Courtesy Baton Rouge CVB
Community service projects don’t have to involve a lot of time or effort to have an impact. Helping others can be as simple as a donation of old or unused items.
David Bradley, director of convention sales for the Valley Forge CVB, has overseen what he calls “round ups” for community organizations.
For example, during the CVB’s annual run to benefit Valley Forge National Historical Park, participants are asked to donate old running shoes, which are shredded and used as playground surfaces. Another group had members donate old cell phones to be reused by the needy.
“They all brought their old phones, and we had a big box to donate,” said Bradley. “It was as easy as that.”
At Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., a meeting group in early February had a fundraiser in conjunction with a reception and dinner. Before the meeting, attendees received a list of items needed by the Marine Mammal Care Center, including Post-It notes, pens, plastic gloves, trash bags and dish soap. Attendees brought the items to the reception.
When the U.S. Bowling Congress Open Championships departs Baton Rouge, La., in mid-July after five months of competition, it will leave lumber it used to build 48 temporary bowling lanes at the Baton Rouge River Center.
The local chapter of Habitat for Humanity will receive the lumber; there’s enough to build five three-bedroom homes, according to USBC Open Championship media relations manager Matt Cannizzaro.
USBC began donating the lumber in 2002, when its competitions were in Billings, Mont.
“When we build now, we make the effort to find a charity like that so that our materials will be used — so, in essence, we live on in the city even after the championships are gone,” said Cannizzaro.
