The Friday Finish - Camp Builds Skills & Unity - Pop-up Market - Gap filled, sustainers needed - Piano Comes Home
- Tim Crawford
- Jun 27
- 4 min read
June 27, 2025
Cheer Camp Builds Skills and Unity
For the first time in Red Bird Mission history, a weekend-long cheerleading camp brought together some of the community's most motivated young athletes. Hosted this past weekend at the Bonnie Adams Lawson Dormitory, the camp was a blend of serious practice, deep team bonding, and spirited devotional activities that left a mark on everyone who participated.
The weekend kicked off with team-building exercises that emphasized positivity and unity. The girls exchanged uplifting messages during the Positive Plates activity and untangled themselves through the Human Knot challenge, learning the importance of communication and trust.
One key highlight of the weekend was the workout session led by Josh Collins, a dedicated professional pursuing a degree in Exercise Sports Science with a Pre-Physical Therapy
concentration. Josh worked with the girls in the Red Bird School’s workout room, teaching them the fundamentals of strength training and proper form to ensure safety and efficiency.
Another immense source of inspiration came from Kaitlyn Henson, a Clay County Cheerleader with a remarkable background in competitive cheerleading. She focused on teaching the girls stunts, emphasizing proper form and precise placement to ensure safety and synchronicity in their routines.
The cheerleaders enjoyed a surprise trip to Pine Mountain Tumbling’s gym in Pineville where they received expert instruction from Lynn Sproles. Lynn emphasized basic tumbling techniques, jumps, and stretching, ensuring each cheerleader left with improved skills. As the sun set, they gathered for a bonfire, swapping stories over gooey s’mores, and diving into discussions about the 8 habits of a grateful athlete.
Coach Meredith Asher shared an important goal for this season - increasing involvement from local kids in our cheerleading program. While last season’s team was filled with talented international students, whom we’re so proud to have supported, she expressed a heartfelt desire to create opportunities for more girls from our own community to step into the spotlight. This camp was a step toward that vision, inviting local girls to discover and grow their skills, confidence, and love for cheerleading.
Pop-Up Market Sells Out
Red Bird Mission hosted a “pop-up farmers market” on Tuesday, and despite a spring season filled with rain that has delayed the growing season, the event turned out to be a great success! Our dedicated farmers brought along some high-quality produce that brightened up the day. Alongside them were our talented craft vendors and bakers, offering a variety of delicious sweets and freshly baked breads. The market was vibrant and welcoming, creating a wonderful atmosphere for everyone who attended.
“Pop-up farmers markets” at Red Bird are generally held on Commodity Distribution dates, or days other than the usual Friday market day so that folks with limited transportation access can stop by and get fresh, local produce. One of the highlights of the morning was the distribution of Senior Health Bucks to over 50 senior residents from multiple counties. This initiative encourages healthy eating and supports our local farmers, creating a sense of community among all ages. It was heartwarming to see so many seniors chatting with our vendors and taking home bags of fresh produce!
The excitement didn’t stop there; we witnessed all the vegetable vendors selling out! This reflects the community’s enthusiasm for fresh, locally sourced food, even in a challenging season. Overall, it was a fruitful morning filled with fresh food, local talent and the feeling of community. We want to thank everyone who came out to support the Red Bird Mission Farmers Market! We look forward to our next gathering and hope to see you there!
The Gap Was Filled! Can you help sustain?
Thank you to everyone that stepped in to fill the fiscal year-end funding gap for Elderly Ministries Meal Delivery and In-Home Services. Your gifts to fund the gap this month are sustaining nutrition and health for a vulnerable segment of our population that earnestly needed these services.
In reality, funding for these services are fixed by contract reimbursement that doesn’t pay the full cost. Would you consider making a monthly gift to Red Bird Mission Elderly Ministries as a sustaining gift to remove uncertainty for our elderly? Click or touch the monthly tab to set up a monthly gift using direct debit or credit card, or, if you prefer, mail a check marked “Elderly Ministries” each month to Red Bird Mission, Inc., 70 Queendale Ctr, Beverly, KY 40913-9607.
Schaeffer Piano Comes Home
Roberta Schaeffer gave a life of service at Red Bird Mission alongside her husband, Everett, the legendary physician that anchored Red Bird Hospital for over 40 years. Roberta was involved behind the scenes throughout Red Bird Mission working at the school, in churches and the hospital. Her testimony of service is written in the hearts and lives of countless people here in the Red Bird River valley, and her book, The Story of Red Bird Mission, is the baseline historical account for the early history of Red Bird Mission.
It was fitting that an important piece of Roberta’s life returned to Red Bird Mission today. The Schaeffer’s daughter, Ruth Ann, along with her husband, Tim Walker, and Roberta’s son, Rev. Robert Schaeffer, delivered Mrs. Schaeffer’s piano to the Red Bird Mission archive room today. Ruth Ann’s granddaughter was the last family member to regularly use the piano, but Ruth Ann played a verse of “Amazing Grace” demonstrating this instrument still rings the call that the Roberta and Everett spoke about during their lives at Red Bird.
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