The Great Valley Community Organization helps build a strong, vibrant and connected community by providing facilities, activities and programs enriching the lives of all local residents. |
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November 2022 GVCO Newsletter |
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It’s been a very busy couple of months at GVCO as we head towards the winter months. With our fiscal year end on September 30, GVCO has completed another successful year serving the community. Coming out of the 2021- early 2022 Covid years, we struggled like any organization, but once again the community support for many wonderful causes and solid programming proved to make a difference.
We are back to pre-pandemic levels with some of our programming. Our Challenger Gym program has a record 23 students participating, along with 25 high school student volunteers helping with the wonderful program for children with special needs. We have 100+ student volunteers in our GVCO Caring Hands community service group assisting with numerous causes involving several different community partners. And through the generosity of the community, we have provided financial assistance for a greater number of families this year than in the past. Finally, all our youth sports programming continues to be well received and oversubscribed.
Astonishingly, all of this is currently being accomplished without adequate facilities. But help is on the way in the form of a new GVCO Community center complex on Bacton Hill Rd. At the beginning of the 4th quarter, work on the facility began in earnest as the complex has begun to be transformed. The pre-manufactured building has been ordered white the site work contractor is preparing the site. Weather permitting, erection of the building should begin at the tail end of the 1st quarter of 2023.
It has been a long time coming but this much needed community asset is finally taking shape. With the onboarding of the new facility, GVCO has begun planning additional adult and after school programming. And of course, we will plan the return of historically well attended programming like pickleball, badminton and volleyball.
Stay Tuned!
Keith Walsh
GVCO Executive Director
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With the larger storm water basin taking shape and the building pad being completed, the sitework contractor despite the rain to maintain the project time lime.
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GVCO Community Programming |
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Turkey Trot
Our GV Cheer program, in association with our GVCO Caring Hands student volunteers, hosted our 1st Annual GVCO Turkey Trot. The Walk and Run began at the new GVCO Community Center complex and concluded at the new East Whiteland township's Bacton Hill Park across from the GVCO complex.
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Participants were asked to bring along donated items for our Home of the Sparrow donation drive to benefit their Giving Tuesday White Out event. It was a beautiful Thanksgiving day with kids and adults having a good morning of fun and exercise.
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The Siddhant Suresh Scholarship Fund
The Suresh fund was created to honor the memory of Siddhant Suresh, a wonderful son and brother and an outstanding student who loved basketball and chess.
Over two years, this fund has awarded over two thousand dollars in scholarships to help many Great Valley children and families participate in GVCO programming.
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Youth Sports Fall Programming Recap |
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The GV Cheer program had 59 girls participating this season on several teams ranging from kindergarten through 6th grade. Throughout the fall, the teams cheered on sidelines at many of our youth flag and tackle football games. In November, the fall season culminated with a cheer competition up at Perk Valley where the teams placed extremely well. The cheerleaders will be back out on the court come December urging on our girls and boys GV tournament basketball teams.
Five youth GV tackle football teams participated in the Inter County Football League (ICFL), a regional community-based league. Our Jr Patriots played all their home games at the GVHS Valley Stadium on Sundays. All five teams had some level of success while our 6th grade team went on to play in the league semifinals
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Our GV Crew program competes in several regattas during the year. This fall, there were 20+ girls and boys in 8th through 12th grades participating on the water. They rowed in singles, doubles, and quads at regattas on the Schuylkill, Christina and Cooper Rivers. The fall season is the precursor to the spring scholastic season which begins in late February. Many of the Crew athletes will continue to train in gyms and on ergs preparing for the spring season.
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Crew girls training at "At the Thousand" in Bryn Mawr. |
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As the weather turns frigid in January and cabin fever sets in, GV Crew has the answer - a night of fun, food and drink on January 28th. The Crew annual fundraising event will be held at the Goshen Fire Company Hall that evening. Further details will be forthcoming in the next couple of weeks, but mark you calendar.
And our GVBL youth basketball league's season is in full swing. Stop by just about any gym in the district on the weekends and you'll probably see a GV rec, tournament team, middle school or high school team playing. If you like good, fundamental basketball, you're in the right district!
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Cradles to Crayons Giving Spot Hub
Cradles 2 Crayons Philadelphia supports people facing clothing insecurity in the Philadelphia region including Malvern and Chester County. The hub will be a convenient year round location for donations and a focal point for the annual Caring Hands collection drive this Fall.
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Malvern Lawn Care
Ethan Seeley was 12 years old when he started mowing his neighbor's yard. He loved the flexibility working for himself offered while managing sports and school. Malvern Lawn Care began as a high schooler's side job in 2016 when he started mowing yards out of the back of his Nissan Maxima and a friend's Jeep.
Three years later, Malvern Lawn Care has grown from a mowing side business into a complete property maintenance and hardscaping company. Nearly all current and past employees are Great Valley Graduates, which helps keep a small company feel as the company grows larger.
Malvern Lawn Care offers complete property maintenance, installations & large projects, hardscaping and masonry, and snow removal.
Ethan, a former high school and college wrestler, believes that the sport taught him more about life than anything else. His core values of hard work, dedication, and setting a good example set him up perfectly to be a business owner. He enjoys working, lifting, talking with other entrepreneurs, and finding more efficient ways to run and grow the business. Ethan likes to share one piece of advice you cannot be afraid to talk to people more successful than you. Ask them questions – find something from every encounter and apply it to what you are doing.
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We Provide Resources that are Vital to a Well-Functioning Society
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ARG is the parent organization to a host of niche technical companies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, and Ohio. Our subsidiaries provide engineering, technical recruiting, healthcare, industrial inspection, and construction management support services to clients in critical infrastructure sectors throughout the U.S.
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The Future GVCO
Community Center
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We need your help to finish what we've started! We will not get the necessary financing to complete the project without raising additional funds.
DONATE NOW to finalize the building of our brand new GVCO Community Center!
The time is NOW.... Together we can make it happen!
Check out the program pages:
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More Ways to Support GVCO |
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Do You Match?
It's a great way to contribute and help GVCO complete the entire new GVCO Community Center project.
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