tommy. David and Tommy McGhee, the two youngest, both followed in their father's footsteps and became ministers. Bishop Tommy McGhee serves as the conference superintendent of the church.
Ms. McGhee is truly proud of her family, her church, and her community. "There's no place any better than Patrick Springs," she said.
At 95, Ms. McGhee still leads a relatively active life and is full of playful humor and good cheer. In fact, she recently renewed her driver's license for another 5 years. Happy motoring well into your 100s, my dear lady!
What is her secret to her long long life? "Just keep going. Keep going, keeps you going," Ms. McGhee told me in our interview. I wish her many more happy and productive years of life. Ms. G.I. (Etta) McGhee is truly an inspiration to her family, friends, church, community, and to the many near and far who have come to know and to love her dearly. I am among her many admirers. Happy 95th birthday to my friend, Ms. Etta McGhee, and many happy returns of that blessed day. God bless this dear lady and community treasure!
I celebrated my 57th birthday the day before Ms. McGhee's birthday. It was one of the happiest I've ever had thanks to my radio listeners who called in on my show to wish me a happy birthday and sent cards and gifts of all sorts. During my birthday show (along with my frequent radio co-host Vernon Harris) on Fri., Feb. 15th, I received a beautiful birthday cake from my friend Faye Staples, a tasty heart-shaped cake from Amy Fain and her mother Ann Burnette, a half of a beehive cake from Wanda Ayers Slate of Wanda's Jewelry, as well as sweet treats from my friends Cheryl Gunter and Phyllis Eastridge. Thanks to these and to many others for your birthday cards and your many kind words and deeds as I began a new year in my life. Please pray that God will continue to bless me with the opportunity to serve these beloved listeners, our caring citizens, and this wonderful county that we affectionately call "God's Country" on WHEO for many years to come. Thanks again for your kindness; I love you Patrick County!
Still "cuttin' the mustard",
You friend, Richard
Saturday, February 9, 2008
God Bless Brandon
The story of little Brandon Dillon...the 6-year-old Stuart boy who is courageously battling an acute form of leukemia...has captured the hearts of citizens in our community in recent months. Our continued prayers are especially needed now as Brandon battles for his life at Brenner's Children's Hospital at Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winston-Salem.
Here is an update on Brandon's condition based on an email from Stuart Elementary School teacher Taryn Scruggs that was forwarded to me by Kathy Conner on Friday afternoon, Feb. 8, 2008. According to the email, Ms. Scruggs had just talked to Brandon's mother, Tammy Dillon, who also has a less severe form of leukemia, prior to sending the 1:48 p.m. email. Ms. Scruggs said that Brandon's blood counts are too low right now for doctors to continue chemotherapy treatments. Since Brandon is behind on his treatments, there is an immediate "pressing need" to stabilize his blood, so that chemo can resume. Ms. Scruggs email added "The doctor said the bone marrow transplant was his only/last hope, and it can't be done until the cells are burned out through chemo." Brandon is on morphine for the intense pain resulting from his condition. Brandon is scheduled for another treatment on Tuesday if his blood counts are up. Let's pray that God will strengthen Brandon and work through him to accomplish his Divine will.
Brandon is in need of a bone marrow transplant that doctors hope will prolong his life. Brandon's 8-year-old sister Tiffany is the potential donor for the transplant. According to Ms. Scrugg's email Tiffany has a video and book about her prt in the transplant process, and is well informed on what is going on.
Brandon is one of three children with cancer or rare disease who are being served by a new faith-based, non-profit organization known as "Faith for the Miracle." This group, founded by Tammy Bowman and Jane McAlexander, is planning several upcoming fund-raisers to assist and support these children and their families. Please help to support this organization in its fund-raising endeavors, the first of which will be held Sat., March 1, 2008, at Rotary Field in Stuart. Musicians and singers Bill Banks, Sue Nester, and Tina and Herbert Conner are spearheading the effort to organize this benefit that will run from 1-5 p.m. with food, fellowship, and live gospel music. I strongly urge everyone to attend this event which will be an "old fashioned gospel singing with dinner on the grounds." Those attending are invited to bring a covered dish and some drinks to cut costs so that all of the money raised can go to help Brandon and his mother.
The other two children who will benefit from this worthy cause are 3-year-old Samantha Mota, daughter of Amanda Adkins of Stuart, who is recovering from surgery to remove one of her eyes that was lost to cancer. I was honored to have the opportunity to speak with this sweet little girl and her mother on my radio show last week. Samantha is doing well as she awaits the prosthetic eye that she will receive later this month at Duke Medical Center. The third child identified for support by this organization through this and other fund-raisers is Thomas Smith, the 8-month-old son of Anthony Smith and Dawn Barnard of Meadows of Dan. Thomas suffers from Hirschsprungs Disease, a chronic disorder of the digestive system. This child was born without nerve cells in the intestinal area that would normally send messages to the brain to move digested food/waste material throught he bowel system. As a result, Thomas can't dispose of bodily wastes like a normal person. Thomas is a candidate for a transplant that will be conducted in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he is 1 1/2 years old to surgically restore his digestive system. He has had 6 surgeries already and has spent most of his 8 months of life at Brenner's Children's Hospital. The transplant is said to be crucial to his survival. Please help support these children and their families in their time of need. Most of all join us as we build a "Wall of Prayer" around them through our personal petitions and prayers to the Lord God Almighty, the Great Physician.
If you would like to offer your support for these families and the work of the "Faith for the Miracle" organization or for more information, please call Brad and Tammy Bowman at 276-694-3886 or Jane McAlexander at 276-694-7842. You may also contact Faith Image Evangelistic Ministries online at faithimage@hotmail.com.
Jane McAlexander told me in a recent radio interview that since Brandon Dillon will probably not be able to realize his dream of a trip to Disney World, plans are in the works to bring Disney World to him and other children in our community on Apr. 19, 2008. Details of that event will be announced later. Please listen to "The Great Day in the Morning Show" for updates on these children and other citizens of our community who are in need of prayer. If you would like to add a name to my radio prayer list, please click on the comment section of this blog, call me at the radio station or at home, email me at rrogers@sitestar.net, fax me at 276-694-2241, or contact me in person. I want to use my radio show as a ministry for Christ and to help citizens in need in our community. Please help me. Listen too for details about future benefits and fundraisers to assist those in need and to offer the unequaled and incredible community support that the woulderful citizens of Patrick County are always so willing to lovingly provide as they have demonstrated many times through their responses to calls for help and their acts of kindness and generous monetary donations for countless worthwhile causes in our community.
My personal passion is to work today for a cancer-free tomorrow. I am an avid supporter of the American Cancer Society's (ACS) Relay for Life in memory of my late wife and "Sweetie" Sandra Merritt Rogers, who died of cancer in July 2006. I urge you to join me and hundreds of other volunteers in the community who are working to raise funds for research to find a cure for cancer and to serve cancer patients and their caregivers in our community with many helpful and timely ACS programs. Many individuals, clubs, churches, businesses, civic groups, and other organizations are already involved in supporting the mission of Relay for Life. I plead with others in our community to get involved on behalf of those loved ones, friends, and neighbors in your life who now are battling cancer or in memory of loved ones who have succumbed to cancer but whose deaths were not in vain. It is time to Celebrate...Remember...and Fight Back! Let's "Celebrate" the victory over cancer by the many survivors in our community who inspire us to action. Let's "Remember" those who have lost the battle to cancer but whose courage and determination continue to serve as an example to us all. Let's "Fight Back" for Brandon, Samantha, Thomas, and the multitude of others in our community who are battling cancer and need our encouragement and support.
For more inforamtion on how you can get involved in supporting the mission of Relay for Life in our community call me at 276-694-3114 or call the American Cancer Society's toll free line at 1-800-ACS-2345. Listen to my radio show for details on upcoming Relay for Life fundraisers including the annual "12 Hours for a Cure" Radio-thon on WHEO on Fri., May 16, 2008, and the Relay for Life Family Festival and Walk at DeHart Park in Stuart on Saturday, May 17, 2008. Please join us! And please pray for us! Our community can not sit still, we must take action as a community united to fight this deadly disease which is so rampant in our community and which threatens the lives of our loved ones, the quality of our life, and the futures of our children and grandchildren. Please join Relay for Life volunteers in the fight for a cancer-free tomorrow. We can do it with your help. Let's do it for our precious loved ones. Let's "Fight Back" now. Patrick County!!!
Until next time, may God bless you with a "Great Day"!
A Kilowatt for a Cure,
Richard
Here is an update on Brandon's condition based on an email from Stuart Elementary School teacher Taryn Scruggs that was forwarded to me by Kathy Conner on Friday afternoon, Feb. 8, 2008. According to the email, Ms. Scruggs had just talked to Brandon's mother, Tammy Dillon, who also has a less severe form of leukemia, prior to sending the 1:48 p.m. email. Ms. Scruggs said that Brandon's blood counts are too low right now for doctors to continue chemotherapy treatments. Since Brandon is behind on his treatments, there is an immediate "pressing need" to stabilize his blood, so that chemo can resume. Ms. Scruggs email added "The doctor said the bone marrow transplant was his only/last hope, and it can't be done until the cells are burned out through chemo." Brandon is on morphine for the intense pain resulting from his condition. Brandon is scheduled for another treatment on Tuesday if his blood counts are up. Let's pray that God will strengthen Brandon and work through him to accomplish his Divine will.
Brandon is in need of a bone marrow transplant that doctors hope will prolong his life. Brandon's 8-year-old sister Tiffany is the potential donor for the transplant. According to Ms. Scrugg's email Tiffany has a video and book about her prt in the transplant process, and is well informed on what is going on.
Brandon is one of three children with cancer or rare disease who are being served by a new faith-based, non-profit organization known as "Faith for the Miracle." This group, founded by Tammy Bowman and Jane McAlexander, is planning several upcoming fund-raisers to assist and support these children and their families. Please help to support this organization in its fund-raising endeavors, the first of which will be held Sat., March 1, 2008, at Rotary Field in Stuart. Musicians and singers Bill Banks, Sue Nester, and Tina and Herbert Conner are spearheading the effort to organize this benefit that will run from 1-5 p.m. with food, fellowship, and live gospel music. I strongly urge everyone to attend this event which will be an "old fashioned gospel singing with dinner on the grounds." Those attending are invited to bring a covered dish and some drinks to cut costs so that all of the money raised can go to help Brandon and his mother.
The other two children who will benefit from this worthy cause are 3-year-old Samantha Mota, daughter of Amanda Adkins of Stuart, who is recovering from surgery to remove one of her eyes that was lost to cancer. I was honored to have the opportunity to speak with this sweet little girl and her mother on my radio show last week. Samantha is doing well as she awaits the prosthetic eye that she will receive later this month at Duke Medical Center. The third child identified for support by this organization through this and other fund-raisers is Thomas Smith, the 8-month-old son of Anthony Smith and Dawn Barnard of Meadows of Dan. Thomas suffers from Hirschsprungs Disease, a chronic disorder of the digestive system. This child was born without nerve cells in the intestinal area that would normally send messages to the brain to move digested food/waste material throught he bowel system. As a result, Thomas can't dispose of bodily wastes like a normal person. Thomas is a candidate for a transplant that will be conducted in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he is 1 1/2 years old to surgically restore his digestive system. He has had 6 surgeries already and has spent most of his 8 months of life at Brenner's Children's Hospital. The transplant is said to be crucial to his survival. Please help support these children and their families in their time of need. Most of all join us as we build a "Wall of Prayer" around them through our personal petitions and prayers to the Lord God Almighty, the Great Physician.
If you would like to offer your support for these families and the work of the "Faith for the Miracle" organization or for more information, please call Brad and Tammy Bowman at 276-694-3886 or Jane McAlexander at 276-694-7842. You may also contact Faith Image Evangelistic Ministries online at faithimage@hotmail.com.
Jane McAlexander told me in a recent radio interview that since Brandon Dillon will probably not be able to realize his dream of a trip to Disney World, plans are in the works to bring Disney World to him and other children in our community on Apr. 19, 2008. Details of that event will be announced later. Please listen to "The Great Day in the Morning Show" for updates on these children and other citizens of our community who are in need of prayer. If you would like to add a name to my radio prayer list, please click on the comment section of this blog, call me at the radio station or at home, email me at rrogers@sitestar.net, fax me at 276-694-2241, or contact me in person. I want to use my radio show as a ministry for Christ and to help citizens in need in our community. Please help me. Listen too for details about future benefits and fundraisers to assist those in need and to offer the unequaled and incredible community support that the woulderful citizens of Patrick County are always so willing to lovingly provide as they have demonstrated many times through their responses to calls for help and their acts of kindness and generous monetary donations for countless worthwhile causes in our community.
My personal passion is to work today for a cancer-free tomorrow. I am an avid supporter of the American Cancer Society's (ACS) Relay for Life in memory of my late wife and "Sweetie" Sandra Merritt Rogers, who died of cancer in July 2006. I urge you to join me and hundreds of other volunteers in the community who are working to raise funds for research to find a cure for cancer and to serve cancer patients and their caregivers in our community with many helpful and timely ACS programs. Many individuals, clubs, churches, businesses, civic groups, and other organizations are already involved in supporting the mission of Relay for Life. I plead with others in our community to get involved on behalf of those loved ones, friends, and neighbors in your life who now are battling cancer or in memory of loved ones who have succumbed to cancer but whose deaths were not in vain. It is time to Celebrate...Remember...and Fight Back! Let's "Celebrate" the victory over cancer by the many survivors in our community who inspire us to action. Let's "Remember" those who have lost the battle to cancer but whose courage and determination continue to serve as an example to us all. Let's "Fight Back" for Brandon, Samantha, Thomas, and the multitude of others in our community who are battling cancer and need our encouragement and support.
For more inforamtion on how you can get involved in supporting the mission of Relay for Life in our community call me at 276-694-3114 or call the American Cancer Society's toll free line at 1-800-ACS-2345. Listen to my radio show for details on upcoming Relay for Life fundraisers including the annual "12 Hours for a Cure" Radio-thon on WHEO on Fri., May 16, 2008, and the Relay for Life Family Festival and Walk at DeHart Park in Stuart on Saturday, May 17, 2008. Please join us! And please pray for us! Our community can not sit still, we must take action as a community united to fight this deadly disease which is so rampant in our community and which threatens the lives of our loved ones, the quality of our life, and the futures of our children and grandchildren. Please join Relay for Life volunteers in the fight for a cancer-free tomorrow. We can do it with your help. Let's do it for our precious loved ones. Let's "Fight Back" now. Patrick County!!!
Until next time, may God bless you with a "Great Day"!
A Kilowatt for a Cure,
Richard
Sunday, January 27, 2008
A Good Thing Going On...
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
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 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
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Have a Great 2008!
As the New Year comes in, let me express my deep gratitude to all of you who listen to "The Great Day in the Morning Show" each weekday on WHEO. I feel blessed to be able to serve the people of Patrick County while doing what I really love to do at the same time. I certainly have a passion for my job but I will never take it for granted. My work is a blessing to which I will always give my very best, constantly God's guidance and direction that my service to you will be pleasing in His sight and a blessing to you too!
As we enter the New Year, the radio station is still on the market for sale. Please pray that God will place it in the hands of responsible new management that will continue its rich tradition of service to the local community. This little country radio station is one of our most valuable community resources that we should all use and strive to support.
I am always looking for ways to improve the morning show. Please let me know if you have ideas and suggestions. Thanks for the very positive feedback that I constantly receive to what we are trying to do.
I hope to welcome many interesting guests to my show in the coming year to keep you better informed about what's happening in our county. In January, I have already invited or plan to invite all of the newly elected public officials to appear on "Community Conversation." I have already received commitments to appear on the show from newly elected Commonwealth's Attorney Stephanie Brenegar, new-elected Sheriff Dan Smith, and new-elected Blue Ridge District Supervisor Carl Weiss. Ronald Knight, the new Mayor River District Supervisor, and to Smith River District Supervisor Crystal Harris, have both told me that they would welcome the opportunity to be on the show but the dates of their appearances have yet to be established. I also plan to invite Jonathan Large, the chairman of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors, and members of the Patrick County School Board to appear sometime during the coming year. Of course, Lock Boyce, the newly-elected Peters Creek District Supervisor, is my guest each Monday morning on "Patrick County Topics".
I believe that we have seated a group of highly qualified individuals who will lead our county into a bright 2008. I urge everyone in the county to keep abreast of what is happening through the news media or other means and to communicate your desires frequently to your elected officials. They have been elected to serve us, the taxpayers of the county!
I plan to continue my series of "Richard on the Road" reports in the coming year as I travel the county in search of interesting people and places. Coming up in January will be a series of features based on my visit to Ohio last spring as a guest of the popular local gospel group, the Southern Prophets. This 8-part series will include profiles of each of the 4 members of the group, Denny Archer, Bobby Gardner, Dwayne George, and Mike Hall, as well as serious and light-hearted aspects of our trip to the Buckeye State, which was one of my personal highlights of the year. This series will be titled "The Southern Prophets: A Ministry of Minstrels." Following the Southern Prophets features, I plan to do a series of stories on the popular hobby of postcard collecting based on interviews with members of the Reynolds Homestead Post Card Club. If you have an ideas for features in the "Richard on the Road" series, please let me know. I have met many interesting people and made lots of new friends in my travels around the county in this series. It sure would help, though, if the price of gasoline would go down instead of in the opposite direction in which it seems to be headed as the New Year begins.
Speaking of travel, if you plan to party on New Year's Eve or anytime, please drink responsibly if you have to drink at all and NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.
I am praying for your prosperity and peace in the coming year. Happy New Year, my friends and neighbors. Have a "great" 2008!
God bless you all.
Richard
As we enter the New Year, the radio station is still on the market for sale. Please pray that God will place it in the hands of responsible new management that will continue its rich tradition of service to the local community. This little country radio station is one of our most valuable community resources that we should all use and strive to support.
I am always looking for ways to improve the morning show. Please let me know if you have ideas and suggestions. Thanks for the very positive feedback that I constantly receive to what we are trying to do.
I hope to welcome many interesting guests to my show in the coming year to keep you better informed about what's happening in our county. In January, I have already invited or plan to invite all of the newly elected public officials to appear on "Community Conversation." I have already received commitments to appear on the show from newly elected Commonwealth's Attorney Stephanie Brenegar, new-elected Sheriff Dan Smith, and new-elected Blue Ridge District Supervisor Carl Weiss. Ronald Knight, the new Mayor River District Supervisor, and to Smith River District Supervisor Crystal Harris, have both told me that they would welcome the opportunity to be on the show but the dates of their appearances have yet to be established. I also plan to invite Jonathan Large, the chairman of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors, and members of the Patrick County School Board to appear sometime during the coming year. Of course, Lock Boyce, the newly-elected Peters Creek District Supervisor, is my guest each Monday morning on "Patrick County Topics".
I believe that we have seated a group of highly qualified individuals who will lead our county into a bright 2008. I urge everyone in the county to keep abreast of what is happening through the news media or other means and to communicate your desires frequently to your elected officials. They have been elected to serve us, the taxpayers of the county!
I plan to continue my series of "Richard on the Road" reports in the coming year as I travel the county in search of interesting people and places. Coming up in January will be a series of features based on my visit to Ohio last spring as a guest of the popular local gospel group, the Southern Prophets. This 8-part series will include profiles of each of the 4 members of the group, Denny Archer, Bobby Gardner, Dwayne George, and Mike Hall, as well as serious and light-hearted aspects of our trip to the Buckeye State, which was one of my personal highlights of the year. This series will be titled "The Southern Prophets: A Ministry of Minstrels." Following the Southern Prophets features, I plan to do a series of stories on the popular hobby of postcard collecting based on interviews with members of the Reynolds Homestead Post Card Club. If you have an ideas for features in the "Richard on the Road" series, please let me know. I have met many interesting people and made lots of new friends in my travels around the county in this series. It sure would help, though, if the price of gasoline would go down instead of in the opposite direction in which it seems to be headed as the New Year begins.
Speaking of travel, if you plan to party on New Year's Eve or anytime, please drink responsibly if you have to drink at all and NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.
I am praying for your prosperity and peace in the coming year. Happy New Year, my friends and neighbors. Have a "great" 2008!
God bless you all.
Richard
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Pressing on in the War on Cancer!
As we experience the joys of the holiday season and look forward with hope to the New Year, let's remember that there are many in our community who are less fortunate and in need of our prayers. Having a passion to defeat cancer, the dreaded disease that took my wife Sandra from me almost a year and a half ago, I am especially mindful of those who are battling cancer today and requesting your prayers on their behalf.
One such person is my long-time friend, Mr. Don Sall, one of the most dedicated community servants that I have ever met. Even though Mr. Sall is not a native Patrick Countian, he has certainly become one of us since he and his late wife, Eleanor, who was an equally wonderul person, came here from "up north." Don has done marvelous things for our community. Most notably, perhaps, he has made the Red Cross blood collection effort in Patrick County one of the most successful programs in the region, an exemplary effort that other communities can only aspire to duplicate. Mr. Sall is also a member of Mountain Home Masonic Lodge No. 263 in Stuart. He is a most caring and concerned individual who would do anything within his power to help others in our community.
Mr. Sall is suffering from a rare bone cancer, and, like so many other cancer patients in our community, he is in need of our prayers. Mr. Sall is preparing to go to Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, MD, one of the top 3 medical facilities in the country, to get a second opinion about the next phase in his treatment for his cancer. He says that doctors have told him that radiation and chemotherapy will not help him, and that his best option now may be to have his left hip and leg removed to prevent gangreen from setting in. He is going to Johns Hopkins to get a second opinion and to explore whether there have been any recent breakthroughs that might be effective in the treatment of his cancer. Mr. Sall's situation looks bleak but he is a man of great faith and optimism and has a wonderful attitude. He has turned his situation over to God's wisdom and grace. We can all look to Mr. Sall as a great example of courage and determination as well as of brotherly love and service to one another. Please remember Mr. Sall in your prayers. Get well cards may be send to Mr. Sall at his residence at 1410 Hazelwood Dr., Stuart, VA 241712.
I am personally honored to know Mr. Sall, to work with him in promoting blood drives and other worthwhile causes in our community, and to call him my friend. I strive daily to be more like Mr. Sall in my dealings with others. He is truly an example of what I, as a Stuart Rotary Club member, strive to offer to others, "service above self" (our club motto). God bless you, Mr. Sall, we are behind you and building a "wall of prayer" around you.
I would again like to urge you to pray for 3-year-old Samantha Mota, who has been diagnosed with a cancerous left eye that will be removed at Duke University Hospital in Durham on Jan. 2nd. While this little girl will be covered with health insurance, provided by her father, Marcus Mota, effective Jan. 1st, and has secured Medicaid coverage through the local social services agency, as I understand, there are still expenses related to her treatment and travels to and from the hospital, that this family of limited means, may have difficulty handling. An account has been opened at SunTrust Bank in the name of Samantha's mother, Amanda Adkins, if you feel led to assist monetarily. If you would like to send Samantha a get well card, send it to: Amanda Adkins, P.O. Box 536, Patrick Springs 24133. Amanda has requested nothing other than our heartfelt prayers for her daughter's recovery and good health. Please lift this little girl up to the "Great Physician" in prayer.
I would also ask that you continue to remember our friend Sandra Health, a breast cancer patient, in prayer as she prepares for the first of 6 rounds of chemotherapy in January. We praise God that Sandra's last report from her doctors was a good one. Pray for Sandra and her husband, Randy, their two children, and other family members as they face this "stumbling block" in what we hope will be a long and happy life for all. Sandra lives at 1993 Elk Creek Rd., Stuart, VA 24171, if you'd like to send her a card. Hang in their, Sandra, you are on your way to victory by KNOCKOUT in your personal bout with cancer.
Cancer is so pervasive in our community and throughout our society. One of every 3 people will be diagnosed with cancer sometime in their life. It doesn't have to be so. I am confident that more effective treatments will be perfected and that ultimately a cure for cancer will be found. But it is up to us to battle back! We can all have an impact in the fight to eradicate the world of cancer, both individually and as a community. I humbly ask all concerned persons in our community to join me and other American Cancer Society supporters and Relay for Life volunteers in the fight against cancer. The 2008 Relay for Life campaign will be launched in January with a goal of $52,000. Let's continue the momentum started in 2007 and more than exceed that goal. Please consider forming a new Relay for Life team to represent your school, business, civic organization, club, family, or other organization in our community, or by becoming a member of an existing Relay team.
The local Relay for Life teams will be providing concessions at the Patrick County Music Association Jamboree on Jan. 26th at Rotary Field, Stuart, as one of our first fund-raisers. Our annual WHEO radio-thon, which contributed almost $18,000 to the $62,000 plus Relay for Life total raised in 2007, will be held just before the Relay for Life event at DeHart Park in May 2008. Please support these and other Relay for Life fundraisers in the coming year by the more than 30 Relay teams in our community. Most of all pray for the success of Patrick County's outstanding Relay for Life program, which earned the county national recognition as the program with the largest increase in funds raised, a jump of over 425% in 2007. We can't rest on these laurels, though, it is time to get to work to raise the money needed to serve those like Don Sall, Samantha Mota, Sandra Health, and other cancer patients and their caregivers, and, most of all, to find a cure so we will never have to face this devastating disease again! Thank you for you prayers and your support of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life 2008 in Patrick County.
An enthusiastic WHEO "Kilowatt for a Cure,"
Richard
One such person is my long-time friend, Mr. Don Sall, one of the most dedicated community servants that I have ever met. Even though Mr. Sall is not a native Patrick Countian, he has certainly become one of us since he and his late wife, Eleanor, who was an equally wonderul person, came here from "up north." Don has done marvelous things for our community. Most notably, perhaps, he has made the Red Cross blood collection effort in Patrick County one of the most successful programs in the region, an exemplary effort that other communities can only aspire to duplicate. Mr. Sall is also a member of Mountain Home Masonic Lodge No. 263 in Stuart. He is a most caring and concerned individual who would do anything within his power to help others in our community.
Mr. Sall is suffering from a rare bone cancer, and, like so many other cancer patients in our community, he is in need of our prayers. Mr. Sall is preparing to go to Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, MD, one of the top 3 medical facilities in the country, to get a second opinion about the next phase in his treatment for his cancer. He says that doctors have told him that radiation and chemotherapy will not help him, and that his best option now may be to have his left hip and leg removed to prevent gangreen from setting in. He is going to Johns Hopkins to get a second opinion and to explore whether there have been any recent breakthroughs that might be effective in the treatment of his cancer. Mr. Sall's situation looks bleak but he is a man of great faith and optimism and has a wonderful attitude. He has turned his situation over to God's wisdom and grace. We can all look to Mr. Sall as a great example of courage and determination as well as of brotherly love and service to one another. Please remember Mr. Sall in your prayers. Get well cards may be send to Mr. Sall at his residence at 1410 Hazelwood Dr., Stuart, VA 241712.
I am personally honored to know Mr. Sall, to work with him in promoting blood drives and other worthwhile causes in our community, and to call him my friend. I strive daily to be more like Mr. Sall in my dealings with others. He is truly an example of what I, as a Stuart Rotary Club member, strive to offer to others, "service above self" (our club motto). God bless you, Mr. Sall, we are behind you and building a "wall of prayer" around you.
I would again like to urge you to pray for 3-year-old Samantha Mota, who has been diagnosed with a cancerous left eye that will be removed at Duke University Hospital in Durham on Jan. 2nd. While this little girl will be covered with health insurance, provided by her father, Marcus Mota, effective Jan. 1st, and has secured Medicaid coverage through the local social services agency, as I understand, there are still expenses related to her treatment and travels to and from the hospital, that this family of limited means, may have difficulty handling. An account has been opened at SunTrust Bank in the name of Samantha's mother, Amanda Adkins, if you feel led to assist monetarily. If you would like to send Samantha a get well card, send it to: Amanda Adkins, P.O. Box 536, Patrick Springs 24133. Amanda has requested nothing other than our heartfelt prayers for her daughter's recovery and good health. Please lift this little girl up to the "Great Physician" in prayer.
I would also ask that you continue to remember our friend Sandra Health, a breast cancer patient, in prayer as she prepares for the first of 6 rounds of chemotherapy in January. We praise God that Sandra's last report from her doctors was a good one. Pray for Sandra and her husband, Randy, their two children, and other family members as they face this "stumbling block" in what we hope will be a long and happy life for all. Sandra lives at 1993 Elk Creek Rd., Stuart, VA 24171, if you'd like to send her a card. Hang in their, Sandra, you are on your way to victory by KNOCKOUT in your personal bout with cancer.
Cancer is so pervasive in our community and throughout our society. One of every 3 people will be diagnosed with cancer sometime in their life. It doesn't have to be so. I am confident that more effective treatments will be perfected and that ultimately a cure for cancer will be found. But it is up to us to battle back! We can all have an impact in the fight to eradicate the world of cancer, both individually and as a community. I humbly ask all concerned persons in our community to join me and other American Cancer Society supporters and Relay for Life volunteers in the fight against cancer. The 2008 Relay for Life campaign will be launched in January with a goal of $52,000. Let's continue the momentum started in 2007 and more than exceed that goal. Please consider forming a new Relay for Life team to represent your school, business, civic organization, club, family, or other organization in our community, or by becoming a member of an existing Relay team.
The local Relay for Life teams will be providing concessions at the Patrick County Music Association Jamboree on Jan. 26th at Rotary Field, Stuart, as one of our first fund-raisers. Our annual WHEO radio-thon, which contributed almost $18,000 to the $62,000 plus Relay for Life total raised in 2007, will be held just before the Relay for Life event at DeHart Park in May 2008. Please support these and other Relay for Life fundraisers in the coming year by the more than 30 Relay teams in our community. Most of all pray for the success of Patrick County's outstanding Relay for Life program, which earned the county national recognition as the program with the largest increase in funds raised, a jump of over 425% in 2007. We can't rest on these laurels, though, it is time to get to work to raise the money needed to serve those like Don Sall, Samantha Mota, Sandra Health, and other cancer patients and their caregivers, and, most of all, to find a cure so we will never have to face this devastating disease again! Thank you for you prayers and your support of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life 2008 in Patrick County.
An enthusiastic WHEO "Kilowatt for a Cure,"
Richard
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
