YMSL Cardinal Chapter in the News!

from "Neighbors Go" on 11/29/10; posted by Sara Campbell

YMSL boys, dads build, repair bikes for Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County

About 45 teenage boys and their dads spent a recent afternoon building and repairing bikes to be donated to needy Collin County youths. The event was part of a Boys Building Bikes service project by the Cardinal Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) in Plano.

The Nov. 21 Father/Son event at John Paul II High School in Plano was the second time the chapter has refurbished bikes or accepted donations of new bikes for needy children. The chapter donated 11 new and 27 refurbished bikes, along with bike helmets, to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Collin County.

“After collecting gently used bicycles for the past few months, we enjoyed watching our boys work with their fathers on such a rewarding service project,” said Jennifer Varni, vice president of membership for the Cardinal Chapter.

“It was a thrill to watch more than a dozen cars and trucks caravan the bikes to the Boys and Girls Club.”

The boys also enjoyed the opportunity to help other kids, Varni said.

“The Boys Building Bikes program is great because we have fun doing service work and make a direct impact on the children in our community,” said Varni’s son, Brandt, who participated in the event.

YMSL is a non-profit organization that encourages young men and their mothers to pursue philanthropic involvement in their community and provides an opportunity to enhance mother/son relationships.

The Cardinal Chapter, which was chartered last year, sponsors the Boys Building Bikes service project as its annual Father/Son event. Varni said the event gives fathers the opportunity to participate in philanthropic activities with their sons.

“This is the second year that I’ve participated in the Boys Building Bikes event, but it was the first time that I've had a chance to see what happens to the bikes after the work is complete,” said David Swinney, who attended the event with his son, Jared. “That made it an even more rewarding thing to do.”

Other philanthropies that the chapter supports include: Allen Community Outreach, Backpacks from Boys, Children’s Medical Center, Collin County Meals on Wheels, Dayspring Assisted Living, Habitat for Humanity, Heritage Farmstead Museum, Hopes Door, Love for Kids, Meet and Greet the Troops at DFW Airport, North Texas Food Bank, Samaritan Inn, St. Vincent de Paul, Miracle League of Frisco and tutoring at Jackson Elementary.

YMSL Ultimate Gift A BIG Success!

What an amazing success!! The Ultimate Gift Project was truly amazing and we want to thank all of our participating Chapters for their incredible service and support for this National Event!


Please click on the link below and read what the Dallas Morning News said about YMSL!
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/plano/stories/102510dnmetyoungmen.246eb91.html