Parks and Rec

Parks and Rec

Jennifer-HellierJennifer Hellier is the proud mama of a 3 year old son and the Special Events coordinator for the Fredericksburg Parks and Recreation Department. Keep in touch with what's going on in your community by following her blog about park happenings and special events designed for the whole family!

Building Stronger Family and Community Bonds with the Soap Box Derby

 Let me get up on my Soap Box and…..

 If you have not heard about the Soap Box Derby, it has a long history in the City of Fredericksburg and throughout the nation. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the All American Soap Box Derby and hopefully the revival of this great community event.

 Ask any kid who has ever raced in the derby what makes the event special and you will get a number of answers. “It’s fun”, “I get to spend time with my family”, “I like racing down the hill, building the car, winning a trophy”, etc. You get the point: they're learning and developing new skills but in a super-fun way that does not require an electronic device!

 The derby is the type of event that helps build stronger family and community bonds. Mom and dad, pull out your tool box and help your child build the car! He or she will learn how to steer and brake, take their car through inspections and more. It truly is a family sport!

soap-box-1

 The derby brings so many positives to each family who participates as well as to the hosting community, which is why it is so disappointing to see this tradition going by the wayside. Each year the number of competitors drops and as one of the race coordinators, I struggle with finding a reason why.

 Corbin Bernsen, most known for his roles in Major League, L.A. Law and more recently Psych, feels the same way and has dedicated his time and money to helping save this great tradition. After reading an article about how the national race organization lost its major sponsor and was more than likely going to have to put an end to the national race, Bernsen stepped in, writing and directing the movie, 25 Hill. It is a movie about saving the soap box derby and the values he believes it instills in our community: Respect, Teamwork, Family and Community.

 “I have four kids,” Bernsen said in an article published in the Pittsburgh Tribune. “I think about them. I think about the country and what we are handing off to them. There’s something about the Derby, when I see these kids coming together. If I can reproduce that over and over, those are our building blocks to a better economy, a new America. That’s the way I see it.”

 Bernsen put his money where his mouth is and actually came to Fredericksburg last November, promoting his movie and local derbies everywhere by giving half of the proceeds of the movie sales to local races. You can check him out in our video on www.fredericksburgsoapbox.comwww.fredericksburgsoapbox.com. My point in bringing this up is that the derby and those traditions may be falling by the wayside, but with a few more Fredericksburg families with Bernsen's enthusiasm, we can resurrect the event in our town!

soap-box-2

Kids today are more prone to watching TV, playing video games and posting on their Facebook page than actually gaining life experiences. The days of “go outside and play” have been replaced by modern technology and apps like Angry Birds. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good game of Angry Birds when I have a free moment, however, we need to build back up the traditional values of being a part of something bigger than ourselves. The derby is a great way for you to start bringing your family together and be a part of your own community!

 Is there a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than bonding with your kids over how to build a derby car? What about the pride they feel when they cross the finish line a winner? Every competitor in our race receives a medal, a competitor t-shirt, a goody bag with prizes donated by local companies and the feeling that they belong to something bigger than themselves. Respect, Tradition, Family and Community: don’t let these values become a thing of the past.

There are two weeks left to register for the Soap Box Derby. You don’t need to spend a lot of money buying a car. We believe in the derby so much, we will try and find a car for every kid who wants to race. All you have to do is register them and give us a call. Start the tradition in your family, build a memory, and give your child the gift of an experience rather than more screen time.

 For kids ages 9-17

Three divisions: Stock, Super Stock and Masters – see website for details

Registration Deadline: End of April

Fee: $50

Race Date: June 16th

www.fredericksburgsoapbox.comwww.fredericksburgsoapbox.com

Call Alvin Staples at 540-786-5930 for help finding a car. We have numerous cars that need drivers.

Call Jennifer Hellier at 540-372-1086 x 215 if you want to volunteer your time at the event or become a sponsor.

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Nurture your children’s creativity and enter their artwork in the Children’s Art Show

Children love to create, and moms usually have a stack of their child’s artwork sitting in a special place while they try to decide what to do with it all.

While there are many options, the best one is to enter their creations in the Parks and Recreation Children’s Art Show. The show has been in existence for over ten years and is a treasured community event. Children ranging from age 4 through 12 grade enter their artwork in a number of different categories including: pen and pencil, crayons and pastels, paints, markers, 3-D sculpture and mixed media. Ribbons are awarded for 1st -4th place and small cash prizes are given in the 8-12th grade division.

The exhibit provides parents the opportunity to nurture their children’s creativity and show their children they are proud of their accomplishments. It also gives the children a moment to shine.

JoAnne Jones, Supervisor of Leisure Services for the Parks and Recreation Department had some wonderful comments about the show and said, “With so much focus on athletics, we sometimes forget that talent goes across the board in many areas. I would encourage the kids to get out try, even if they have never done it before. It’s another avenue to grow and create life experience. The children are so proud when they present their work of art to their parents, grandparents, siblings and friends.”

Want to enter your children’s artwork in the show? Here are the details:

Go to www.fredericksburgva.govwww.fredericksburgva.gov under Parks and Recreation / Special Events to download the entry form. There is a $5 fee for the first two works of art and $5 fee for each additional work, up to four per child.

Bring the artwork and entry form to the Dorothy Hart Community Center located at 408 Canal St. Thursday, March 15 between 12-8pm and Friday, March 16th between the hours of 10am -4pm.

Invite family members and friends to attend the opening reception on Wednesday March 21st between 6-8 pm for a fun filled evening of refreshments and awesome art.

Encourage friends, family and community members to attend the show from March 22nd-24th at the Community Center.

Have questions? Call the Parks and Recreation Dept. at (540) 372-1086. Be a part of your community and show your support for our local young artists!

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Celebrity Corbin Bernsen comes to Fredericksburg!

Although the City of Fredericksburg has long held the tradition of the Rappahannock Soap Box derby down William St. hill, not many folks know that there is a national race association that supports the local derbies, the AASBD. Unfortunately the AASBD lost its major sponsor and was facing financial difficulties which ultimately might have meant the derby’s demise.

Enter celebrity Corbin Bernsen. Bernsen read about the financial difficulties the AASBD was having and decided he could do something about it to help. He wrote, produced, directed and starred in the upcoming movie, 25 Hill, a patriotic, heart thumping film about saving the Soap Box Derby.

And on Nov. 5th, 2011 he’s giving you the chance to help support the derby by attending a FREE movie screening right here in Fredericksburg at the Marquee Cinemas in Southpointe.  Bernsen will be on hand at the screening to speak about the film and will later appear at Wegmans to meet fans and sign autographs.

“The derby is a wonderful tradition – the kind we have too few of these days, “ said Bernsen. “We want to celebrate the derby, to honor it and promote it, and we need the help of Fredericksburg to do it.”

Fredericksburg has long held the tradition of the largest race in the nation and we want all our fans to come out and show their support for the Soap Box Derby. Here’s how:

 

  • Show up at the Marquee Cinemas at 5800 Southpointe Blvd. in Fredericksburg at 10:30 AM. Movie starts at 11 AM.

 

  • Show up at Wegmans between 2:30 -3:30 PM to meet Corbin Bernsen. He will be autographing 25 Hill DVD’s which will be available for purchase for $12.99

 

  • Help support your local derby. Know anyone who owns a business and would be interested in helping sponsor the Rappahannock Soap Box Derby? Have them call (540) 372-1086 x 215 or visit www.fredericksburgderby.comwww.fredericksburgderby.com

 

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to attend a free movie screening and see Corbin Bernsen!! Don’t miss out! Save the Dream, Save the Tradition, Save the Derby!!

  

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What type of events do you want to see in your community?

As a special event planner, I am always fascinated by the role the community plays in shaping how the city does business. I started thinking about the special events the city and various groups provide and thought to myself, “If the community as a whole could plan or pick an event to come to city, what would they pick”?

Well , I want to know and now I’m asking. I can sit and plan events all day long here at my desk but if they don’t matter to you, they have no purpose in helping sustain and support the community, then are they really relevant?

Most of my events involve children, including: Picnic in the Park, Children’s Art Show, Children’s Art Expo, and the Soap Box Derby. Being a mom myself and a special event planner, my son rarely gets to attend an event and give me his personal feelings or feedback on what he liked most about a certain event. And he is only three years old so the feedback might be a little random like “I liked the purple one”. So I am asking all the moms out there to help me plan the 2012 Fredericksburg Parks and Recreation event season.

Is there a certain event you would like to see brought to the community (children or adult event)? Are there certain performers you would like to see at the 2012 Picnic in the Park concert series? What types of activities do you think are missing from our children’s events? Are there certain classes or programs you would like to see offered by the city?

Leave your comments below or respond to the post on Fredericksburg Parent’s facebook page and let me know. I want to hear from you - Happy planning!

  

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Picnic in the Parks returns for September!

Picnic in the Park is returning for its last month in 2011. This popular concert series formerly known as "Lunch at Hurkamp" will begin again on Sept. 13th at Riverfront Park. We have some awesome performers, lots of great activities and of course, Fredericksburg Parent!!

September 13th we welcome a new performer to Picnic in the Park. Mary James aka "Mean Mary" is known for her awesome banjo playing skills and her interaction with the audience. This performer is great at getting the kids up and moving. She plays 11 instruments and was reading and playing music before she could read words. Mary also has her own local TV show in her hometown of Nashville called Never Ending Street that features the trials and tribulations of a traveling musician. Be sure not to miss her!

Gerry Maddox, (Island Gerry) is a singer/guitarist and songwriter in the Fredericksburg/Stafford area of Virginia. He started a solo career in early 2001 and has been performing for audiences from the shores of Maryland, to the Florida Keys and Mexico. Gerry performs music by Bob Marley,  Kenny Chesney, Eric Clapton, John Mayer and Jimmy Buffett to name a few.

Will Gravatt will be closing out the season, giving the audience one more chance to see him play before the season is over. Will is well known around the area and has a large following of faithful fans. Get there early and make sure to get a seat.

We will also be featuring our Touch-a-Truck program for children of all ages. This is a great hands on learning experience. Our Touch-a-Truck schedule is as follows:
Sept. 13th  - Coleman Tow Truck
Sept. 20th  - Maranatha Alpacas and Chick-fil-a cow
Sept. 27th  - EOD Robots

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