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| West Creek Project |
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April 30, 2007
Dear Striker Family,
We need your help! We are writing this letter in hopes that you will take action for the thousands of children who count on the Richmond Strikers Soccer Club programs! As you may know, recently our Conditional Use Permit allowing us to use Cosby Fields was not renewed by Goochland County. This means that after November of 2007 we will no longer be able to count on these fields for our practices.
Upon hearing our situation, Markel Insurance Company generously offered to help the Strikers fill this void by entering into a year-by-year lease with the club allowing us to develop 26 of their 227 acres in the West Creek Office Park right off Route 288 and Patterson Avenue. (See enclosed article and Q&A which explains this in detail). However, in order to do this, the Strikers must receive approval from the Goochland County Board of Supervisors. Most important in this decision is one supervisor, Jim Eads, the Goochland County Supervisor for District 5, where the proposed site is located. (See district map enclosed.)
Even though we have wide-spread support from Markel, other land owners, and existing corporations at West Creek, we the members of the Strikers, and especially the residents of Goochland’s District 5 (ie, voters!), must launch a campaign to show Mr. Eads that Goochland residents in his district care about our children and want the Richmond Strikers to have the ability to develop Markel’s land into soccer fields. This is critical to your children and to the continuance of the Strikers’ 30 year history of building character through the game of soccer.
So what can you do to help? You and your friends can immediately write a letter to Mr. Eads, or if you live in Goochland and are outside of district 5, to your respective supervisor, and stand up for the children who love playing soccer and need the fields to do so. Equally important is writing a letter to the editors (or have your child write one) of the Goochland Gazette and Goochland Courier. We have a very short time horizon to accomplish our goals, so a quick response no later than May 4th would be greatly appreciated.
Enclosed is a sample letter for your use, as well as some talking points to help you write your own letter, which will be much more effective in communicating your personal position.
Due to a shared zip code in the 23238 area, some of you receiving this letter may live in Henrico County. We ask that you too show your support and send a letter to Mr. Eads in support of our kids.
For more information, go to our website at www.strikersatwestcreek.com, call 288-4625, or email your questions and/or a copy of your letter to WestCreek@strikersonline.com. Thank you for your continued support and let’s hope our children get to enjoy the beauty and convenience of the West Creek fields in the spring of 2008!
With heartfelt thanks,
Scott Turner, Executive Director Lynne Blain, President Richmond Strikers Executive Committee
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