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Toys for Tots 2007
Mon Dec 03, 2007
in a word.... THANKS!!!!
We had another successful charity run. I don't have an actual count on the toys but 45 rigs showed up on a freezing Sunday morning and literally filled a mini van with new toys to donate to Toys For Tots. we sold thru all our commemorative stickers donated by Berkshire4Wheelers and pulled in $124 which I used to buy another 25 toys tonight.. we never hooked up with any US Marines so I will be donating them this week to a TFT collection point.
I'm glad everyone had a great time even though there were quite a few trail-breaks on both of the harder trails.
thanks you all once again for helping EC4WDA Region D and Berkshire4Wheelers give back to our local communities!!
President
Mike Chapline
Sidriptide
EC4WDA 4-wheel Food Drive 2007
Local food drives help curb hunger, make Thanksgiving
By Susan Bush, Transcript Correspondent
Article Launched: 11/05/2007 11:13:54 AM EST
Monday, November 5
NORTH ADAMS — Nearly 9,000 pounds of non-perishable canned or boxed food was delivered to the North Adams Armory during Saturday's dual food drives, and the final food collection totals will likely rise higher as donations from surrounding communities haven't been calculated yet.
Those participating with a Berkshire 4-Wheelers "club ride" donated 650 pounds of goods, while U.S. Postal Service letter carriers working in the city delivered a whopping 8,220 pounds of food, Marie T. Harpin, Northern Berkshire Community Action area director, said during a Sunday morning interview.
"I'm happy with it, and we haven't even tallied up what came in to Adams and Williamstown," she said, referring to the postal service's food collection effort.
The postal service undertaking has delivered more 50,000 pounds of food to local food pantries over the past 14 years. The four-wheeler group marked its third year of supporting Northern Berkshire food pantries with the Saturday collection.
"I really want to thank the four-wheeler group for the supermarket gift certificates they provided as well," Harpin said. "That will make a big difference to area families for
Thanksgiving. I just found out that the Western Massachusetts Food Bank will be providing the NBCA food pantry with three cases of turkeys — which is 12 turkeys.
She added, "What I've been able to do, with money donated throughout the year, was buy holiday meal packs from the SHARE program. I purchased 75 packages, which cost $1,725, and with the gift certificates from the four-wheeler group, I will be able to buy turkeys for more families. Because of what I could buy from the SHARE program and the gift certificates, no family that needs help with a holiday dinner will get turned down."
The New England SHARE program offers food packages to families and individuals at greatly reduced cost. Ordering options include special holiday dinner packs — the packages Harpin ordered include a 12- to 14-pound turkey, 5 pounds of potatoes, 1 pound each of carrots and butternut squash, along with stuffing mix, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls, and 3 pounds of apples at a cost of $23 — as well as monthly meal bundles that include a changing selection of meats and vegetables.
For instance, a November meal pack includes 1 pound of Salisbury-style steaks, 1 pound of breaded butterfly shrimp, a variety of vegetables and fruits and a 12-ounce container of peanut butter and sells for $22. A Northern Berkshire SHARE group is led by Nelson and Crystal Ogert. Food pick-up is at the St. John's Church. Additional information about the Northern Berkshire SHARE program is available by calling 413-664-7400.
Postal-service workers should be praised for their efforts, Harpin said.
"I want to let everyone know how much the work of the postal workers is appreciated," she said. "It's wonderful that they were out there collecting all this food while they were doing the very important work of delivering mail on a Saturday, and I want to thank all the community members who donated."
A community-service contingent from Central and Southern Berkshires were among those who spent the morning at the armory. The five volunteers helped prepare the large storage area for deliveries and assembled large cardboard boxes destined to serve as carriers for donated items.
"I know people need to eat and I am part of helping with that by being here," said Xavier Sepolveda, 17, of Pittsfield.
Pittsfield resident Kenneth Hover agreed.
"Food is a necessity and I'm glad to help out with feeding people." he said.
"It feels good to be here and know that what I'm doing will help people," said 19-year-old Justin Daley of Lee.
Local volunteers included the Ogerts, David Babcock and Bernard Roberts.
Michael Chapline, Berkshire 4-Wheelers president noted that food donors came from throughout the state, including Billerica, West Springfield and Charlton, as well as parts of Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York.
The club is part of a larger four-wheel organization, the East Coast Four-Wheel Drive Association. Members frequently enjoy driving four-wheel-drive Jeeps and a mix of trucks along old, no longer maintained municipal roadways. The hobby is becoming increasingly challenging, as states and communities tighten laws around such pursuits.
The Northern Berkshire and Southern Vermont region has been among the more welcoming locales, Chapline said. Groups such as the Berkshire 4-Wheelers respect private property and act appropriately when on rides but pay the price when those lacking respect for landowners and laws destroy property or create other problems, he said.
"We really face a lot of misconceptions about what we do," he said. "We are fighting a stereotype, and we are trying to fight a state (Massachusetts) that makes it hard for us to be legal when we go out."
He added, "There are places in the Northern Berkshires and Southern Vermont where we are welcomed, and we really appreciate it," he said. "That's why we do the food drive. We want the communities and the people to know that we are very thankful for the chance to come out here and ride."
The Berkshire 4-Wheelers participate with additional charities. On Dec. 2 the group will host a Toys for Tots event in Westfield.
"We really try to support people and communities," Chapline said.
It was all music to Harpin's ears. Many working families toil for minimum wage or slightly higher paychecks and face difficult choices that include buying healthy foods or paying rising utility bills, she said. Most wages have not kept up with rising vehicle fuel, heating fuel and food costs, she noted. Child care costs for working families are another budget-eater.
"I look forward every year to the postal food drive because it definitely helps fill community needs," Harpin said. "And the four-wheeler group has been helping the Northern Berkshire community for the past two years, with this year making three years of helping out. Do I like it? Are you kidding me? I love it."
EC4WDA 4-wheel Food Drive 2006
Four-Wheel Fight Against Hunger
By Susan Bush - November 04, 2006
Bruce Conroy, Marie Harpin, and Michael Chapline at a EC4WD Region D sponsored food drive held Nov. 4.
North Adams - Needy Northern Berkshire children may find more on their plates over the coming weeks thanks to over an estimated 200 pounds of food delivered to the Berkshire Community Action agency's Northern Berkshire office on Nov. 4.
NBCA office coordinator and City Councilor Marie Harpin stood outside at the rear of the 85 Main St. building that hosts the NBCA food pantry. She shivered in the Saturday morning cold but smiled as bags of canned goods and other non-perishable goods piled up.
"Look at these guys, coming up here to do this," she said. "It's unbelievable."
"These guys" included a few gals as well and the entire entourage belong to various four-wheel drive vehicle, off road riding organizations that comprise the East Coast 4-Wheel Drive Association. About 25 members traveled from parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and New York to participate in the food drive. Clubs affiliated with the EC4WDA include Rock Attitude 4-Wheelers, CTJEEP.org, Adirondack jeeps, Hudson Valley 4-Wheelers, Underground Jeepers, UCONN Off Road Club, 4ROC-NE, Eastern 4-Wheelers, TTORA-NE,Long Island Off Road, and Berkshire 4-Wheelers.
The event marked the second consecutive year that EC4WDA members hosted the food drive to benefit the NBCA. In 2005, an off-road ride charged an "entry fee" of non-perishable items. Ride participants donated a $168 check as well as a $26 cash donation.
During the Nov. 4 food drive, Eastern 4-Wheelers member and drive organizer Michael Chapline won a 50/50 raffle and immediately donated his $83 winnings to the NBCA.
Clubs affiliated with the EC4WDA are dedicated to offering thanks to communities that support their off road activities, Chapline said.
Club members believe that verbal thanks are not enough, he said. Food drives, trail clean-ups, and toy drives are among the mechanisms for delivering tangible benefits to communities, he said.
"A lot of us who are involved in organized four-wheeling spend a lot of time up here and we appreciate the local support," he said. "We want to do things for the communities that continue to support us."
Chapline's daughters Ashley,11, and Rachael, 10, volunteered their services as well, and helped Harpin transport bags of groceries to a fifth-floor storage area. The sisters then unloaded the bags from carts.
Two organized rides were planned to follow the food drive. One group planned to tackle Old Florida Road and two groups planned to navigate along County Road in Bennington County, Vermont.
The contributions that come from the off-road riders are a great help to the food pantry, she said. The food pantry serves those who reside in the Northern Berkshire region. Food is given free to those who are income-eligible and who need help feeding their families.
"This is the second year that these people have come together and come up here to help us out," she said. "This has been a great asset to the agency."
Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or at 802-823-9367.
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