Welcome to the Cook Foundation Gloucester, VA

Robert Ruffin Productions Presented The World Premiere Play "Kiss My Little Girls – 1861" In Commemoration Of The Civil War Susquicentennial To Sold Out Crowds

The Cook Foundation held its fifth annual Virginia Symphony Under the Stars Concert on Saturday, June 4th on the Green located off of Walter Reed Way. This year’s theme was “America the Beautiful” featuring guest conductor Ben Rous. Approximately 2000 people representing all generations were in attendance for the FREE concert. Visitors to Main Street also had the option to dine on Main Street before the concert for a 10% discount. Picnics were welcomed too! Sponsors for the event were the Cook Foundation, Riverside Walter Reed Hospital, Chesapeake Bank, Gloucester Main Street Association, VA Commission of the Arts, Gloucester Community Foundation, Gloucester Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Tomlinson Exterminating & XTRA 99.1FM. For more information concerning upcoming events visit gloucestervillage.com or cookfoundation.info or call Jen Christman @ 695-0700.

The Cook Foundation held its first "Celebration of the Arts" reception on Wednesday, April 13th at the Main Street Event Center. The event welcomed guests who are supporters of the arts and the night's entertainment was provided by the Cook Foundation 2010 scholarship winner, Noel Miller, who is attending Christopher Newport University as a vocal major. Jenny Crittenden, the Cook Foundation's Executive Director, welcomed and gave a history of the Foundation and remarked on the many events and projects that the Cook Foundation has accomplished in the last 10 years including the overall support in excess of $500,000 that has been made in the community. Karen Flowe, the Cook Foundation's secretary discussed the importance of arts education and how the Cook Foundation has been able to successfully bring additional arts enrichment to the Gloucester County schools. Rob Ruffin, of Rob Ruffin Productions, gave a moving speech regarding the impact that Theatre can have in a community and how socialization and the arts are important to everyday lives. Rob is a recipient of support from the Cook Foundation to write and produce a new theatrical production, "Boots and Kisses" that brings to life one of the last known intact sets of letters between a young husband and wife during the civil war. He expects the production to premier in the Fall of 2011.

Leslie Belvin, retired Gloucester school art teacher, discussed how arts are so important to the general community. Leslie coordinates all programs at the new Gloucester Arts on Main as well is a grant recipient from the Cook Foundation. She is developing educational workshops and exhibits for the community to engage in the arts firsthand. The evening was ended with remarks by Adrianne Ryder Cook Joseph, the Cook Foundation's founder and President. She reiterated how the arts nurture the soul and thanked everyone for attending. The next Cook Foundation event is the Virginia Symphony under the Stars and it is scheduled for Saturday, June 4, 2011, 8PM. For those interested in donating to the symphony event, or to find out more about the Cook Foundation and its mission, please visit www.cookfoundation.info or call (804) 695-0700. The Cook Foundation is a private, c3 foundation and therefore all donations are tax deductible. The Cook Foundation Board members are the following:

President: Adrianne Ryder Cook Joseph
Vice President: Carolyn Dudley
Secretary: Karen Flowe
Treasurer: Rachel Burnette

The Cook Foundation held their first event of the year last Thursday evening, March 4th, when select musicians with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra presented “Meet the Families”. Musicians explained how their instruments made an orchestral family. After the educational demonstration each musician played a short piece. After all four families (woodwinds, brass, strings and percussion) had been introduced they all played a short musical piece together. The FREE community event was well received and children of all ages loved the instrument petting zoo. Guests were allowed to have a “hands on” session with their favorite instrument form the demonstration. The Cook Foundation will host the Virginia Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, May 15, 2010. This event will be FREE as well. For more information concerning this event and others, please visit cookfoundation.info or call 804-695-0700. See Event Photos

Lamppost Baskets:

It was through the vision of the Cook Foundation that the lamppost basket project began. The Cook Foundation wanted to make a visual impact to Gloucester Main Street that would make visitors feel welcome and residents feel proud. Mrs. Adrianne Joseph, President of the Cook Foundation, remembered as a child while visiting her grandmother in Victoria, British Colombia, seeing lamppost baskets filled with flowers bursting with color and the positive and warm feeling it invoked in her.

So, the Cook Foundation began the process of the preliminary planning and research for the lamppost basket project. After initial research and gaining approval from the County of Gloucester, the Cook Foundation approached the Main Street Preservation Trust with the idea of the first phase of the project.

The Main Street Preservation Trust embraced the project by generously funding the first 32 baskets from the historic Court Circle towards the traffic light at Route 14/Main Street. Tidewater Tropicals, a local nursery and landscape operation, was contracted for the planting and maintenance of the baskets. The lamppost basket project is in its 2nd year and we've added 8 new baskets this year.

The community is excited about the project and have shown their support by sponsoring baskets along Main Street. A plaque is on each basket indicating who has sponsored it. The following have contributed to the lamppost baskets: Main Street Preservation Trust, Dr. Timothy Leigh, DDS., Hogge Real Estate, Inc. in "Memory of E. Claiborne Hogge", Marguerite Heyworth in "Memory of Aubrey J. Ellis", Bangkok Noi Tai Restaurant, Gloucester Community Foundation, Friends of Kitty Wilson, Garden Club of Gloucester in "Memory of Ringy Pickett", "In Memory of Capt. William Masek, Jr. from his children", HOPE, Helping Other People's Enrichment, Inc., and "Thank you Edwin" from friends of Edwin Joseph. If you are interested in sponsoring a lamppost basket, please contact Jenny Crittenden @ 695-0700.