Rotary Club of The Town of Bridgewater Attends County Fair
Oakdale Park Presents First Annual Labor Day Celebration
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The BC women’s basketball team gather around Carlyle Whitelow in support of the Rotary Club and the County Fair.
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Pictured from left to right, senior Diamond Huskey, sophomore Jada Gross, back row senior Hanna Randolph, sophomore Julia Williams, and sophomore Nina-Simone Clark. The members of the women’s basketball team and the president of the society of resource human management work collectively to make fresh-squeezed lemonades.
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The Oakdale Park first annual Labor Day County Fair consisted of seven carnival rides, a giant slide, food trucks, fireworks and musical entertainment for the Town of Bridgewater. The fair lasted seven hours with all-inclusive festivities, free entry, and a $5 wristband for unlimited carnival rides.
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Senior and BC women’s basketball captain Diamond Huskey volunteering at the Rotary Club table making their fresh-squeezed lemonade for customers.
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Junior Kaia Richardson pictured above purchases cotton candy at one of the County Fair food trucks.
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September 10, 2021
Bridgewater, Va. – Oakdale Park, located off of Route 42 at 134 Mt. Crawford Avenue in Bridgewater, Virginia, hosted a first Labor Day County Fair on Sept. 6. The County Fair consisted of food trucks, carnival rides, musical entertainment, and fireworks to end the night.
As hundreds of families came out to celebrate the fair activities, numerous booths and tables were set up to spread awareness about different nonprofit organizations and community clubs. One of the tables in attendance was the Rotary Club of The Town of Bridgewater.
The Rotary Club services Rockingham County by sharing fellowship and community service over coffee and breakfast.
A member of the Rotary Club is Carlyle Whitelow. Whitelow was the first Black athlete in the state of Virginia and at Bridgewater College to play intercollegiate sports at a school that was not a predominately Black college.
After Whitelow received his degree at BC in physical education, he went on to teach for ten years in the Staunton Public School System.
Following his final year at Staunton, Whitelow returned to BC where he taught and coached football, tennis and basketball. After receiving accolades (including the 1975 Faculty Member of the Year Award) during his 28 year career at Bridgewater College, Whitelow was inducted into the Bridgewater Hall of Fame in 2001.
As part of BC’s initiative to have student-athletes engaged in community service requirements, the women’s basketball team has been partnered with the Rotary Club for the last four years. Whitelow, who serves as a member of several Town of Bridgewater community and church organizations, was in attendance at the County Fair alongside the BC women’s basketball team.
Whitelow, the BCwomen’s basketball team, and the remaining members of the Rotary Club hosted a freshly squeezed lemonade stand at the County Fair on Monday.
“Volunteering with the Rotary Club has been such an incredible experience,” said Nina-Simone Clark, sophomore member of BC’s women’s basketball team.
“I enjoyed spending time with my teammates off the court and meeting people in the Bridgewater community that I have never met before. Being able to learn more about Bridgewater’s history from alumni was a cool experience and I look forward to working in the community again,” said Clark.
Additionally, alongside the BC women’s basketball team was senior Hanna Randolph, president of the society of resource human management.
“Volunteering with the Rotary Club has been a great experience,” explains Randolph. “SRHM does a lot of work on and off-campus and as president I want to increase student engagement and members within my club.”
