Press Releases
Hands on DC Announces the 2005 Event Co-Directors
A vision of better schools and brighter futures for DC students moves into a second decade with dedicated volunteer directors leading the way
Hands on DC (HoDC) is beginning its 11th year, with the first meeting of the organizing committee taking place on November 3, 2004. With the event just over 6 months away, planning has begun. Leading the effort are Katie Ferrier and Billy Pizer, the 2005 Event Co-directors.
For more than 10 years, HoDC has worked with local community members, volunteers, school officials and sponsors to create better schools and brighter futures for the students in the District of Columbia. In its first decade, Hands on DC painted, landscaped and improved the conditions of the District's 150+ schools through annual one-day work-a-thon events. During this time, the community-based nonprofit organization run entirely by volunteers has raised nearly $500,000 for college scholarships.
Volunteering to co-direct, Pizer and Ferrier have accepted a major responsibility to oversee the organization of an event that will bring together more than 3,000 local volunteers, students, families and staff from nearly 40 public schools, and many, many sponsors to support the event. The work-a-thon is scheduled for the Spring of 2005.
Billy Pizer has been involved with HoDC since 1999. For the last two years, he has been the chairperson of the fundraising committee. A veteran of local volunteer efforts, Pizer has also been working with College Bound, a nonprofit that helps prepare DC students for higher education through tutoring, mentoring and scholarship funding. Pizer says that he is thrilled to co-direct HoDC 2005 adding, "[HoDC] is a fantastic organization with a history of service and legions of energetic volunteers." He looks forward to working closely with the diverse volunteers, old and new, as well as sponsors and local school communities. Pizer plans to promote volunteerism in the next year. He says, "Washington is a great city, filled with great people - but it needs more of those people going out into the community, especially to the schools. That's what Hands on DC is all about."
Katie Ferrier has been involved with Hands on DC since 2003, participating in various capacities on the recruitment and publicity committees, including chairperson of the 2004 publicity committee. Ferrier believes that she can further contribute to the all-volunteer HoDC effort by offering her event planning and community relations skills to the group at a higher level of volunteer commitment. "It is a pleasure and privilege for me to serve as co-director of Hands on DC 2005. As an active volunteer in each city I have lived in, I have experienced the challenges and rewards that come with community service, but Hands on DC has helped me fully realize the powerful effect volunteers have on a community. The fact that this is annual effort organized solely by volunteers brings a level of credibility to the organization and mission that cannot be matched."
Ferrier and Pizer are looking forward to introducing the new Executive Committee to the HoDC volunteers and DC community during the next few weeks.
-posted October 27, 2004
