Welcome to our club’s pages! While we, like everyone else, have had to make changes to our normal activities and meetings, we continue to care for our community. Although we have been unable to hold regular club meetings during this pandemic, we have been able to complete some projects for the betterment of our community.
NOTICE 9-18-2020: The Abingdon Ruritan Club, at the present time, will not be awarding the usual 4-year $4,000 Academic Scholarship and the 2-year $2,000 Community College/Trade/Vocational Scholarship for the 2021-2022 Academic Year. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the Club was not able to have its usual fundraising events. This website will be updated when it becomes possible to resume awarding new scholarships.
BUILDING RENTAL: Our building and our grounds are still available for rentals, so long as all of the Virginia and Federal COVID-19 restrictions are observed by our renters.
NOTICE 8/10/2020
We regret to announce that the Abingdon Ruritan Club Fall 2020 Seafood Festival is officially cancelled. This is in keeping with federal and state restrictions due to COVID-19.
For those who purchased tickets for the cancelled Spring 2020 Seafood Festival and requested us to hold those tickets for the Fall Festival, we offer the following suggestions:
(1) If you want a refund and you paid with check or cash, return your tickets with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Abingdon Ruritan Club, P.O. Box 22, Bena, VA 23018 not later than November 2, 2020. Tickets received after this date cannot be refunded.
(2) If you want a refund and you paid with Pay Pal, return your tickets along with your name and address to Abingdon Ruritan Club, P. O. Box 22, Bena, VA 23018 not later than November 2, 2020 and your credit card will be updated in the Pay Pal system. Tickets received after this date cannot be refunded.
(3) Keep a record of the ticket numbers that you return. We arenot responsible for tickets lost in the mail.
(4) If you do not want a refund and wish to donate the cost of the tickets to the Abingdon Ruritan Club, you have two options: (1) do nothing, or (2) if you wish to receive an acknowledgement of your charitable deduction, send a written request with your name,
address, and the ticket numbers you are donating to the Abingdon Ruritan Club, P.O. Box 22, Bena VA 23018. A written acknowledgement of your donation will be provided.
(5) Please note these tickets will not be honored at any subsequent Seafood Festival and will be void after 2 November 2020.
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A Message to Our Community
As you know, over the past 40 years, the Seafood Festivals have provided us the opportunity to give back to the community through multiple donations made possible because of your support. Our donations include Volunteer Fire & Rescue; Academic Scholarships; local services for youth, seniors, & adult care; benevolence; scouts; Housing Partnership; Hunters for the Hungry; food pantries; 4-H camp; hospice & fighting cancer; and much more. Now, because of the pandemic, our ability to make donations is critically impaired. Thank you again, for partnering with the Abingdon Ruritan Club over the years. We are cautiously optimistic that we may have a 2021 Spring Festival, so stay tuned!
James Leiffer
2020 President
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Our club is vibrant, vigorous, and robust! Members, both men and women, work together to continue the vision of our founders by working to better our community.
Ruritan National does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, national origin, religion, color, political affiliation, handicap, or gender.
Membership in a Ruritan Club is by invitation. We welcome anyone who is interested in working and giving time to our community projects to let us know of your interest. We meet monthly for dinner and a program. Our programs showcase organizations that our local club supports as well as topics of interest in our community. Programs for monthly meetings are used to inform, train, and entertain our members.
Here’s just a sample of what we do:
Spring and Fall Seafood Festivals – We give back to the community over $60,000 each year.
Clam Chowder Sales – Offered in winter months with profits going back to the community.
College Scholarships – The Club awards thousands of dollars in renewable Scholarships each year.
Gloucester Schools – We support Ruriteens, Boys and Girls State, Junior Law Cadets, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Little League Baseball, the STAR program, and the back-pack program.
Rudy Bears – Bears are given to the Sheriff’s Office, Fire & Rescue, and Nursing Homes for distribution to children in accidents or in vulnerable situations, or to adults who need comfort.
Support Veterans – We participate with Veterans groups and Gloucester County on Memorial and Veterans’ Days and deliver care packages to VA Hospitals.
Support for the Homeless – Our Club participates with Community Churches in the GUEST program by providing meals and hands-on assistance for homeless individuals.
Christmas for Kids – Every December we host a party for all children, ages 8 and under, followed by a special party for Foster Kids of all ages. Santa and Mrs. Claus preside over both parties with lots of food, entertainment, fun, and presents. We also sponsor an Angel Tree for needy children with their personal “wishes” including clothes and shoes by size.
Benevolence – A fund is set up to help Gloucester citizens with special financial needs.
Special Emphasis – We work closely with our local Sheriff’s Office; provide our facilities for Blood Drives and local, state, and national elections; promote and provide a team for Relay for Life; and participate annually with the Guinea Jubilee. We collect and deliver food to local churches to stock their food pantries, participate in Meals on Wheels, and donate pet food to the Humane Society.
Teamwork – We care for the environment by participating in Clean Gloucester Days and by picking up roadside and shoreline trash, and we have helped grass for erosion control. We send cards and visit members who are sick and honor those with birthdays and anniversaries. All members share in cooking meals for monthly meetings, as well as working the Seafood Festivals to set up, advertise, sell tickets, cook, serve, and clean up. Members also maintain and repair ARC buildings and grounds.
Visit our Community Services Committees page to learn more.
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