Local
Youth Prepare for the Dive of a Lifetime
Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority
and Youth Sports and Fine Arts Academy announce
The Black Dolphin Dive Club of Richmond as
new partner
 |
(Richmond,
Va., March 1, 2007) —The Youth
Sports and Fine Arts Academy of the
Richmond Redevelopment and Housing
Authority (RRHA) is proud to announce
that the Black Dolphin Dive Club of
Richmond has agreed to partner with
the agency to send young scuba diving
participants to the Youth Summit hosted
by the Tennessee Association of Black
Scuba Divers June 22 through July
1, 2007 in Curacao.
Clifton Hicks, President of the Black
Dolphin Dive Club (BDD) of Richmond,
made the exciting announcement at
the recently held Youth Sports and
Fine Arts Academy’s Youth of
the Year Awards Ceremony
Hicks said, “The Black Dolphin
Dive Club of Richmond, Virginia is
very pleased to partner with RRHA
to sponsor these youth to participate
in the Youth Summit. Our sponsorship
includes financial support; exposure
to the variety of educational, recreational
and employment opportunities Scuba
offers; and long term mentoring. Our
national and local club philosophy
places special emphasis on empowering
and building the quality of life of
the youth in our communities. Our
goal is to provide positive leadership
to our youth. Our expectation is that
in turn our youth will mentor and
provide positive leadership in the
community.” |
The mission of BDD is to increase awareness
of the sport in the African-American Community,
to aid its members in developing their diving
skills, to sponsor youth aquatic and dive
programs and to sponsor trips and educational
experiences.
The Richmond Black Dolphin Divers Club was
the brain child of two divers, Herman Randolph
and Shane Barge, who were put in touch with
each other through the National Association
of Black Scuba Divers (NABS). They met to
determine the viability of starting a club.
The first club meeting was held in September
19, 2004. The name BLACK DOLPHIN DIVERS was
inspired by a Jazz composition entitled “On
Green Dolphin Street". With the efforts
of the seven additional co-founders , Robin
Edwards, Roswell Friend, Clifton Hicks, Darlette
Meekins, Simeon Newbold, Sr., Geoff Pettygrobe,
and Renee' Whittingham , the Black Dolphin
Divers club Bylaws were officially submitted
to the National Association of Black Scuba
Divers (NABS) in January 2006 for Charter
membership into the Northeastern Region. The
club currently has twelve certified members.
The National Association of Black Scuba Divers
(NABS) consists of 19 Charter Clubs, nine
International Clubs, several affiliate clubs
working on becoming charters and hundred of
individual non club affiliated members.
Joan Seldon, Director of the RRHA Youth Sports
and Fine Arts Academy adds, “In order
for the Youth Sports and Fine Arts Academy
to continue to make a difference in the lives
of our youth, we need the financial assistance
of individuals, as well as local and national
organizations. Using “non-traditional
sports” as a means to academic success
can be costly. It is only through the help
of our sponsors that we are able to see that
our children are afforded the opportunity
to receive the exposure they need to open
the door of possibilities that await them.”
She continued, “We are excited and very
thankful for the Black Dolphin Divers’
support and genuine interest in the development
of our young people!”
Participants of the RRHA Youth Sports and
Fine Arts program have gone on to excel in
college and securing jobs with Fortune 100
companies such as Philip Morris USA, but funding
is vital to the success of the program. Youth
Sports and Fine Arts Academy is a comprehensive,
prevention program that uses sports as a catalyst
for engaging youth in organized, structured
programs aimed at helping youth aspire to
reach their fullest potential. The Youth Sports
and Fine Arts Academy not only allows youth
to learn a non-traditional sport such as golf,
boxing, tae kwon do, swimming, tennis or scuba
diving or a fine art, but its goal of exposing
children to these sports and educational experiences
will ultimately open doors by giving children
the skills to obtain athletic and academic
scholarships to attend college.
For more information on the Youth Sports and
Fine Arts Academy, contact Joan Seldon at
780-4933 or Valena Dixon at 780-4167or visit
www.rrha.org
. For more information on the Black Dolphin
Dive Club of Richmond, visit www.blackdolphindivers.com.
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