To honor and memorialize Sam Oakes, the DECA Club at Fred T. Foard (FTF)
High School hosted a charity bicycling event, "Cycling 4 Sam," last fall at the high school football field.
DECA, a marketing club at Fred T. Foard, aims to help students develop skills and competence for managing careers, build self esteem, experience leadership, and practice community service.
"Cycling 4 Sam" brought together many community partners to heighten awareness of bicycle safety in Sam's name. The DECA Club organized and offered a bicycle course, free bike inspections, concessions, bake sale, raffles, face painting, silent auction, and games to raise money in their friend's memory. In addition, local Emergency Medical Technicians and fire department members were there with their trucks, doing demonstrations, along with a bicycle obstacle course. The Lenoir-Rhyne College Bicycling Club was there as well to ride the trail and repair any broken bikes.
"Cycling 4 Sam" was coordinated and hosted by DECA Club President Nicole Carpenter, Vice President Rochelle Medvec and Patrick Dodd with assistance from their club advisor, Natalie Beddingfield.
Through their efforts with Cycling 4 Sam, the FTF High School DECA Club raised $2,341.13 which the club has donated to Safe Kids Catawba County. "Our Safe Kids coalition is honored to receive this very generous donation in honor and memory of Sam Oakes," said Debbie Leger-Scott, Safe Kids Catawba County Coalition coordinator. "Many children and teens will benefit from this gift as we support the Safe Kids mission of preventing unintentional injury in those 14 and under."
The Safe Kids Catawba County Coalition is part of the Safe Kids Worldwide and Safe Kids North Carolina, the first and only national non-profit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury-the number one killer of children ages 14 and under. The Campaign is made up of more than 300 state and local Safe Kids coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Catawba Valley Medical Center is the lead agency for the Safe Kids Catawba County Coalition and employs Debbie Leger-Scott as the coalition's coordinator. To learn more about Safe Kids or to schedule an appointment for child safety seat inspection, call her at 828-485-2300.
Catawba Valley Medical Center is a not-for-profit, public healthcare system providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. CVMC, recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet facility, was recently named a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers.
Debbie Leger-Scott (r), Safe Kids Catawba County coordinator, receives $2,341. 13 donation check to Safe Kids from Fred T. Foard High School DECA Club members in memory of fellow-student Sam Oakes.
