WHAT: Summer Camp Bike-A-Thon to raise money and to collect books and bikes for Richmond’s Books On Wheels

* Come and enjoy FREE lemonade and cookies while our Summer Camp class bikes for a cause!
* Any donation of money, books and/ or bikes will be greatly appreciated!
WHEN: Friday, July 24, 2009 from 1:00 - 3:30
WHERE: MCV Child Care Center - N Deck Parking Cove, 607 North 10th Street, Richmond, VA

Books on Wheels will be providing free books and free bicycle repair at The Robinson Theater on Tuesday June 30th from 4-7 pm. This event is free and open to the public.

2903 Q St.
Richmond, VA 23223

News releases and media advisories

For immediate release:
6/8/2009

Mike Porter
VCU Communications and Public Relations
(804) 828-7037
mrporter@vcu.edu

VCU TV/HD Wins Two Regional Emmy Awards for Excellence

Virginia Commonwealth University’s VCU TV/HD won two regional Emmy Awards at the 51st Emmy Awards held on June 6 in Washington, D.C. The ceremony was sponsored by the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

VCU TV-HD received an Emmy in the category of “Documentary-Cultural” for “VCU Qatar.“ Lisa Figueroa was senior producer and Jordan Rodericks was producer for the program. In the category of “Public/Current/Community Affairs – Program/Special,” VCU TV/HD received an Emmy for “Chop Suey,” which was produced by Alexander Germanotta.

Another VCU TV/HD program was nominated in the “Public/Current/Community Affairs – Program/Special” category. “VCU Inside Out: Gary Sange” was produced by Michael Bell.

“We are really excited about winning these awards,” said Dan Brazda, VCU TV/HD executive producer. “Being awarded the Emmys is especially gratifying because we are a college operation that is essentially competing against broadcast stations and production facilities.”

VCU TV/HD is one of the first student-run operations in the country to produce programming in a high-definition format.

A partnership with Community Idea Stations, owned by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting, allows the programs to run on WCVW Richmond PBS channel 57 (cable channel 24 in the Richmond area.)

The programs can be downloaded and a complete schedule of broadcasts is available at http://www.vcutvhd.vcu.edu/shows/schedule.html. The programs can also be downloaded for free in iTunes in both the iPod and HD versions.

The Emmy Award submissions, which totaled 645 this year, were broadcast between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2008, and judged by panels assembled by the Heartland, Mid-America, Mid-Atlantic, San Francisco/Northern California, Ohio Valley and Suncoast chapters.

The National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was established in 1958-59 and is an organization composed of more than 700 television broadcast professionals dedicated to fostering and recognizing outstanding achievements in television production throughout the National Capital Chesapeake Bay region.

Dear Friends!

You all are familiar with Books on Wheels and our buses and, for the most part, how we operate in terms of providing free books and free bicycle repair as a mobile operation. In the last few months, Ward and I have decided that in order to expand and offer more to the Richmond community we would like to offer a grounded version of Books on Wheels called.. This Community Space will provide a great deal of interesting opportunities for Books on Wheels and the community:

1.       Storage space for more books and more bicycles/bicycle donations to be distributed back to the community

2.       A second donation location for those in the community making a donation

3.       A free book store! FREE BOOKS!

4.       A free workshop space that will provide FREE BICYCLE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE CLASSES! FREE LEARNING!

5.       A community minding space in order for volunteers to have an opportunity to work within the Richmond community in helping others who may not have the means to educational and transportation resources that are important to empowering people in their lives

Currently, we are trying to get the word out about our quest for a location. If anyone is aware of any spaces available for rent in the Richmond, Virginia area, please let us know! We are also more than happy to work on negotiating a shared space or a donated space for trade of fixing up a building. And, as always, as a 501 ( c) 3 non-profit organization, all donations, including the use of a space, are tax-deductible. Thanks for your support!

Books on Wheels is now officially using www.booksonwheels.org as our web address! Whoa!

Friends!! Books on Wheels is actively looking for a space to rent (or to have donated to us for use) to open a Community Center where we can take our mobile operation and make it a little more grounded. These are the perks of this in no particular order:

1. We can take more donations and store them
2. We will have room to become more organized with our books and bicycle parts
3. We will offer a free bookstore!
4. We will offer free classes on bicycle maintenance and repair!
5. This could be a tax-write off for someone who donates us space
6. We can now take people up on their offers to VOLUNTEER in a space
7. I will have something to do with my free time this summer (big plus)

SO, if anyone has any connects in the Church Hill area, that is where we would like to be. No need for bus parking at a space, but a garage is ideals.

Books on Wheels will be holding an event at Winchester Greens on Tuesday, June 16th from 3-6 pm.

Books on Wheels will be outside of the Richmond Kickers Soccer Game on Saturday June 6th beginning at 5:30. Come watch the action as Ward and I “kick” some books at ya!

“Score with Reading !” is an incentive-based program to encourage students to embrace reading. The program can be implemented as simply as a “promise” to read three books, but teachers have the flexibility to include additional goals, such as achievement of a student’s Accelerated Reader points (where applicable) for the final grading period. A parent or teacher signs the bookmark upon completion of their student’s/child’s goals which qualifies the student for two “complimentary” youth tickets to any regular season home game. Students pick-up their tickets at the “Score with Reading !” Will Call table located next to the Main Gate and Ticket Windows. Students present their bookmark, receive their tickets and are allowed to retain their bookmark.

Great Program that offers kids free tickets to kickers games for reading:

“The Richmond Kickers play our matches at the University of Richmond Stadium (just off the Downtown Expressway.) Our games start at 7 PM with the gates opening at 6 PM. We have a full compliment of concessions and a child-friendly environment. Directions to the stadium can be found here:

http://www.richmondkickers.com/aleague/88616.html

Our “Score with Reading !” celebrants are invited to participate in our “Schools Out” Festival on June 6th as the Richmond Kickers take on the Harrisburg City Islanders. Of course, students who are not available on June 6th have the flexibility to attend any regular season match. Our 2009 schedule can be found here:

http://www.uslsoccer.com/scripts/runisa.dll?M2.65948:gp:1353203786.522:72011+Elements/Display+E+46241+USL/+22375+13380778

Books on Wheels will be holding an event at St. Joseph’s Villa on Saturday April 25th.