Beachcombers Corvette Club becomes a "Friend for Habitat"

The Virginia Peninsula Habitat for Humanity Chapter began a program targeting smaller social clubs in the area to participate in sponsoring a Habitat Home recently.  The program encourages social clubs to donate $1000 or more towards sponsoring a Habitat home.  Those clubs participating are considered "Friends for Habitat" and will be included in the sponsorship of an upcoming Habitat Home on the Peninsula.

One of the "Friend" clubs is the Beachcombers Corvette Club of Hampton Roads and they chose not just to donate but to have a Vettes for Habitat day where club members drive their Corvettes to a Habitat Home and get involved in the Habitat legacy of having volunteers actually work to build the houses.

Saturday May 15, 2010 eleven Beachcombers arrived at 2501 Oak Street in Newport News in eight corvettes to help build Habitat's 25^th Anniversary home for Glenda Knighton and her daughter Oleta.

Paul was the Habitat construction foreman on site for the day to lead the efforts and assure the "Vette Volunteers" were working safely.  Ms. Knighton was there putting in some of her 400+ hours of "sweat equity" into the house as well as Jo Phelps, the current Ms. Virginia in her sash and crown swinging a hammer.

Tony Watson, a Beachcomber member and Ferguson Enterprises representative on the local Habitat Board of Directors was excited to see the enthusiastic turnout and proud of the club both for its contribution and for the work accomplished Saturday.  "It's really special to see a home come together for a family like Glenda's and to see the Beachcombers willing to sweat along side her to make her dream of home ownership come true."

The Beachcombers rounded out the day with a cruise from Newport News to Yorktown, across the Colonial Parkway to the Jamestown Ferry, before winding up a GREAT day in Smithfield at a Beachcomber member's 19^th century restored farmhouse for refreshments and tales of the day!

Saturday's Work Crew:

Left to Right:  Rob Clyburn, Arthur Coppage, Jo Phelps, Glenda Knighton, George Smith, Lorraine Patterson, Tony Watson, Regina Kocher, Judy Teigler, Terrisa Lark, "Dutch" Van Sloten (second row). Gordon Patterson and Paul (Foreman) (not pictured)