Notable Gifts: T.J. Class of 1959 donates chairs to library

T.J. class of'59donates library chairs

D2 The 1959 class of Thomas Jefferson High School has been operating for half-century on the motto, "Doing Fine Since'59." After the group's recent 50th reunion, the school is feeling fine, too.

Classmates presented the school a check for $4,800 to buy new chairs for the library during their "Memory Lane Tour" of the building.

It's not unusual for reunion classes to make a gift to the school, but this year's gift was about three times as large as any in the past 10 years, said Russell Flammia, a retired T.J. teacher who helps coordinate reunions.

"They really stepped up to the plate," he said.

Elizabeth Jacobs, whose husband, Bob, was the reunion chairman, recalled seeing the school library during their tour.

"When we saw the chairs, we realized they were in very bad shape. I think the ones they were using are about 40 years old. You can imagine what those students had done to them over the years. They had leather seats that were ripped and the foam rubber showing in spots. The new ones will be totally wood, just straight-backed chairs."

More than 260 of approximately 500 classmates celebrated the reunion. "We wanted to give the school something," Elizabeth Jacobs said. "We asked that people donate whatever they were comfortable with. We didn't know until we had a goodly amount of money what we would give."

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The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources Inc., recently donated $25,000 to the Virginia Holocaust Museum to renovate the museum's freight elevator to carry passengers. The new elevator will improve access to the museum's classroom, the library and archives and future exhibits.

The museum already has ramps outside and an elevator that accommodates six people or one wheelchair at a time. The rehabbed freight elevator will be able to move 40 to 50 people or several wheelchairs, said Leigh Weedon, museum spokeswoman. The renovation, which will cost about $74,000, will require removing the elevator cab, adding safety features and installing an automatic door opening system.

"This conversion is a major need for the museum, as last month we completed the Carole Weinstein Library and last spring we completed a classroom and a Distance Learning Center," Weedon said. "This new elevator will allow museum visitors to access all of these new changes and increase our ability to offer additional educational opportunities to the city."

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The Live Healthy Block Party has received a financial shot in the arm from Benco Dental, which presented a $30,000 check to the Capital Area Health Network for the Aug. 15 event.

The annual block party at the Vernon J. Harris Medical Center, 719 N. 25th St. in Richmond, will offer free dental screenings and cleanings; asthma, blood pressure and vision screenings; dietary information; music from the Klaxton Brown Band; a petting zoo; face painting and athletic events.

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Virginia history will have a richer telling as a result of 19 grants from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. The $79,000 in awards will support public forums, exhibits and catalogs, interpretative brochures, research and oral history projects across the state.

These Richmond-area organizations and projects are included:

• Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, $1,500 for a public lecture and printed catalog in connection with the exhibit, "Ornament and Simplicity: Historic Costume at Patrick Henry's Scotchtown."

• Telamon Corp., $2,150 to bring the exhibit, "We Have to Dream While Awake: Courage and Change in El Salvador," to the Eastern Shore.

• Virginia Historical Society, $9,000 to produce a DVD for a major exhibition on the history of John Brown's Raid, how it was seen and understood at the time and its meaning in the present day.

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War veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder will benefit from a $398,700 grant to the Partnership for People with Disabilities at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education and the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program, Virginia Department of Veterans Services.

The Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Trust Fund awarded the grant for a three-year, statewide collaborative project to provide training and resources for community support providers.

According to the National Council on Disability, more than 1.6 million American service members have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Among returning troops, an estimated 25 percent to 40 percent have traumatic brain injury or PTSD. Virginia ranks among the top 10 states in the country in number of service members deployed in these wars.

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The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation has awarded eight grants totaling $580,000 for early childhood services in more than 25 cities and towns.

In the greater Richmond region, Smart Beginnings Hopewell-Prince George received $100,000, and Smart Beginnings Crater Region received $50,000.

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Fifteen private colleges in Virginia are receiving $2.7 million from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges for student scholarships, capital improvements and budget support.

"Given the state of the economy, these grants are extremely important, beneficial and timely," said Ken Garren, president of Lynchburg College, one of the grant recipients.

Awards went to:

Bridgewater College, $153,043; Emory & Henry College, $107,598; Hampden-Sydney College, $116,878; Hollins University, $108,120; Lynchburg College, $118,731; Mary Baldwin College, $164,725; Marymount University, $120,406; Randolph College, $129,578; Randolph-Macon College, $130,064; Roanoke College, $142,705; Shenandoah University, $119,394; Sweet Briar College, $102,486; University of Richmond, $143,658; Virginia Wesleyan College, $200,296; and Washington and Lee University, $122,172.

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The American Family Fitness Celebrity-AM Charity Golf Tournament in June raised more than $12,000 for the Children's Hospital Foundation.

Since the event began three years ago, it has generated more than $30,000 for the foundation through silent auction donations, raffle prizes, hole sponsorships, team registrations and other sponsorships.

Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or . Send notices for Notable Gifts to .