from staff
As our community continues to face a tight economy and shrinking budgets, the Daily Record has established this page that will each week chronicle the efforts of local nonprofit organizations. Bailey Publishing & Communications invites all members of the local nonprofit community to submit news, announcements, success stories and any other informa-tion they believe would be of interest to our readers. Email to: [email protected].
We also encourage our readers to become more aware of the needs of these worthy organizations as they try to continue to provide valuable services with reduced resources.
‘Jet Ski Journey’ for Daniel
A local father and son are embarking on a journey to give back to the community.
Larry Walshaw and his son, Darren, will take a “Jet Ski Journey 4 Daniel Kids” to raise money and awareness for the nonprofit agency.
The Walshaws will be riding personal watercraft round-trip from Jacksonville to Miami on the Intracoastal Waterway.
They will leave Jacksonville July 28, stopping along the way at specific waypoints, until they reach Miami July 31. They will then turn around and return to Jacksonville on Aug. 2.
Individuals and companies can sponsor their 750-mile journey with donations and the proceeds will benefit Daniel.
Larry Walshaw is the board chair for Daniel Inc. He said it seemed a natural fit for the trip to raise money for the organization and continue teaching his son about giving back to the community.
“I want this trip to be a great experience for my son and one that continues to instill in him a passion for giving to others,” said Walshaw.
“I can’t think of a better way to raise money to support the important work being done for the children at Daniel than doing this event with my son,” he said.
Walshaw’s son is a 16-year-old honor student at Fletcher High School and will be a senior next year. He plans to attend the University of Florida.
“I believe in Daniel’s mission and I am honored that this event will raise awareness for the kids and help them build their new school,” he said.
Of the funds raised for Daniel, 50 percent will be set aside for Daniel’s tuition-free public charter school. The school will serve about 130 middle-school students who are in foster care as well as those who are abused, abandoned or homeless.
The father-son fundraising initiative will be assisted by First Coast Honda and PowerSports of St. Augustine.
The owner, Mark Allen, also a Daniel board member, has agreed to feature the “Jet Ski Journey 4 Daniel Kids” event in his advertising and will provide a backup jet ski and a trailer free of charge.
They will be towed by a chase car, which Larry’s wife, Michelle, will drive.
To donate to the journey, visit the Daniel website at www.danielkids.org. Pictures and videos taken throughout the trip can be viewed on Daniel’s Facebook page, DanielKids.
Dollar General supports literacy
Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Buckner Division received a $2,960 grant from Dollar General’s Literacy Foundation for a campuswide summer reading program.
The reading program will serve about 40 children living on the campus, ages 6-17, including teen moms. The eight-week program began on June 20 and will run until Aug. 19.
“With the help of funds received through this grant, CHS is able to keep our residents engaged in educational activities throughout the summer,” said Executive Director Kymberly Cook.
“We are so excited to give our children a head start for the upcoming school year,” she said.
The summer reading program targets children who are new readers or who are reading below grade level. The program will allow foster children in the care of the society prepare for reading at their new grade level when school begins.
For more information, visit www.chsfl.org/buckner.
Olympic gymnast invites girls to walk
On July 21, Olympic gold medalist Shannon Miller will join Girls Inc. of Jacksonville at its inaugural “Walk for a Healthier Future.”
Girls Inc. prepares girls for success, and the event coincides with the organization’s mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold.
The walk also coincides with the launch of a nationwide Girls Inc. program addressing healthy lifestyles.
Girls Inc. of Jacksonville and the Police Athletic League will join to walk for awareness of preventing childhood obesity.
The walk is scheduled from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Ed Austin Regional Park at 11751 McCormick Road.
Miller will give the children encouragement and guidance on their health and exercise activities. The public is invited to join the girls and their families at this inaugural event.
Funding for the Girls Inc. “Approach to Childhood Obesity Prevention” is provided by the Women’s Giving Alliance through The Community Foundation in Jacksonville and the BlueCross and BlueShield of Florida Foundation’s “Embrace a Healthy Florida Initiative.”
For more information on Girls Inc. of Jacksonville activities such as summer camp and after school programming, call 731-9933 or email [email protected].
New uniforms for students
Dignity U Wear, the Jacksonville-based, national nonprofit that provides new clothing to men, women and children in need, recently launched its 2011 “Learning with Dignity” campaign with a ceremonial ribbon cutting of a new clothing closet at Jacksonville’s Tiger Academy.
Dignity delivered 275 pairs of khaki pants and 300 shirts and also supplied the closet with underwear and ties.
According to Bob Bryan, executive director of Dignity U Wear, the partnership with Tiger Academy is part of its ongoing support of schools in Northeast Florida.
“School children are one of our primary areas of focus and we work in a number of different ways to meet the needs of thousands of school children each year,” he said.
“We make sure that each child has a nice new outfit or new uniform for the first day of school, something that might seem minor, but which actually has a tremendous amount to do with a child’s self-esteem,” said Bryan.
This year Dignity is adding a fundraising campaign to give special assistance to two struggling middle schools in Jacksonville.
The populations of the schools are 95 percent eligible for free and reduced lunches. They are currently “D” schools in terms of academic achievement. Both have new principals committed to a strategic plan for improvement.
Both schools are deploying uniforms as a part of their plan. While new uniforms are difficult for the families of most students to afford, the children also are holding fundraisers to buy their own clothing.
“We are looking for donors who will match their efforts and assure these kids get the uniforms they need to help put their schools back on the right track. We’re really proud to be involved with this effort,” said Bryan.
“We want to raise a total of $22,500,” he said.
“That breaks down to $15 for each child. There are 1,500 children in the schools combined. I know there are people out there that can afford a donation of $15. We hope everyone will understand just how far that money can go to help turn around the life of a child and ultimately, the quality of a school. It’s really an excellent investment for a donor,” he said.
For more information about the Learning with Dignity program or to make a contribution, visit www.dignityuwear.org or call 636-9455.