Lynchburg Business

“Racing Under the Stars” for a Good Cause

Issue: August 2010 by Chris McCune in Inside The Magazine, Non-Profit

If you haven’t heard of the Jubilee Family Development Center in Lynchburg by now, you may very well be in the minority. After all, the Center, which exists for youth and their families and provides mentoring and resources to break the cycle of poverty, has received a large amount of press since its start in 1999, including a segment on Oprah. But if you haven’t heard of it before, or at least, lately, there is a lot of good happening there, in addition to one brand new fundraiser coming up in October that is sure to be a “star studded” event.

But to understand the importance of the fundraiser, you must first realize the impact of the Center it supports.

The Jubilee Center is a place of healing; a chance to teach children how to help others, get involved, work together and build a community. Having such an organization in our area helps create a better tomorrow for the children who arguably need it the most and for the community they are a part of. There, life lessons are learned, but when you step inside, it’s impossible to tell who is there to teach and who is there to learn. What is easy to see are the changes in the people’s lives that are giving back as well as the lives of those who come in need.

Susan Carrington, one of the founders and a current member on the board of directors, sees it as a gift to be a part of this organization.

“One of the most important things is your responsibility to give back to your community and all youth need to learn at a young age how to give back,” she said.

Brooks Morrison, a board member with the Center, could not agree more.

“It has such positive energy, it is hopeful and you can’t describe the feeling you get when you walk in the center and see all that is happening. It takes about 15 minutes of being there and you understand,” Morrison explained.

The all-encompassing nature of the center also means that it is open to everyone, no matter what your economic status is. No one is turned away. Families come to the center via nearby neighborhoods, schools and court referrals. The ages of the youth assisted are kindergarten through 12^th grade. This isn’t just a place for the youth though, as the Center also offers mentoring for the adults in their lives, many of which are single mothers.

Carrington and Morrison both feel that the Center provides invaluable experiences to the youth who come there. With so much self-esteem being built and life skills being taught, they say the children there are exposed to things they may have never been exposed to before. At the Center, it truly is about coming together.

Sheldon Anderson, a Jubilee success story, says that one of the biggest things the Center offers is hope.

“These children are not hopeless but they need someone to instill hope in them,” Anderson said. “They need someone to inspire them. They need someone to help them build a strong foundation.”

Anderson, who just three years ago was homeless and selling drugs to make money, now has a full ride at the University of Virginia and hopes to walk on the football team this fall. But he says he wouldn’t be where he is today if it weren’t for the Jubilee Center and the support of people there like Executive Director, Sterling Wilder. Today, with a one-year-old son and a world of opportunity before him, Anderson says he wants to invest in kids like himself, just as the Center invested in him.

“My ultimate goal is to write a book. I want to speak to the kids that are hopeless, the kids that are counted out, the kids that no one pays attention to. I understand that feeling and I want to help those kids,” he said.

Like most nonprofits in the area, the Center depends heavily on volunteers. Word-of-mouth, church groups, schools and events are where they see most of their volunteers emerge. One such event that will engage many of these volunteers is “Racing Under the Stars,” coming up on September 11. “Racing” is a fundraiser for the Center that looks to raise the standard in terms of charity functions in the Lynchburg area.

This grand event started as the Steeple Chase at Oak Ridge Estate in Arrington, Virginia. For five years, this fundraiser revolved around an actual horse race and was considered quite the family affair. Horses were brought in and garden clubs partnered with them for our area’s very own version of the Kentucky Derby. However, when the economy tanked, it became too costly to bring the horses in, so the Jubilee’s board began looking at fun alternatives.

As a result, the brand new “Racing under the Stars” event was launched last year and now takes place at Randolph College’s Claire Noyes Cox indoor equestrian arena on Hawkins Mill Road in Lynchburg. The atmosphere is still very equestrian in nature, but instead of featuring live horses, six videotaped races are played on large screens placed around the room. During the “races,” businesses and individuals have the chance to mingle, place bets with “funny money,” enjoy the catered event and take in the sounds of the Skyler McCurley Band.

As a Kaleidoscope event, this year’s event appeals to many different walks of life. The goal is to raise $75,000 for the Jubilee Center and Morrison hopes to accomplish this by drawing a crowd of 500 to 700 people.

“It is a good date for everyone to come together and reconnect and appreciate your blessings, all while supporting a cause where people may not be able to enjoy the same things,” Morrison said.

As Event Chair, Morrison recently took over planning and fundraising for the event and according to Carrington, is bringing the big city to Lynchburg. This year, there will be more TV’s and opportunities to see the races, and sponsors will have races named after them. There will also be a silent auction this year as well as live auction. Some of the items and packages that Morrison has secured for participants to bid on are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, including:

The “Embrace your inner Carrie Bradshaw” Package with transportation to and accommodations in New York City, tickets to an exclusive fashion week show, a champagne style session at a high-profile boutique and an exciting variety of designer donations and pre-trip pampering.

The “Head for the Hollywood Hills” Package with transportation to and accommodations in Los Angeles, tickets to an upcoming movie premiere, a set tour of a prime-time television show and a series of stylish accessories to ensure you are red carpet ready.

The “Make Your Home Even More Beautiful” Package with an assortment of furniture and one-of-a kind finds from design industry experts across the country, transportation to and accommodations in New York City, a scouting trip with a New York-based design team and a special outing with the publisher of a national design magazine.

The “Get Your Game On” Package with VIP tickets to several of the country’s most exclusive sporting events, golf with a celebrated golf personality, a game dinner for six with matching cellar wines and a collection of athletic accoutrements and experiences that will make the sports lover in you salivate.

With packages of this nature, and a $50 per person ticket price, plus VIP packages of 10 tickets for $1,000, Morrison hopes that securing the funding the Center is hoping for will be a home run. As for business sponsors, they actually get something back in return for their sponsorship. Each receives a number of tickets that can be given to reward employees and clients.

Ultimately though, amongst the glitz, glamour, networking and bidding of the event, “Racing Under the Stars” is all about a night of fun and appreciation.

“The event is to showcase to others how they can make a difference. We as a community have power and relationships that we need to use to help the community,” Morrison said.

With this in mind, “Racing Under the Stars” gives individuals and businesses the chance to bring opportunity full circle—after all, this is what the Jubilee Center does and is all about, and for one special night, it’s also what they are offering the attendees of this unique event. Whether you love the Kentucky Derby or just want to have fun and give back at the same time, “Racing Under the Stars” offers a night that benefits its participants in an entertainment sense, with the long-term goal of benefitting more kids like Anderson, who might himself one day be one of those “stars.”

For additional information about “Racing Under the Stars,” as well as sponsorship opportunities and ticket locations, please visit the Jubilee’s Web site, www.jubileefamily.org.