Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 24, 1993 TAG: 9309240126
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Peter Lewis has a determined knack for making his big, broad dreams come true.
At the center of his wishes are young people - their self-esteem, their passion for life, their desire to make something of themselves.
And in the comforts of country living, Lewis has made real his dream of expanding the horizons of young folk, particularly minority, inner-city and socially disadvantaged youth.
In 1974, Lewis, of Washington, D.C., spotted a newspaper advertisement for an 88-acre dairy farm in Floyd County. The ad jogged remembrances of the summers of his youth, spent on an aunt and uncle's dairy farm in Northern Virginia.
For years, Lewis had dreamed of providing a similar experience for other children.
Lewis, then a teacher in the D.C. public school system, and his wife, Harriet, bought the property. He envisioned cabins, a pool on land dotted with apple orchards, tennis courts, a lodge.
Over the years, the pieces of his dream slowly came together, evolving into Apple Ridge Farm, a nonprofit motivational camp, educational retreat and conference center.
There is no pool yet. The first of several cabins is under construction. Tennis courts are merely etchings on a master plan.
But finally, there is a lodge.
Today, the lodge will be dedicated at a special "MusicFest and Mountain Buffet." Former Virginia Gov. Linwood Holton, an Apple Ridge supporter, will preside over the ceremony.
The 4,000-square-foot lodge - a converted 30-year-old barn - took six years to complete, Lewis said. Construction capital was hard to come by, though foundations, businesses and individuals eventually lent their support.
Lewis even dipped into his own pockets.
"I wanted to show the depth of my commitment, before I asked anybody else for money," he said. "I felt very strongly about that."
With its dining hall, classrooms and meeting space, the lodge will enable Lewis to carry out his dream of opening up Apple Ridge Farm to groups for retreats and conferences. He hopes that bringing more people to the facility will help broaden its support base.
"People get a chance to see how beautiful this place is and understand the impact it could have on the kids we serve," said Lewis, a visiting teacher for Roanoke schools who serves as president of Apple Ridge's board of directors. "Hopefully, after they come, they can't help but be supportive."
Apple Ridge's offerings have grown over the years. In 1976, 10 young people initiated Apple Ridge's concept as an outdoor learning center. Since then, school, church, social, youth and family groups have made use of the facility with private outings, nature hikes and wilderness challenges.
A summer academic day camp was inaugurated in 1988, using the outdoor environment to teach inner-city children language arts and communication skills, science and practical math and career exploration. In 1992, the Lewises donated 8.4 acres for the camp.
This summer, 140 children attended the camp.
Lewis' goal is to develop Apple Ridge Farm into a day use and residential environmental education center with curriculum that will support the objectives of the state's Standards of Learning.
Apple Ridge's mission has attracted interest and support from all avenues, Lewis says.
"We've been doing it a long time, and maybe people are finally feeling our serious and growing concerns," he said. "One compliment I hear frequently is that I've hung in there."
Still, Lewis wants more people to share his dream.
"Everybody should be willing to make a contribution as far as kids are concerned," he said. "Even though many of them are hardened in a lot of ways, they are still kids. The trick is to find something that gets next to them."
And when Lewis does, "Talk about making me high," he said.
by CNB