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| Local motorcycle club starts new fundraiser |
Courtesy Photo:
The Blue Knights of Virginia will host a poker run to benefit the Free Clinic of Franklin County. |
Monday, March 8, 2010
A local motorcycle club is sponsoring a fundraising event for the Free Clinic of Franklin County.
The Blue Knights of Virginia Chapter XVIII (the Franklin County Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club) is sponsoring Free Wheelin' for the Free Clinic, a new poker run.
The event will be held Saturday, April 24. Cost per rider is $10 and cars are welcome.
Proceeds will be donated to help the Free Clinic of Franklin County rev up its building fund campaign.
"We teamed with the Blue Knights for this event months before the Free Clinic learned it would need to find a new home," said clinic executive director Lois MacDonald. "They are a great group to work with, and we appreciate their support."
The Free Clinic recently learned the lease at its location in the STEP Inc. building on Dent Street in Rocky Mount will not be renewed. A search for a new facility is now underway.
The Poker Run will begin at the Franklin County Recreation Park on Sontag Road. Participants can begin checking in at 9 a.m. and the run will kick off at 11 a.m. The 52-mile route loops around Franklin County, ending back at the park where riders will be treated to a barbecue chicken meal and live music from The Black Twig Pickers and others to be announced.
The Blue Knights challenge motorcyclists and car enthusiasts alike to join the fun and support the Free Clinic.
The goal is 250-plus participants. To sign up in advance, or for more information, email Gary Shively at garyshively@franklincountyva.org.
Various levels of sponsorship with benefits for the event are available, ranging from $50 to $500. Call the clinic at 540-489-7500 for sponsorship details.
"We are meeting the challenge of having to relocate head-on and see it as an opportunity to make much-needed improvements," MacDonald said.
Clinic officials are hoping the move will provide more space for additional exam rooms, which will allow clinic doctors and nurses to double the number of patients served.
The Free Clinic currently assists around 1,100 uninsured residents a year, providing quality medical care they need but cannot afford to pay out of pocket. Its pharmacy distributes about $1 million in prescription drugs annually.
The clinic will hold several other fundraisers this year. The annual golf tournament will be held on Friday, June 11 at Westlake Golf and Country Club.
July will mark the organization's first ever Antiques Appraisal Show.
The clinic will partner with fellow non-profits to host a yard sale in August and will again be part of the Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour in October.
Fiddlin' for the Free Clinic will be back by popular demand in November. |
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