The Alfred Street Baptist Church Foundation is a newcomer to Spring2Action to raise scholarship funds in memory of Alexandria lynching victims Benjamin Thomas and Joseph McCoy.
This year, they have added scholarships in memory of Alexandria lynching victims Joseph McCoy and Benjamin Thomas and hope Spring2Action will help establish those scholarships.
“We want to reach the local community for the scholarships we are proposing here,” said Alton Wallace. “We hope that through Spring2Action the community will contribute to the scholarships.”
Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s community-wide Giving Day, will celebrate its 13th anniversary on April 26. The annual online fundraising event is a platform for local nonprofits to raise critical funds for various social services.
The Friends of Rocky Versace raise funds for the preservation and maintenance of the Capt. Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Memorial in Del Ray.
“I know our community will once again rise to the challenge to make sure all of our neighbors thrive,” said Heather Peeler, President and CEO of ACT for Alexandria, which hosts the annual fundraiser. “Spring2ACTion is an opportunity for all Alexandrians to come together and support the nonprofits that are essential to our city. Every donation counts.”
Early giving is underway for the 185 nonprofits participating in this year’s Giving Day. Individuals can visit www.Spring2ACTion.org to donate to the nonprofits of their choice. In 2022, 7,700 donors gave $2.65 million to 172 participating nonprofits serving Alexandria. This year Spring2ACTion will award more than $20,000 in prizes to organizations meeting various benchmarks throughout the day.
Participating organizations range in size from established nonprofits like Senior Service of Alexandria to lesser-known ones such as the Alexandria Sportsman’s Club or the Friends of Rocky Versace.
“The Friends of Rocky Versace is an Alexandria-based veterans’ organization,” said Kevin Rue, an army veteran who organizes the city’s annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies at the Plaza. Located in Del Ray, the Plaza is home to Alexandria’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial. “We also oversee the upkeep and preventive maintenance of the memorial.”
Rue said the goal this year is to raise $6,000.
“The Versace Plaza requires complete refurbishment every eight years, which is estimated to cost $43,000,” Rue said. “This includes regilding the 68 gold stars of Alexandria’s fallen and missing Vietnam veterans, the polishing and cleaning of Rocky’s statue, and ongoing cleaning.”
Since its inception in 2011, Spring2ACTion has raised close to $19 million for the nonprofit sector. Many nonprofits have seen increased needs with the challenging economy and pandemic recovery. Some of these needs include access to healthcare, housing and food insecurity, mentoring and tutoring for young people, and assisting refugees. The website allows donors to search by organization name or cause.
In addition to giving to individual nonprofit organizations, donors can give to a collective emergency support pool to help families who are facing financial hurdles that were exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. The Alexandria Resilience Fund, established in 2020, is an opportunity for Alexandrians to help those struggling to make ends meet.
The ASBC Foundation has set a goal of $10,000 for their first foray into Spring2Action.
Said Pat Wallace, “I always shoot for the moon and hope for the stars.”
To donate or learn more about Alexandria’s Giving Day, visit: www.Spring2ACTion.org