rrfpbowlathon:

A massive thank you to all of our business sponsors, donors, and supporters! Because of their generosity and encouragement we were almost able to match the ridiculous amount we raised last year, ensuring that the RRFP  can continue with our monthly budget of funding $2,000 to folks in need across Virginia. RRFP’s funding capabilities have increased almost tenfold in the last 3 years because of the success of our Bowl-a-thons, and there are many people to thank for that this year. 

Thank you to each and every donor who supported a friend, co-worker, or family member. The vast majority of the $42,429 we raised came in donations of $25 and under. 

Thank you to everyone who came out to events and gave $5 at the door, dropped a twenty in the donation jar, or bought a shirt or patch. Thank you to all the teams that worked so hard organizing all of these fantastic events. From house shows to fancy dinners, from belly dancing to karaoke. Dance parties, drag balls, sidewalk sales, art swaps, photo booths, sober rides, and speakeasies- Of all the fund’s Bowl-a-thons across the country, no one does events like Virginia! Thank you for making Bowl-a-thon season, as always,   so insanely fun!

Thanks to all the businesses and collectives that sponsored us by donating gift certificates and lending their spaces, equipment, and resources:

HALCYON VINTAGE//13AINBRIDGE//RE CYCLES//STRANGE MATTER//STUDIO TWO THREE//BUNNY HOP BIKE SHOP//AUTUMNATOPOEIA DESIGNS//IPANEMA//RAG & BONES 

BICYCLE COOPERATIVE//MARS BAR RVA//COMMERCIAL TAPHOUSE//SELBA//ESCAFE// THE ARTFUL DODGER//NEW YORK DELI//RUMORS//LAMPLIGHTER//PINE ST. BARBER SHOP// NILE ETHIOPIAN//VMFA//VIRGINIA SCIENCE MUSEUM//RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS//RIVER CITY ROLLERGIRLS//HELEN’S//BSIDES//REAR GALLERY//DEEP GROOVE//CHARLES BERGER AT HEROES AND GHOSTS TATTOOS//DOGTOWN DANCE THEATRE//ASHTANGA YOGA// BABE’S//BLUE NILE//HARRISON ST. and of course HOLIDAY BOWL for once again letting us take over the whole alley!

Thank you to Walker Allen, our awesome Bowl-a-thon photographer. Check out his photo booth pics, and feel free to download whichever ones you like. http://smu.gs/10mtlBa 

Thanks to Mike Albrecht for spinning most excellent tunes for us to bowl and dance to!

Thanks to Ramey and Charlie for cross stitching some truly wonderful prize ribbons. And speaking of prizes…

Thanks to ALL of our bowlers,of course, but these folks really went above and beyond what we asked of them.

TOP INDIVIDUAL FUNDRAISERS!!!

ALLISON L.

KIM R.

SAFIYA B.

MOLLY V.

JESSICA J.

LEE S.

NATHANIEL B.

JACKIE S.

RAMEY C.

SETH C.

TOP FUNDRAISING TEAMS!!!

TEAM GSEXXXY

KATE BUSH

CHURCH HILL HOBGOBLINS

PICKLE SURPRISE!

TEAM TOTALLY AWESOME

CHARLOTTESVILLE VEGAN STRAIGHTEDGE BOWLING SQUAD

THE PIN & TONICS

VALLEY VAMPS

THE QUEEN BEES

WINTER IS COMING

16 of our 28 teams raised over $1,000. Holy smokes!

Thanks to the entire RRFP collective and the volunteers that picked up the slack during such a hectic few months, and supported us Bowl-a-thon coordinators in any way they could.

Extra special thanks to Lindsey O-Pries, a founding member of the RRFP, who five years ago tested out this Bowl-a-thon thing, setting off a nation wide chain reaction. This year 29 funds across the country raised over HALF A MILLION DOLLARS  for abortion access. So thanks Lindsey, i’m just going to say it, on behalf of everyone. 

Thank you to everyone else that gave us encouragement, advice and support, and to the National Network of Abortion Funds for their tech support and helpful tips.

If you’d like to contact the RRFP, you can through our website rrfp.net or message us on facebook or the Bowl-a-thon blog. And of course we are ALWAYS seeking more donations. If you’d like to become a monthly sustainer you can donate on our website or send check or money order to 

RRFP

P.O. Box 7389

Richhmond, VA 

23221

and keep checking our blog and facebook for upcoming events!

Thank you all for doing so much for reproductive access in Virginia!

Massive respect to all who participated, and to the folks who run the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project. 

Next year, Active-RVA will be participating in the Bowl-a-thon with our own team.

5:55 pm  •  15 May 2013  •  6 notes

Last month, the Virginia Board of Health, under pressure from anti-abortion politician and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, passed a package of regulations specific to clinics which perform abortions. These are colloquially called TRAP, Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers. The regulations are prohibitively expensive to implement and unrelated to patient health, mostly specifying architectural standards, and are expected to cause the closure of 18 of Virginia’s 22 clinics which perform abortions. The first has already closed.

This will mean that there will only be 4 remaining clinics in the entirity of Virginia for low-income women and trans* folks to receive abortion care, cancer screenings, prenatal care, STI tests, family planning consultations, and other services. This was the intention of the supporters of the rules.  

But why are these regulations being mercilessly applied to clinics that provide abortions only, rather than similar outpatient facilities like dentist’s offices, the offices of plastic surgeons, orthodontists, and more?

The answer is that these rules were intended to shut down abortion clinics only, regardless of the existance of other similar facilities which do not perform abortions- but for the sake of regulatory consistancy, shouldn’t other facilities be subject to the same rules?

And if those rules are judged to be too unreasonable for a dentist or a cosmetic surgeon to abide by, they are, logically, too unreasonable to enforce on a clinic at which abortions are performed.

A public comment was initiated by an individual who had this same thought- if these rules are so necessary for abortion clinics to abide by, they should apply to all outpatient medical facilities, and if they are not necessary for all facilities, they should not be necessary for abortion clinics.

The comment period begins today, May 6th, and lasts until May 26th. RSVP through the title link, to help organizers keep count and to invite your friends, and submit your comment here.

Share as widely as possible.

5:50 pm  •  6 May 2013  •  8 notes

After opening late as a result of poor weather on Monday, we made $50 on Tuesday, but had to take $27 of it for overhead costs (ice, freezy pops, lemonade, dog biscuits). Luckily, this sum constituted the entire cost, for the whole week. The remaining $23 is going to Team GSEXXXY.

On Wednesday, we made $30, but didn’t have a team representative, so we saved it up to split between the two teams represented the next day.

On Thursday, we made $35, for a total of $65- $32.50 to Team Totally Awesome, and $32.50 to the SubUrbanVersive Moms.

We had to cancel again on Friday, due to illness. Today, at the flea market, we made a lackluster $9, after arriving late due to conflicting engagements.

All told, we raised $101, which is not much in the grand scheme of things- but consider this a test year. We’ll choose a better location next year; while we did well in the VCU Monroe Park Compass on Tuesday, VCU Event staff told us that we were not permitted to use the space without a reservation, and asked us to leave.

Also, don’t forget that the fundraising isn’t over yet. Tomorrow we have the Benefit Show at the Nile for the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project. Monday we have the Art Swap and Stargazing to benefit the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project and the Bainbridge Bellydancing Benefit for the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project. Tuesday will be the Bowl-a-thon itself.

12:42 am  •  21 April 2013

This Monday, April 22nd, from 1-6pm, at the Rear Gallery (the rear of 209 North Allen Street, Richmond VA), there will be an art swap and star gazing event to benefit the RRFP. $2 at the door if you have brought art, $5 if you have not.

The Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project only has a few days left in their fundraising endeavors, and they’re more than $18k behind last year’s budget. Given that obtaining abortion care is going to become more and more expensive this year, as more clinics shut down in response to the new TRAP regulation, this is a recipe for disaster. The first clinic has already closed.

RSVP through the title link.

11:46 pm  •  19 April 2013

rrfpbowlathon:

4/20: RRFP Flea Market
Open invitation to all teams to come set up a tell and sell whatever you got (up/recycled clothes, baked goods, crafty crafts, etc). Check out the event page for more info.
9am - 4pm
300 block of S. Pine St, Oregon Hill

Catch Active-RVA tomorrow at the Flea Market for the RRFP, selling ice pops, lemonade, and sundry items. Bring your dogs- Milkbones free!

If you have items you wish to be rid of, but don’t have time to sell, contact Kat at 703-859-0393, and they can be sold at the Active-RVA table. Please call no earlier than 7am. Texts fine anytime.

Items for sale will include a brand new tire for a Toyota 4runner SUV, a crock pot, an assortment of colored aluminum links and clasps for jewelry making, a bucket of assorted seed beads, and more. 

10:42 pm  •  19 April 2013  •  4 notes

This Wednesday April 17th, from 5:30-7:30pm, at Starlite (2600 West Main Street, Richmond, VA 23220), there will be an interest meeting regarding the establishment of a Richmond chapter of the Planned Parenthood Young Leaders.

10:56 pm  •  16 April 2013  •  1 note

The Active-RVA ice pop and lemonade stand to benefit the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project got off to a slow start; we had to cancel Monday’s outing because of the weather. Today, though, we did well, despite being asked to leave the VCU Compass by event planning staff, who told us that a reservation was required, although the space is public property.

Today at the ice pop stand, we made enough to handle the overhead for the entire week, and $23 in profits, which will go to Team GSEXXXY, because they kept us company at the stand.

If you have a National Abortion Access Bowl-a-thon team working to raise funds for the RRFP and send us a volunteer in the next three days, profits will go to your team. If representatives from more than one team shows up, the money will be divided. Contact this account to learn more or to sign up to take a shift.

9:28 pm  •  16 April 2013  •  7 notes

Wednesday, April 17th, at 6:30pm, at Hip to be Round Maternity Boutique (3124 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA), Birth Matters is holding a panel of midwives, to field questions and explain midwifery.

Refreshments will be served, free and open to the public. RSVP through the link.

3:05 pm  •  14 April 2013  •  2 notes

Monday, April 22nd, from 7-10pm, at the Bainbridge Collective (1300 Bainbridge Street, Richmond VA), there will be a bellydance performance, dinner, and raffle, to benefit the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project. Team Totally Awesome is presiding.

Khalima and The Muse will dance after dinner, which costs $5. There will also be a raffle, for the prizes of an Amazon gift card, and a tattoo. See event for more pricing details and to RSVP.

The venue is not wheelchair accessible. This is the last event at which you will be able to donate cash to the RRFP.

2:05 pm  •  14 April 2013

Wednesday, April 17th, 5-7pm, at Selba (2416 West Cary Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220), the National Abortion Access Bowl-a-thon Team, Team Totally Awesome, is holding a benefit for the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project. From the event page:

“Happy Hour starts at 5pm with $3 Rails, $2 off wine, and $1 off draught beers. Dinner also starts at 5pm and can be extended a little after happy hour ends. Gluten Free, Vegetarian and Vegan menu available.

10% of all sales will be donated to RRFP Team Totally Awesome. Please call 804-358-2229 to make your reservation under RRFP.”

2:00 pm  •  14 April 2013