Visions 4
Visions 4 set up a group project to work and raise money for St. Jude’s Ranch, Boulder City, NV, www.stjudesranch.org . The group activities involved campus cleanup, landscaping, fund raising to supply items on their wish list or for cash donations. They also have additional ways to support St. Jude’s through their Recycled Card Program, Campbell's Soup Label program, and General Mills Box Top program. After the activity the group had a barbecue for and to meet and interact with the children and parents. Spending the day at the facility and meeting the children provided a wonderful feeling of service.
Visions 4 day at the St Judes Ranch: Boulder City Nevada, December 1, 2011
The Visions 4 group met at the Ramada for breakfast at 7:45. 14 of the 15 Visions members that committed to the project were present. We drove to Boulder City and arrived shortly after 9:00 am.
We were met by Veronica Huening, Community Relations Specialist who spent an hour telling us about St. Jude’s Ranch for Children and giving us a short tour of the facility.
We then broke into three groups. One group cleaned up the grounds, another worked in the mail room sorting clothing and the third decorated the multipurpose room. Doug Nickerson discussed with Veronica the possibilities of repairing some of the roof leaks on some of the buildings. After this discussion Doug met with a maintenance man for St. Jude’s ranch and then drove to a hardware store where he picked up the materials to repair two of the roofs at the Ranch.
Lunch was delivered at noon and we all sat down and shared what we had been doing up to this point. After lunch we went back to our respective projects. At 2:00 we all returned to the multipurpose room and began preparing for the BBQ. Doug Nickerson continued his service to repair the roof until it was too dark to continue and fixed leaks on two roofs. Doug, I want to acknowledge you for your service to the ranch in a very special way.
Between 3:30 and 4:00 the children from the ranch came to the BBQ. We served over 40 children hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, chips and drinks.
After the food was served we setup for the activities. The three activities were frost and decorate your own sugar cookie, have your nails painted and learn to use a yoyo.
The children enjoyed the food and loved the activities. I observed the children interacting with the group and I saw many smiling, happy children. The girls especially enjoyed having their nails painted and the young boys were challenged learning to use a yoyo. Those children that participated in frosting the sugar cookies made some awesome looking cookies.
Towards the end of the project the Visions 4 group was presented with a framed picture with some of the children from the ranch and a thank you card from Veronica Huening.
Additional donations – after the group voted that St. Jude’s Ranch was the Service Project, Ira contacted Veronica Huening and asked what the ranch needed the most. Veronica stated we need six foot folding tables. Ira asked home many do you need, Veronica stated 16, Ira said DONE!
Ira purchased 16 Six foot folding tables at Lowes and after telling the manager of Lowes what the tables were for, the manager delivered the tables to St. Jude’s at no charge. The tables cost $780.00
Brad Lipson engaged in a fund raiser in his community and raised $900.00. This money and the additional donations from the group were applied to the purchase of the tables and as a group we decided to present a check for $250.00 to St. Judes’s Ranch for Children for their general fund.
The project was a great success and we will all have a wonderful memory of the day we spent at St. Jude’s Ranch for Children… whose purpose is to stop Abuse, Neglect and Abandonment of children.
Thank you Visions 4 members: Jerry Nolan, Doug, Anna and Alicia Nickerson, Brad and Steve Lipson, Albert Sheryl and Nolan Krause, Stephanie Heiser, Kari Nolander, Shelly Cruse, Ira and Lynne Eichenfield.
Special thanks to the staff at Corporate Flight International who also participated in the project: Rochelle Acebal, Dana Timmons, Kylee Ridge, Mike Farney, and Caleb Seiback son of Rochelle and friend, David.
- Donate Now! http://www.stjudesranch.org/how-you-can-help/donate-now/
- Volunteer Opportunities: http://www.stjudesranch.org/how-you-can-help/volunteer-opportunities/
- Wish list items: http://www.stjudesranch.org/how-you-can-help/wish-lists/
- Recycled Card Program: http://www.stjudesranch.org/shop/recycled-card-program/
- Campbell's Soup Label program: http://www.stjudesranch.org/how-you-can-help/campbell%E2%80%99s-soup-label-program/
- Box Top for Education program: http://www.stjudesranch.org/how-you-can-help/box-tops-for-education/