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BridgeAtSchools, Inc. |
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Are you interested in being a sponsor for this worthwhile event? BridgeAtSchools is a 501 c 3 non profit organization and all donations are tax deductible. Contact us.
Please read about the Van the Man game in a letter from the Laurel Bridge Club President
Learn the History of Van the Man
September 5, 2002
The Laurel Bridge Club Cordially Invites You to Sponsor a Unique Opportunity!
Two Youth-Oriented Programs Involve Communities to Keep Children
Safe and in the Care of Adult Mentors: The Mid-night Basketball League
and BridgeAtSchools, Inc.
Each year for the past 10 years, the Laurel Bridge Club has held
a fundraiser – the “Van the Man” Game – to benefit The Mid-night Basketball
League. The founder of the Mid-night Basketball League, G. Van Standifer, was an
avid bridge player and a personal friend of many of the members of the
club, so the event holds a special place in our hearts.
BridgeAtSchools, Inc. is a new 501 (c) (3) organization with a mission
remarkably similar to that of the Mid-night Basketball League but using
the game of bridge. Since the primary focus of the “Van the Man” game itself is a bridge event,
we have expanded the scope of our annual fundraiser to include a youth
bridge competition to raise awareness and funds for this new program which
it is hoped will grow and become a nationwide success.
On the evening of Saturday, November 16, 2002, from 5:00pm to approximately
12:00am at the Deerfield Run Community Center, 13000 Laurel-Bowie Road,
Laurel, MD, you have an opportunity to sponsor this unique dual-fundraiser. The spotlighted organizations share a common goal: keeping children safe and off the streets in the care of adult mentors
who provide counsel and advice in the game the children happen to love…
and in the game of life.
The “Van the Man” game holds many interests besides a fun night of
bridge:
§ Dinner buffet begins at 6:00pm. All prepared dishes and drinks are donated.
§ Donated merchandise is sold in a silent auction. The Laurel Bridge Club will display donations at the club’s space until
the day of the event.
§ Many wonderful prizes are raffled, ranging from 12 desserts of the month
to a wine-and-cheese basket to a pair of tickets to a Redskins game. Use your imagination!
§ Bridge pros are auctioned beginning at 7:30pm. This is one of the highlights of the evening and for many players, a rare
chance to play with one of the game’s best.
§ Youth tournament will honor individuals with good citizenship awards.
Although the event has grown every year since it began, we expect
unprecedented growth and attention this year as parents, educators, and
the media will be invited. The geographic reach of our audience continues to expand, too, to Northern
Virginia and Delaware, and some of these people stay overnight in the immediate
area.
On the following pages, you will find a brief history of the Mid-night
Basketball League and BridgeAtSchools, Inc. and a detailed list of sponsorship
opportunities.
We hope you will give serious consideration to this unique opportunity
to support two important causes and help us reach our 2002 goal of $20,000.
Sincerely,
Mary K. Dresser
Owner and President
Laurel Bridge Club, Inc.
*****
History of The Mid-night Basketball League and BridgeAtSchools, Inc.
The Mid-night Basketball League was founded in 1986 by the late G. Stan Vandifer when he was Town Manager
of Glenarden, Maryland. With volunteers from the community and law enforcement agencies, he started
a series of basketball games, targeting boys 16-21 years old, especially
the high school drop-outs and the jobless. Games are played between the hours of 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM when this group
is seeking an outlet for their energy, curiosity, and frustrations. Many of these boys have no other place to go. During the initial summer, the program ran without incident, gained increasing
public support, and became a source of public pride. Incidentally, the crime rate in Glenarden fell 60% during the program’s
first year.
The program now provides mandatory workshops, led by law enforcement and adult mentors, which are designed
to develop marketable skills with an emphasis on trade and technical schooling. Other workshops focus on drug and alcohol abuse, prepare participants for
GED examination, or promote self-esteem and other social skills. A recipient of former President Bush’s 1000 Points of Light award, the
league today is embraced by law enforcement, county political leaders,
US Congressional leaders, and more importantly, by the young people and
families it serves. An unexpected benefit of the league is spectator attendance at games. Young people – girlfriends, siblings, and friends – who might ordinarily
congregate on dangerous street corners now meet in the gymnasium, a drug-free
and safe environment.
The program has grown to 75 communities nationwide, and a national
league now operates, holding regional and organized tournaments. Funds are needed for equipment, uniforms, supplies, security, referees,
insurance, etc.
BridgeAtSchools, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) organization founded in 2002 in response to increased demand from schools and parents for high-quality after-school programs that reinforce basic skills, promote self-esteem and personal development, and encourage family participation. Late afternoon and evening hours are high-risk times for many young people, and bridge programs provide a drug-free and safe environment for them while improving their education. Bridge is undoubtedly the most comprehensive game of skill yet devised, requiring spatial reasoning, inference, communication skills, memory, and decision-making. BridgeAtSchools is beginning research studies this fall to demonstrate how much improvement children in grades 4-8 register in math, critical thinking, and social skills when introduced to bridge with a formal curriculum developed by BridgeAtSchools. This new curriculum is aligned to an impressive list of 25 national education standards for grades K-12 and will eventually seek endorsement by the US Department of Education.
One of the other wonderful advantages of bridge is that it integrates people of all backgrounds and abilities and allows each to learn and grow at one’s own pace amidst the support of the larger group.
The bridge community is partnering with schools by providing mentors to the children and teachers and by hosting inter-school competitions at sanctioned bridge tournaments. These participating bridge communities are affiliated with the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL), the main sanctioning body for duplicate bridge tournaments in North America, boasting 165,000+ loyal members. The Washington Bridge League and Maryland Bridge Association are two of the largest and most active bridge units in the ACBL and have a proud history of fundraising and trendsetting for the rest of the bridge community.
Funds are needed to support research studies at schools, curriculum development, inter-school youth competitions, marketing to schools, grant writing, etc.
*****
“Van the Man” Game…A Dual Benefit for
The Mid-night Basketball League and BridgeAtSchools, Inc.
Dinner, Prize Auction, Raffles, and Bridge Celebrity Auction
Date: November 16, 2002
Time: Youth Game 5:30pm, Dinner 6:00pm, Celebrity Auction and Game 7:30pm
Location: Deerfield Run Elementary School, 13000 Laurel-Bowie Road, Laurel,
MD
Event attendance: 200+, including parents, children, and bridge pros
Gold Sponsorship – Youth Sponsor $1,000
· Benefits at the Event site
o Corporate Banner and Logo displayed during the event
o Participation in naming and presenting special youth awards
o 4 dinner passes
· Benefits to Promote Presence at Event
o Announcement in local bridge publications (over 7,000 subscribers)
o Mention in tournament promotional flyer
o Mention on BridgeAtSchools website (visible to 165,000+ ACBL members)
o Press releases to local newspapers and bridge publications (mid-Atlantic)
Silver Sponsorship – Sponsor a Pro So More Pros Will Attend!
$ 500
· Benefits at the Event site
o Corporate Banner and Logo displayed during the event
o 2 dinner passes
o Play with pro or participate in drawing a winner who will play with pro
· Benefits to Promote Presence at Event
o Announcement in local bridge publications (over 7,000 subscribers)
o Mention on BridgeAtSchools website (visible to 165,000+ ACBL members)
Bronze Sponsorship – Great Visibility in the Region
$ 250
· Benefits at the Event site
o Corporate Banner and Logo displayed during the event
· Benefits to Promote Presence at Event
o Mention on BridgeAtSchools website (visible to 165,000+ ACBL members)
In-Kind Sponsorships
· Food: Donated entrees, side dishes, soft drinks, and desserts are sold to generate
proceeds. Sponsor may display sign in food area at event.
· Silent Auction/Raffle Prizes: Merchandise is displayed at the Laurel Bridge Club approximately one
month before the event and sold to silent bidders at the event to generate
proceeds. Signage for each donated prize may bear sponsor’s name.