THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 31, 1997 TAG: 9701300161
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 63 lines
YOU MIGHT SAY that last week's brief check-passing ceremony at the Sugar Plum Bakery was an example of a sweets-for-the-sweet project. Or maybe even a real sweetheart of a deal.
Whatever you prefer to call it, the $24,475 check that Jim Riley of Knights of Virginia Assistance for the Retarded (KOVAR) handed over to Joyce Schmidt, president of the board that oversees the small bakery that employs mentally and physically challenged adults, was yet another example of people helping people in Hampton Roads.
Money for the grant was raised by members of the Knights of Columbus, the fraternal organization of Roman Catholic men founded in 1882 in New Haven, Conn. However, the chances are very good that a lot of people in search of a quick sugar fix contributed to the cause without ever realizing it.
``We're the guys you see standing outside grocery stores on the first Saturday in May, selling candy bars,'' Riley explained. The annual candy sales are the primary means by which KOVAR raises funds to support programs statewide.
The charitable arm of the Virginia Knights of Columbus was established in 1971 to provide grants and loans to programs that aid the mentally retarded. Since that time it has raised more than $5 million. More than $145,000 of that has gone to support the popular little bakery on Laskin Road, just west of Birdneck.
Begun as a not-for-profit organization in 1985, the Sugar Plum has earned a reputation as a friendly place to get a good cup of coffee and a tasty muffin, pick up a pie or even order a wedding cake.
The bakery acts as a training ground for potential food service workers facing a variety of challenges, ranging from retardation to cerebral palsy to traumatic brain injuries. Some move on to outside employment, others become long-term employees at the Sugar Plum.
Funding for the bakery comes primarily from grants, donations and sales.
As with any small business, there are always wants, needs and those dreaded unexpected breakdowns that strain the budget. Through the years, the Sugar Plum staff and board have become adept at making small amounts of money go a very long way.
``We'll use the KOVAR grant for a new oven, showcases and fryers plus a doughnut glazer and a time clock,'' said Pattie Tobias, the bakery manager.
If the people at the Sugar Plum are experts at making a little do a lot, KOVAR leaders also are equally adept at doing the most immediate good with the money they collect. While most organizations invest donations and make their grants only from the interest earned, KOVAR has a different idea of how to distribute their funds.
``We're somewhat unique in that every penny we raise, plus any interest it earns while it's in our account, goes right back to the community,'' Riley said.
Which means that the friendly gentlemen hawking Tootsie Rolls will be right back in front of your neighborhood grocery store again this May, raising the money for next year's grants. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Sugar Plum employees Todd Peltier, left, and Dorothy McEachin make
cookies as KOVAR directors Ken Brink and Jim Riley, right, watch.
Knights of Virginia Assistance for the Retarded donated $24,475 to
the bakery.