Showing posts with label Organizations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organizations. Show all posts

Sloan weathering the elements...

I realize we are short on rainfall for our area but does it have to always rain on Friday?  Once again, scattered showers came to town on Friday night!  Kil-Kare officials decided to brave the weather and try to get a race in.  It looked promising when we first arrived.  It looked like the rain was going to hold off.  We were able to get our practice in.  We then had our driver’s meeting-more on that later in the article.  We finally lined up to qualify.  A few cars qualified and then came the rain.  It was just enough rain to cause the track to be slick.  It finally stopped and they dried out the track.  At last, I got to qualify.  The track was very green.  However, the NASCAR Whelen GreenPro #4 was just fantastic!  I got fast time 14.51!!    And you guessed it!  The rain came, again!!  Kil-Kare officials called it a night.
                At the driver’s meeting at Kil-Kare, the track officials announced that Impact Racing Appareal had been declared below standards for SSA.  SSA tests all the racing suits etc. to meet safety standards.  Every piece of my equipment is Impact-my helmet, race suit, gloves-everything!  They told us that they highly suggested we replace all that equipment.  We have decided to just wait a little while to see if more information comes out concerning the safety of my equipment. If there someone that would want to help pay for it or part of it, the cost is around $1400.
                Saturday I got up and went to check the weather.  If it was 100% chance of rain, I was planning on going to the JS (prom at Dayton Christian) then have some friends over for a bonfire and cookout.  But it looked like I was going to get to race, I was excited because we were so fast Friday night at Kil- Kare.  We unloaded the GreenPro Landscaping late and it was good right out of the box.  To help clear up some confusion from last week, the first practice is about learning the track.   Just like the NASCAR teams, you can bring your best to the track just to find out the track conditions changed.  It is no different for us.  This process is called getting “dialed in” and that is what Gary is great at. 
                Practice went well at Columbus.   We fueled the car up with racing fuel from Estes Oil in Franklin.  We set out to qualify.  I was hoping to get the fast time again but could do it.   We did qualify in the top 4.   The top 4  put me on the pole.   I would like to thank Link Burgess, he calculated that I would start on the outside of row two after the seven car inversion.  Link is a World War II veteran and is 87 years old and so smart.   He has been on several championship teams over his 45 plus year in racing!   I went to Dad who writes down the lap times of my competitors so I can figure out how the start of the feature MAY be. Tonight it was perfect.    The outside pole car most likely would get around the pole car.  It would give me the opportunity to go for the lead early in the race.   I could then save my tires.  The rain came and it got called. 
                 We do not talk much about business but I still need an anchor partner.  I need two more co-sponsors if I’m going to have the resources to make NATIONAL NASCAR Whelen history this year. We know with God all things are possible but even David had three stones in his pouch when he went to do the impossible.
Thanks Sloan and Crew
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Sleigh Bells for Charity Bells

A bauble on a Christmas tree.Image via Wikipedia
Sleigh Bells for Charity

These days, it seems like all you see when you pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV are stories about businesses closing their doors or violence in cities across the globe. With so many bad things happening, it can be hard to find good news out there. But every day, there exists the small acts of kindness between strangers, the charitable work of volunteers, and the generosity between neighbors, family and friends that make a difference in the lives of others and in our communities.

For example, over the last six years, Bridge Riding for the Disabled, a non-profit in Lebanon, has received a $2,000 - $3,000 in annual donations to support its therapeutic horseback riding programs, all thanks to a local Holiday Sleigh Bell Contest sponsored by Picture This, a downtown Lebanon art and framing shop.     

The contest coincides with the City of Lebanon’s 21st annual Historic Christmas Festival and Horse Drawn Carriage Parade, and gives anyone and everyone an opportunity to get in the holiday spirit and to display their creative and artistic skills, with all proceeds going to support Bridge Riding.

Here’s how it works: Stop in at Picture This at 26 South Broadway in downtown Lebanon to purchase a 6 ½-inch  bell (for adults) or a 4 ½-inch  bell (for children) for $10 each, and then decorate your bell however you like and return it no later than November 28 to ensure its entry in the contest. Even if you don’t elect to decorate a bell yourself, during the week of November 30, for a $1 donation, anyone may vote for their favorite decorated bell. On December 4, Picture This will announce the winners, award prizes and hold a silent auction to sell the bells. Every dollar raised from the sale of bells, from the opportunity to vote for the best bell and from the sale of decorated bells goes to Bridge Riding.

It is a very worthy cause. Established in 1987, Bridge Riding for the Disabled uses therapeutic horseback riding to help people with varying levels of disabilities improve their physical and cognitive skills. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and the generous donations of others, Bridge Riding serves more than 50 riders each year, ranging from young children to seniors citizens.

Riders in the Bridge Riding program may suffer from autism, cerebral palsy, strokes, multiple sclerosis or developmental disabilities. Along with learning horseback riding, students work to improve muscle coordination, balance, and overall strength and communication skills. The horses at the facility are specially selected and trained for these types of activities and instructors are certified. Over the years proceeds from the annual sleigh bell contest have allowed Bridge to install a new, softer floor for its arena, which helps to prevent injuries in case of a fall and a special lift to better help participants mount their horses. For more information about Bridge Riding for the Disabled, call (937) 654-4693 or visit their Web site at www.bridgeriding.org.

Now, I do not profess to be artistic in any way, but I recently purchased a bell to decorate. Even as I stare at the daunting blank canvas, I am determined to see my completed bell hanging alongside all the others when they go on display in just a few short weeks.

To learn more about the Holiday Sleigh Bell Contest, contact Becky Gebhart of Picture This at (513) 934-0416. I also encourage all Hamilton and Warren County families to attend the 21st Annual Historic Christmas Festival and Horse Drawn Carriage Parade on Saturday, December 5. It is a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays with your neighbors. For more information about the Festival and all upcoming events in Lebanon, visit the Lebanon Chamber of Commerce website at: www.lebanonchamber.org.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if you have questions or concerns about any state-related matter. You can reach my office by phone at (614) 466-9737, by e-mail at SD07@senate.state.oh.us or by writing State Senator Shannon Jones, Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 43215. I look forward to hearing from you.
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