Friday, October 1, 2010

When H-D Motorcyclists and Corvette Owners Come Together They Make a Difference Helping Children

On the surface it may seem like an odd union: Harley Davidson owners, a corvette car club, a popular pizza chain restaurant, and a non-profit working to help kids graduate school. Once you dig deeper it becomes obvious the passion these groups have for their machines extends to their community as well.

The group gathered together on September 18th to show more than 100 cars and bikes to the public and to support kids in Whatcom County at the first annual Show and Shine Car and Bike Show. Two local business owners combined their love of fast machines and community, resulting in a fun family event. Mt.Baker Harley-Davidson dealership, owner Greg Head and Jennifer Haffner, owner of Boston’s Pizza and Sports Bar had an idea for a late summer family event that would bring car buffs and the public together at Bellis Fair Mall. Corvettes Unlimited joined as partners and the event was up and running. They decided early on to support the important work of Communities in Schools in Whatcom County.

“Having a booth at the car show was a fun and we made a lot of good contacts. We spread the word about one in three kids dropping out of high school and facing a very uncertain future.” said CIS Director Dennis D’Amelio. “We can’t do the important work we do without the support of groups like this. The entire day was a success. The music of The Falcon Grady Band, the pizza from Boston’s and all the excited people walking around talking about the great cars and bikes. I am already looking forward to next year.”

Greg and Jennifer each chose their favorite bike and cars and awarded prizes. Winners were David Pierson (1963 Corvette Stingray Convertible) , Mort Adrian (1994 HD Sportster with custom paint), Pam Ferry (2011 Ultra Class Trike) , Bob Falcon (1965 Pontiac GTO). A 50/50 raised $300 to be split between CIS Whatcom and raffle winner. When John Richie’s name was drawn he generously donated his winnings to support dropout prevention in Whatcom County. Thank you!

Here are just a few pictures from the show, click here to see more!





Thursday, September 16, 2010

What Makes a School Great

Communities In Schools is the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization and coordinates a range of services, from health care to tutoring, to keep kids in school and get them to college. In 2008-09, CIS was able to help 91% of the students it monitored reach the next grade level. A wide range of volunteer opportunities are coordinated by nearly 200 local CIS programs in 25 states and D.C. www.communitiesinschools.org

Time Magazine September 20th, 2010 issue


See also CIS Whatcom:

http://www.whatcomcounty.ciswa.org/

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=cis&init=quick&sid=0.383671456802599#!/pages/Communities-In-Schools-of-Whatcom-County/142011712491418?ref=ts

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Schools Can't Do It Alone...

Nearly 30% of Washington students drop out of school. Schools and teachers alone do not have the resources that Washington needs to ensure kids graduate from high school prepared for life.

Communities In Schools of Washington addresses the dropout crisis one child at a time.Our communities are full of people who want to help.

We organize thousands of volunteers to work as mentors and tutors, providing adult guidance, life skills modeling, and high expectations for success.

It takes family and community. By channeling community support directly to kids in schools we promote student success, ease the burden on schools, and free teachers to teach.