Star City Cycling Scholarship Fund
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Star City Cycling is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to the growth of youth cycling. Our goal is to create a new generation of cycling enthusiasts in the Roanoke Valley, and to instill in each of our participants a life-long passion for the sport. After operating as the East Coasters Junior Team for 9 years, Star City Cycling was formed in early 2107 with the objective of expanding our program and providing opportunities for disadvantaged kids who would not otherwise be able to participate.
Since our founding in 2008, our programs and events have introduced countless local boys and girls to the joys of mountain biking and the thrill of competition. We believe that cycling is one of the most effective ways to promote a healthy lifestyle, encourage a love for the outdoors, and teach kids important lessons in self-reliance and determination. In addition, mountain biking provides unique opportunities for kids to learn healthy risk taking, and to approach obstacles as opportunities for success rather than excuses for failure.
WHY MOUNTAIN BIKING?
Mountain bike racing is different from other youth sports in a number of very important ways. Most kids who play traditional team sports never play again once they graduate from high school. Cycling can provide a lifetime of active enjoyment, long-term health benefits, and the opportunity to compete at almost any age.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of kids drop out of organized athletics completely by the age of 13, and one of the main reasons is that playing time becomes severely limited for all but the most talented athletes. In bike racing, there are no bench-warmers. Everyone gets to play, and no one ever sits on the sidelines.
Finally, bike racing provides a great opportunity for kids who are not drawn to or who don't excel in traditional team sports. Many of these kids are outstanding athletes who simply haven't found an outlet for their talents. Bike racing provides the chance for these kids to flourish.
Over the years, our team has amassed an impressive record of racing victories that includes numerous state championships, and national championship podium finishes. Winning races is fun, but that's not the reason why we place a heavy emphasis on competition. Our primary focus is on the positive experiences that bike racing can provide, win or lose, and on the development of strong character and sportsmanship in all of our riders. Racing provides an opportunity for kids to push themselves to achieve results they never imagined possible, and the confidence they gain through the sport carries over to every other aspect of their lives.
VISION
Our plan is to create scholarship opportunities for as many as a dozen members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia to join the Star City Cycling team. In addition to simply getting more kids involved in a sport that we are passionate about, we have a number of specific long-term objectives for this program. The first is to create an incentive for older kids to remain in the club through high school. With this in mind, we will require all scholarship recipients to be active members of the Boys & Girls Clubs as a condition of eligibility. We are also hoping to create a channel for positive interactions between diverse groups of kids at opposite ends of the socio-economic spectrum. This interaction will be equally beneficial for everyone involved since these are kids who might not otherwise ever meet in the course of their day-to-day lives. Finally, we're hopeful that a high visibility program will ultimately lead to an increase in minority participation in the sport.
ABOUT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs is to enable all young people, especially those most in need, to realize their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The club provides a safe place to learn and grow, ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals, life-enhancing programs and character development experiences. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence.
After considering a number of other organizations serving at-risk youth, we chose to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs because of their proven track record of success in improving the lives of young people, and because their character development goals are very much in line with those of Star City Cycling.
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS
In order to bring these kids on board, we will need to provide everything they need to be full participants in our program. This includes bikes, uniforms, equipment, travel expenses, race entry fees, and more. We estimate that the first year cost per child will be approximately $2500.00. This number does not include a number of additional expenses including transportation, bike maintenance, bike storage, insurance, etc.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Star City Cycling is a 100% volunteer organization and every dollar we receive goes directly into our program to benefit the kids. Contributions of any amount are welcome. The following list will give you an idea of what you can provide for a deserving child. All donations are fully tax deductible.
FULL SCHOLARSHIP: $2500.00
The full scholarship covers everything required for one child to participate with the Star City Cycling team for one year, including bike, uniforms, equipment, travel, race entry fees and more.
HALF SCHOLARSHIP: $1250.00
Covers 50% of the cost of everything required for one child to participate for one year with the team.
BIKE: $850.00
Covers the cost of an appropriate bike that will stand up to the rigors of regular team practices and races. Each child will be issued a bike that will remain the property of the team. Bikes will be passed down and traded among kids as they are outgrown.
RACE PACKAGE: $700.00
Pays for an entire season of race entry fees for one team member, including VAHS, NICA, and VORS.
CAMP & TRAVEL PACKAGE: $475.00
Covers the cost for one team member to attend our annual 3-day summer camp, plus travel related
expenses for a full season of racing.
UNIFORM PACKAGE: $200.00
This will outfit one team member with a complete uniform including jersey, shorts, helmet, hydration pack and gloves.
PEDAL PACKAGE: $150.00
Covers the cost of cycling shoes and clipless pedals for one team member.
TOOLKIT PACKAGE: $75.00
Provides everything needed to fix minor mechanical issues on the trail including spare tube, tire levers, C02 inflator, multi-tool and saddle bag.
BONUS SWAG PACKAGE: $50.00
Provides team sweatshirt, t-shirt, dufflebag and personalized helmet stickers for 1 team member.
TIME FRAME
The selection process for scholarship recipients will get underway as soon as school begins in August. Our goal is to be able to offer 2 or 3 fully funded scholarships immediately, and up to a dozen over the next year. Your contribution can help get some deserving kids into a great program. Thank you for your help.
For additional information, please visit http://starcitycycling.com/ and http://bgcswva.org/
Since our founding in 2008, our programs and events have introduced countless local boys and girls to the joys of mountain biking and the thrill of competition. We believe that cycling is one of the most effective ways to promote a healthy lifestyle, encourage a love for the outdoors, and teach kids important lessons in self-reliance and determination. In addition, mountain biking provides unique opportunities for kids to learn healthy risk taking, and to approach obstacles as opportunities for success rather than excuses for failure.
WHY MOUNTAIN BIKING?
Mountain bike racing is different from other youth sports in a number of very important ways. Most kids who play traditional team sports never play again once they graduate from high school. Cycling can provide a lifetime of active enjoyment, long-term health benefits, and the opportunity to compete at almost any age.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of kids drop out of organized athletics completely by the age of 13, and one of the main reasons is that playing time becomes severely limited for all but the most talented athletes. In bike racing, there are no bench-warmers. Everyone gets to play, and no one ever sits on the sidelines.
Finally, bike racing provides a great opportunity for kids who are not drawn to or who don't excel in traditional team sports. Many of these kids are outstanding athletes who simply haven't found an outlet for their talents. Bike racing provides the chance for these kids to flourish.
Over the years, our team has amassed an impressive record of racing victories that includes numerous state championships, and national championship podium finishes. Winning races is fun, but that's not the reason why we place a heavy emphasis on competition. Our primary focus is on the positive experiences that bike racing can provide, win or lose, and on the development of strong character and sportsmanship in all of our riders. Racing provides an opportunity for kids to push themselves to achieve results they never imagined possible, and the confidence they gain through the sport carries over to every other aspect of their lives.
VISION
Our plan is to create scholarship opportunities for as many as a dozen members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia to join the Star City Cycling team. In addition to simply getting more kids involved in a sport that we are passionate about, we have a number of specific long-term objectives for this program. The first is to create an incentive for older kids to remain in the club through high school. With this in mind, we will require all scholarship recipients to be active members of the Boys & Girls Clubs as a condition of eligibility. We are also hoping to create a channel for positive interactions between diverse groups of kids at opposite ends of the socio-economic spectrum. This interaction will be equally beneficial for everyone involved since these are kids who might not otherwise ever meet in the course of their day-to-day lives. Finally, we're hopeful that a high visibility program will ultimately lead to an increase in minority participation in the sport.
ABOUT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs is to enable all young people, especially those most in need, to realize their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The club provides a safe place to learn and grow, ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals, life-enhancing programs and character development experiences. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence.
After considering a number of other organizations serving at-risk youth, we chose to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs because of their proven track record of success in improving the lives of young people, and because their character development goals are very much in line with those of Star City Cycling.
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS
In order to bring these kids on board, we will need to provide everything they need to be full participants in our program. This includes bikes, uniforms, equipment, travel expenses, race entry fees, and more. We estimate that the first year cost per child will be approximately $2500.00. This number does not include a number of additional expenses including transportation, bike maintenance, bike storage, insurance, etc.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Star City Cycling is a 100% volunteer organization and every dollar we receive goes directly into our program to benefit the kids. Contributions of any amount are welcome. The following list will give you an idea of what you can provide for a deserving child. All donations are fully tax deductible.
FULL SCHOLARSHIP: $2500.00
The full scholarship covers everything required for one child to participate with the Star City Cycling team for one year, including bike, uniforms, equipment, travel, race entry fees and more.
HALF SCHOLARSHIP: $1250.00
Covers 50% of the cost of everything required for one child to participate for one year with the team.
BIKE: $850.00
Covers the cost of an appropriate bike that will stand up to the rigors of regular team practices and races. Each child will be issued a bike that will remain the property of the team. Bikes will be passed down and traded among kids as they are outgrown.
RACE PACKAGE: $700.00
Pays for an entire season of race entry fees for one team member, including VAHS, NICA, and VORS.
CAMP & TRAVEL PACKAGE: $475.00
Covers the cost for one team member to attend our annual 3-day summer camp, plus travel related
expenses for a full season of racing.
UNIFORM PACKAGE: $200.00
This will outfit one team member with a complete uniform including jersey, shorts, helmet, hydration pack and gloves.
PEDAL PACKAGE: $150.00
Covers the cost of cycling shoes and clipless pedals for one team member.
TOOLKIT PACKAGE: $75.00
Provides everything needed to fix minor mechanical issues on the trail including spare tube, tire levers, C02 inflator, multi-tool and saddle bag.
BONUS SWAG PACKAGE: $50.00
Provides team sweatshirt, t-shirt, dufflebag and personalized helmet stickers for 1 team member.
TIME FRAME
The selection process for scholarship recipients will get underway as soon as school begins in August. Our goal is to be able to offer 2 or 3 fully funded scholarships immediately, and up to a dozen over the next year. Your contribution can help get some deserving kids into a great program. Thank you for your help.
For additional information, please visit http://starcitycycling.com/ and http://bgcswva.org/
Organizer
Chris Berry
Organizer
Roanoke, VA
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