David White asks fellow MBC’ers to sponsor his (treacherous!) annual trek on the Albemarle County Spring Bird Count (undertaken, no doubt, with his trusty birding pal Dan Bieker). The yearly ritual, known this year as the “Lark IX,” is undertaken on behalf of the folks supported by The Arc of the Piedmont. Details about supporting David’s efforts based on the results of his May 6th count, or info about making a direct donation to The Arc (regardless of the antics of the Pancho and Cisco Birding Duo on Bird Count Day) are outlined below by David.
April 20, 2017
Well, we’re two weeks closer to the Lark IX fundraiser and donations are arriving at The Arc’s “nest.” Many make a gift based on the number of species counted on that day which coincides with the Albemarle County Spring Bird Count. Many more of you make a gift based on your interest and your means. Either way, the folks that The Arc supports benefit from your largesse.
But wait: there’s a difference this year!
The Arc of the Piedmont has received a grant from the local Perry Foundation for up to $80,000 to match all funds raised by The Arc, including those donated for The Lark. With this in mind, please consider adding a dollar… or five, or even ten to your Lark IX gift to maximize this opportunity for The Arc.
To inform and/or refresh: it’s Lark IX time. Prior Lark efforts have gathered avian lore for science, and raised funds for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID and DD). The Arc is a 501-c-3 charitable organization that helps support these most vulnerable citizens with ID and DD in Central Virginia. The Spring Bird Count is an annual one-day effort which contributes to local avian knowledge and, in the case of The Lark, supports The Arc’s clients. This will be year # 9 that I have gone out in the fields and forests of Albemarle County and counted birds… and then counted on you to make a tax-deductible contribution to The Arc.
So on May 6 I will be out there pre-dawn to post-dusk counting birds, and dodging rabid raccoons, feral ticks, ticked off snakes and the sort, all for the sake of science and our Arc clients. Again, here’s what I am asking of you:
Make a tax-deductible contribution to The Arc based on the number of species counted that day. Ex: @ $1/species, 75 species = $75 donation to The Arc, etc. FYI, the average number of species is about 80, depending on the conditions, etc. Or,
Make a tax-deductible contribution to The Arc of any amount based on your wishes… no need to wait for the count! But it will still count for the Lark, and it definitely still help The Arc’s clients!
On behalf of these folks with birth defects, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome and other conditions that don’t allow for a totally independent life, I thank you for considering this invitation to “come fly with us.”
To make a gift please send your check to The Arc at the address below or use a credit card to make a secure on-line donation via PayPal at our website, also listed below. After May 6, I will circulate the species list for the day. All donations, based on the count or not, will be gratefully acknowledged, and I personally thank you for considering your support of this important cause.
David
David I. White
The Arc of the Piedmont
509 Park Street, Charlottesville VA 22902
| Guess Hoo’s Here? Catch a Lark for The Arc IX |
Going Cuckoo: The Arc of the Piedmont and the Albemarle Spring Bird Count
May 6, 2017, all day long!
Please keep this “fact sheet” handy as it provides you with information regarding your participation in Lark IX, some “challenging ideas,” and contact information for The Arc of the Piedmont and myself.
Remember: The Arc of the Piedmont is a 501-c-3 charitable organization (FEIN #54-0740243) and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. Each donation will support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and each donor will receive a letter acknowledging their contribution. Therefore, please be sure that we have your name and mailing address (email or “snail mail”). Checks should be made out to “The Arc” and mailed to The Arc of the Piedmont, 509 Park Street, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902.
For credit card payment you may make a secure donation through PayPal at our website: www.arcpva.org; please specify “Lark” in the comments section.
Options:
Make a donation based on number of species reported on the May 6 count (usually 75 to 85);
Make a donation based on number of species + a special Lark O’ Nine Tails Challenge;
Make a donation based on your ability + a special Lark O’ Nine Tails Challenge;
Make a donation, any size, to a good cause just because you want to!
Feel free to email me at [email protected], but no “tweeting,” please J
Share this via Facebook and we can make Lark for The Arc IX something to crow about!
New for Lark IX: Lark O’Nine Tails Challenge
Whip up some enthusiasm and put your creative side to work with your hand-picked challenge to test my avian acuity while fully understanding that this extra work will detract from my tick picking and my rabid raccoon avoidance activity. Your Bonus Bird Buck ideas mean more sweat for me! Some examples:
Two cuckoo species is worth an extra $9;
How about an extra $29 if you can count 9 warbler species;
I’ll pony up an additional $9 for every woodpecker species you count;
Here’s an extra $9 for each heron species you find;
If you get three swallow species, I’ll swallow my checkbook for an extra $19;
Two oriole species + a tanager + a grosbeak = an extra $19;
A Bald Eagle gets you a $29 bonus.
You get the idea. Any amount(s), any challenge: just have some (extra) fun at my bird-brained, tick-picking, snake kicking expense! Remember: your total gift is tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. Note: Ivory-billed Woodpeckers and Passenger Pigeons are off limits.
Name:__________________________________________email:____________________________
Date:__________________________________ Amount:___________________________________
