The Friday Finish – January 3, 2025
Get Bows – Cardinals Host First Archery Tournament
As the referee blows the whistle twice (the “Get Bows” signal), archers take their bows and walk to the 10 meter line. “Take your stance,” the referee says as the Red Bird Christian School (RBCS) Archery Team stands tall with one foot over the line. Remembering the “11 Steps to Archery Success,” archers are ready. The team, split into two groups, shoots 15 arrows at targets 10 meters away followed by 15 arrows at the 15 meter distance. Parents, family and friends watch proudly in the stands to witness the first tournament hosted by the (RBCS) Archery Team.
Monday’s tournament was not a traditional one but was a “virtual competition” with other teams across Kentucky that was supporting a meaningful cause, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Teams did not pay the customary entry fee. Instead, coaches and archers asked for donations. By participating in the National Archery School Program (NASP) virtual tournament for St. Jude’s, Red Bird Christian School’s priority on service aligned with the NASP mission to raise funds for a cause that directly benefits children in need. The RBCS Archery Team raised nearly $300 to contribute to the NASP St. Jude E-Championship Charity Tournament total of $5,520 raised thus far this season.
All archers improved significantly and their scores were loaded into the NASP online database. Top scorers at RBCS were the following: 1st- Aiden Smallwood, 2nd- Braxton Asher, 3rd- Sarah “Katniss Everdeen” Adams. Coaches, family and friends proudly congratulate all archers and have high hopes for a successful and exciting season.
Charity Is Back!
They say that if you come to visit Red Bird and step into the Red Bird River, you’ll be back! We don’t know if Charity Gilbert waded out into the river when she came to Red Bird last summer for an internship, but she’s back at Red Bird Mission as the new Community Aid Coordinator.
We featured Charity in the July 5th “Friday Finish” and her experience during that internship that was part of her future plans to pursue a master’s degree in counseling after finishing her Appalachian Studies bachelor’s degree at Berea College in December. Little did we know in July that Red Bird would blessed a second time to have Charity back as full time staff assisting families with basic needs.
She didn’t take long to settle in to her work. She’s on the far left in the photo of the New Year’s Eve commodity distribution on Tuesday.
An Added Difference – Meat Grinder, Radios and Wrapping Paper
Red Bird Mission makes a difference for thousands of people each year providing basic needs and services because donors give the financial and in kind support necessary. Three donors that give financially and volunteer recently gave additional in kind donations that demonstrated their desire to provide improved service and opportunities.
Dozens of residents have used the commercial equipment of the Red Bird Valley Kitchen (RBVK) for large scale food production for home or market. Hunters have been using the RBVK commercial grade dryer to make deer jerky for several years, but they now have the option to make deer sausage thanks to the gift of a commercial grade grinder given by a donor couple to honor passing of a loved one.
One of our volunteers helps most months with food distributions knows firsthand what it takes to get the hundreds boxes into vehicles each month. This week, he donated replacement wheels for the food carts and radios to improve communication between the front office and the pantries.
Christmas Assistance for hundreds of children would not take place at Red Bird without the charity of hundreds of donors and volunteers each year. This year, wrapping paper was still needed to give to families, but one Red Bird Christian School alumnus who also gives financially stepped in to help buying paper and delivering it to Community Outreach.
Red Bird Mission Community Outreach received a special donation through God’s Pantry for four-legged friends to help families get through the winter days. A pallet of dog and cat food donated by PetSmart is being distributed to qualifying food pantry recipients this week.
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