The following are summaries of weekly club meeting programs in the month of May. Thank you to all participants and contributors!

May 7, 2013: Paula Buckley – GRASP (GReat Aspirations Scholarship Programs)

Richard Adams introduced Paula Buckley who handles media relations for GRASP, which is a non-profit charitable education organization started by former State Senator Walter Stosch. Paula is a UVA graduate and a retired US Marine Corps officer. GRASP provides weekly advisory services in Central Virginia high schools to help economically disadvantaged students and families establish a plan for education after high school. Advisors assist students in the process of identifying, applying for, and obtaining scholarships and other financial aid.

Statistics from last year:

  • Over 90% of the students who met with GRASP advisors attended post-secondary institutions
  • Each dollar invested in GRASP yielded $147 in college financial aid
  •  On average, students who met with GRASP in-school advisors received over $11,000 in college financial aid

GRASP is funded by individuals and businesses with the unique tax benefit of individuals not only getting the normal 501(c)(3) deduction but also getting a 65% state tax credit ($650 for every $1000 contributed)

You can learn more about GRASP at www.grasp4virginia.com.

May 14, 2013: Charity Presentations

Chris Zitzow thanked the members of the Charity Committee for their time and efforts in selecting the 12 charities to receive support this year. Chris introduced representatives of each charity for them to tell how the money would be used and then President Robbin presented their checks.

This years charities are:

  • Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond/Chesterfield
  • Chesterfield CASA
  • Chesterfield Communities in Schools
  • Community Idea Station
  • FeedMore Food Bank/Meals on Wheels
  • Friends of Barnabas
  • Madeline’s House/Southside Center
  • Midlothian/Manchester YMCA Bright Beginnings
  • Positive Vibe Foundation
  • Richmond Symphony
  • Safe Harbor Domestic Violence Shelter
  • St James’ Children’s Center

The deadline for 2013-14 charity funding is December 31, 2013. Visit our charity application page to learn more.

May 21, 2013: Lee Kallman – Richmond 2015 Representative from World Road Championship Cycling

Richard Adams introduced Lee Kallman, the Marketing & Communications Director for Richmond 2015. In September 2015, 1000 of the top male and female cyclists in the world from 75 countries will come to Richmond for a nine day event with 12 World Championship races. The World Championships are a European centric event that takes place outside of year once every 5 years. The only other one held in the US was in Colorado. This will be a global stage to be a catalyst for tourism, business relocation and a message for improved health through cycling. The event is predicted to have a $158M impact for the region with 450,000 spectators, 400 hours of live coverage and 300M TV viewers.

May 28, 2013: Kevin South – Classification Talk

Bob Stallworth and Gene Autry sponsored Kevin to become a member of the club.

He was born in Little Rock Arkansas and moved to Richmond when he was in the 7th grade. He is a graduate of Monacan High School and James Madison University, where he played on the golf team. He started his career as assistant golf pro at the Dominion Club and later at Jack Nicholas’ Muirfield Village Golf Course near Columbus, Ohio.

Kevin left a career in golf in 1999 to go into commercial real estate. He moved to Phoenix, Arizona and, after gaining experience in the “highs and lows” of the business, he went with the Shopping Center Group out of Atlanta and moved back to Richmond in 2009. The Shopping Center Group has 22 offices in 12 states.

Kevin is married to his wife, Kristin, and the have two boys – Michael age 14 and Ryan age 11.