Most teenagers spend their summer vacation in front of the tv or on the phone, or hanging out with friends ... but not all of them.
Some very special Elk Grove teens chose to spend their precious vacation time helping others at Project R.I.D.E. In fact, they spent a total of 1900 hours of work helping people with disabilities, maintaining the RIDE arena and completing special projects.
Competitively selected last May through an application and interview process, these 18 young people showed extreme dedication and perseverance. They came from nearly every high school in our district and two private schools. They shared a commitment to service and a cheerful attitude even in the face of dirty jobs.
Mayor Gary Davis attended the end of the program celebration last Friday night and offered his congratulations to program participants. "Project R.I.D.E. is one of the reasons we're proud to live in Elk Grove," said the Mayor in his remarks. It was "an amazing and unforgettable summer", according to Sabrina Wu from Franklin High School. "A hundred hours flew by!" thought Rosa Chavez from Laguna Creek.
The program included not only service to Project R.I.D.E. but special trainings, guest speakers and even field trips to the Sacramento Zoo and the Project R.I.D.E. ranch in Herald. Each participant was required to spend 100 hours in service over the course of the summer, but most completed much more. Nearly all of them intend to continue volunteering with the organization. "I brag to people about getting to volunteer here every chance I get" claims Katelyn McLain, who put on a fundraiser dinner through local merchant Fat Mike's pizza that raised over $100 for Project R.I.D.E.
Projects included fundraiser events, art projects, a children's book, soliciting donations for Project R.I.D.E. and more. We at Project R.I.D.E. are so proud of these young people and can't wait until next year's Summer Leadership Institute program begins. Project R.I.D.E. accepts volunteers 14 and older year-round for community service hours for school. Afterschool volunteer times are available.
http://projectride.org
(916) 685-7433
