77?e Carolina Cruisers Motorcycle Club is shown.
Motorcycle club delivers Thanksgiving food
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Carolina Cruisers Motorcycle Club delivered 27
Thanksgiving boxes to families that were listed with the
Experiment in Self-Reliance (ESR), Piedmont Health
Services Sickle Cell Agency, the Department of Social
Services (DSS) and Winston-Salem State University's
Early Childhood Development program.
This is an annual project of the Carolina Cruisers. In
light of the current economic climate, they expanded their
giving this year from 22 to 27 Thanksgiving boxes.
The Carolina Cruisers Motorcycle Club was organized
in September 2006 and has a membership of 43, making
it the largest motorcycle club in the city, with both male
and female bikers. Their main goal is to help people in the
community.
Some of the annual projects of the club are: supplying
the Happy Hill and Piedmont Circle reunions with hot
dogs and drinks; collecting school supplies during the
Boston Roundup; helping to sponsor the Carl Russell
Recreation Center at Christmastime with toys for its
Peace Toys for War Toys give-away; providing annual
health screenings at its clubhouse on Liberty Street; and
making monetary donations to "Biking For The Band" at
Carver High School, the Tiny Indians Football Team,
Second Harvest Food Bank, and Senior Services.
The Carolina Cruisers have sponsored charity rides to
benefit people in need as part of supporting the communi
ty. In 2012 they received an award from New Bethel
Baptist Church for their community service. They were
also recognized this year by the City of Winston-Salem
for their involvement and work in the community.
The Carolina Cruisers are a group of caring and com
passionate people who happen to be motorcycle enthusi
asts. Carolina Cruisers Mission: to serve people in need
within the community.
Burke/Joines Scholarship
will pay full tuition for
deserving high school senior
BY TEVIN ST1NSON
THE CHRONICLE
Mayor Allen Joines and
Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian
H. Burke announced next
month , they will kick off a
joint scholarship program
that will sponsor inner city
high school students to
attend Forsyth Technical
Community College.
Following a press con
ference Thursday, Dec. 3
Burke, who is the master
mind of the program said,
"The program is designed
to assist those who have the
will, but not the means to
attend college.
"The effort is essential
ly a employment initia
tive," she continued. "A lot
of taxpayers aren't getting
the jobs that are here
because they don't have the
qualifications, this program
will allow them to get the
qualifications to find a
good-paying job."
The Burke/Joines
Scholarship, will pay full
tuition for up to six semes
ters for a resident of public
housing or, who have a
household income at, or
below the poverty level.
Applicants must also be
a senior at a Winston
Salem Forsyth County high
school or be able to com
plete a GED course before
starting at Forsyth Tech.
The first scholarship
will be funded by Joines
and Burke. They hope to
raise money from local
businesses to support four
additional scholarships for
the term starting in the fall
of 2016.
Scholarship recipients
will have to maintain a
minimum grade point aver
age of 2.0 in an approved
course of study, participate
in internships while at
Forsyth Tech and agree to
meet with a mentor who
will monitor and guide the
student.
Recipients must also
agree to make a concentrat
ed effort to obtain employ
ment after they complete
their studies.
Although the applica
tion process has not yet
been finalized a number of
students and parents
seemed interested in the
program when told about
it.
"I would defiantly be
interested in that program,"
said Tyquan Williams a
student at Carver High
School. "I have a while
before I'm a senior but it's
good to know that 1 do
have that option."
A number of parents
mentioned a scholarship
would be a huge weight
ifted off their shoulders.
Mayor Allen Joines said
education is a key factor to
:nding the cycle of pover
;y, and a number of other
iocial issues.
"This effort plays into a
lumber of social issues that
we are working on right
now such as homelessness,
poverty and crime," he
continued. "I'm very excit
ed about this program."
"These scholarships
will have a multiplying
effect when you realize
they can set the recipients
apart and their future chil
dren on a new path."
Executive vice presi
dent and chief operating
officer for Forsyth Tech
Rachel Desmarais said, she
was thrilled to continue the
school's relationship with
Mayor Pro Tempore Burke.
"She is a longtime sup
porter of students and edu
cation. We are excited to
begin this venture," she
said. As we all know, edu
cation is the key, enabling
people to come to Forsyth
Tech to get those relevant
job skills is very important.
For more information
on the Burke/Joines
Scholarship Program con
tact Pam Peoples-Joyner
by email at
pjoy ner @ wspd .org.
Photo by Timothy Ramsey
The audience
viewing
"Black
Nativity" on
Friday,
Dec. 4,
takes a
break during
intermission.
I w ?
Dancing
from page A1
blacks had to be two or
three times better than their
white counterparts in order
to win roles. But as the
years progressed, roles
became easier because of
regression of racial preju
dices and blacks writing
their own plays and open
ing their own companies.
She went on to say that in
the late '80s to early '90s,
that trend seemed to come
to a halt.
As a way to stem the
trend, within the Black Rep
she launched the Teen
Theatre Ensemble, which
gives local teens the oppor
tunity to work with theatre
professionals to develop
their talents and explore
the many options available
for professional careers in
the performing arts indus
try.
The youth are currently
writing an original script
with the help of industry
professional Samm-Art
Williams, who wrote for
the "Fresh Prince of Bel
Air" TV show and was
executive producer for the
"Martin" TV show as well
as a veteran of the theatre
stage. She hopes this will
entice more youth to join
the realm of black theatre.
Robinson has been at
the helm since the passing
of the company's founder
and original artistic direc
tor Larry Leon Hamlin in
2007. She had been with
the theatre company as a
choreographer, director,
and playwright previously.
This year's run of
Langston Hughes "Black
Nativity" musical, which
she choreographed and
directed, will be her last in
that capacity. She also
starred in the role as Mary
in the original run of
"Black Nativity."
Robinson said she initially
went to see the play, and as
the original cast member
who was to play Mary did
not show for some reason,
a member of the cast who
knew her asked if she
could step in and play
Mary for the night. She did
such an amazing job she
won the part outright.
She said that even
though she has worn many
hats in the world of enter
tainment over the years,
there is not one she will
miss particularly because
she will miss them all in
some way, shape, or form.
Robinson is a native of
Savannah, Georgia and
moved to New York as a
youth with her family. She
was introduced to dance at
a young age as an alterna
tive to being a "turnkey
kid." She is a graduate of
the NYC High School of
the Performing Arts and
t
the Julliard School of
music.
Her career spans many
formats such as Broadway,
opera houses and televi
sion. Robinson also
appeared in the movie
"The Wiz" and "Cotton
Comes to Harlem."
She said her plans for
the future are to continue to
work with the North
Carolina Black Repertory
Company in a lesser role;
she will leave the daily
tasks to someone else. She
also wants to travel and
continue to involve more
youth in the theatre. She
concluded by saying that
this is not the end of her
career because as an artist,
you never truly stop work
ing.
Sylvia Sprinkle
Hamlin, president of the
boardof directors for the
N.C. Black Rep stated,
"We have been blessed to
have an artistic director
with Mabel's unique back
ground in. virtually every
area of the performing aits.
Our many successes over
the years, including the
growing prominence of the
National Black Theatre
Festival, would not have
been possible without
Mabel's hard work and
dedication to the company.
We hope that she has a
rewarding and Marvtastic
retirement."
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Eat, Shop and Be Merry.
There 5 sometntng special aoout experiencing me noways m me rwart of the city
PWWnUlltW
ftedmont
u<iia? *A*K
Eat | I I
) Eat deticious meats and desserts at
your choice of more than 70 restaurants
^ and cafes Whether you i <e Southern
Asian, Mediterranean or something
different downtown has it at! in a mouth-watering * *
buffet of choices and much more!
Shop
(without being pushed and shoved)
in an eclectic mix of locally owned
boutiques and specialty stores.
Jewelry. Crafts. Artwork. Apparel.
Browse Downtown's unique selection
of "Where did you find that?!".
fie Merry
in so many ways. Attend the city Tree
Lighting Celebration, watch the Jaycees
Holiday Parade. Treat your family to a
performance of "A Christmas Carol" and
"The Nutcracker * Go to the Gallery Hop
See a screening of "its a wonderful Life."
And take an old fashioned carriage ride.
?(-R u l
m downtownWS.com
W for a complete calendar
I of holiday everts
* Then )oi n us Downtown
for a magical season.
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