THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 19, 1997 TAG: 9702190002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 28 lines
Mayors from the five South Hampton Roads cities painted cardboard houses Thursday at Nauticus in Norfolk to symbolically kick off the 1997 ``Paint Your Heart Out Hampton Roads'' campaign.
It is a worthy project begun in 1992 by the Chesapeake Rotary Club. Norfolk Rotarians joined the effort two years ago, and Virginia Beach, Suffolk and Portsmouth Rotary clubs will add their brushes this year. The goal for Paint Day, April 26, is to paint 70 houses of low-income, elderly or handicapped residents.
To date, the project has painted more than 140 homes. Last year, 1,600 volunteers applied more than 400 gallons of paint to 52 homes in Chesapeake and Norfolk.
Volunteers are needed. If you have supplies, money or time to contribute, call 489-PYHO. Carpenters and other tradespeople also are needed to make repairs necessary for health and safety.
If you help paint a house in your city on April 26, a Saturday, you can drive by it in months to come and know you've improved your community and brightened the lives of people in need.