If you or your company would like to sponsor a future newsletter, please contact any officer or mail your check for $165 to P.O. Box 32, Ceres, VA 24318. This covers the cost of postage.

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all healthy and have managed this year’s hot summer so far. I sure am looking forward to a beautiful fall in Ceres.

We have certainly been blessed with some very successful fund raisers this summer; Applebee’s Breakfast and our Pig Roasts. I want to thank everyone who showed up to help with the Pig Roast on the 4^th of September. Our chief cooks Nelson Tibbs and Frankie Gray provided us with some great food and Sloan Cain jumped in to provide music when the band backed out at the last minute... We also appreciate Tommy Dunn furnishing the cole slaw for the event. I believe everyone attending had a good time and look forward to next year. You may have noticed the absence of GH Peery on the 4^th. He and Rebecca were in Texas for their son, David Peery’s, graduation from Air Force basic training. Congratulation and thanks for serving our country David. We hope you have a wonderful career in the Air Force.

We have some great news on the floor project. IT HAS BEEN APPROVED AND AWARDED to the contractor. Hopefully you will see some construction underway at Homecoming. (See "Late Breaking News")

Please everyone, get out and sell our Raffle Tickets. There are some great gifts this year with the laptop computer, rifle, framed P. Buckley Moss print of VT Lane Stadium, Ceres made Quilt and many more.

We also need everyone to encourage others to join our organization. We need your help to keep our great community organization moving forward and providing a service for Ceres and Bland County.

Don’t forget the Applebee’s Breakfast on the 25^th of September.

The publishing of this newsletter was held up until we could give you this latest bit of news on the repairs to the gym floor and sidewalks. A bid offer has been approved by VDOT and contract signed with Claude Erps Construction Co. of Bluefield, WV to make the repairs to the gym floors and sidewalks. A meeting was held with the contractor on September 7^th. The contractor will start moving in equipment within the next week. The first phase of the job will be the sidewalks and front stoop. The project shall be substantially completed within 180 days plus 30 days for final completion from the date of the beginning of construction. During this construction period, gym activities will be limited.

We hope everyone is as excited as we are and will be patient with us during this construction period. We have waited a long time for this day.

At 3:30 pm, on Saturday, October 2, 2010, there will be a ground breaking for this project. We will be honored to have Congressman Rick Boucher with us. Plans include music and food. We would like to have a large crowd here to celebrate this milestone in our history and to thank Congressman Boucher for all that he has done to make this possible. Please be with us on the 2^nd.

The following deaths were reported since the last newsletter was published:

Elizabeth Neel Allen

Blaine Thompson

Diane L. Fortner

Nellie C. Umbarger

Kathleen Duncan Hall

Lorretta Worrell

The gym has been heavily used this summer for family and community functions. Several folks have already scheduled their events for 2011.

If you or your family desires to use the gym, make your requests as early as possible to ensure your first choice of dates. Call 276 682-4380 or 276 682-4255 to schedule your dates.

As of Sept. 2010, we have 131 paid members. If you haven’t paid your membership dues for 2010, please consider doing that today. Dues are $25.00 for one year, and $100.00 for five years. Thanks for your support by being members. Without you, we would not be as successful as we have been.

Plans are underway for the raffle, to be drawn on October 16, 2010. Tickets were mailed with the last newsletter and more tickets are available. Your assistance in selling or buying these will be greatly appreciated. A complete list of prizes and donors will be published later. Prizes are still coming in. Prizes, listed below, were donated by an Association member if not otherwise identified. We already have some very nice prizes including:

• $50 Bonds from New Peoples Bank
• $25 Gift Certificate by B&R Auto Service
• Ceres-Goddess of Grain puzzle
• 3 sets of Mary Kay skin care products
• $50 Bond donated by First1Bank

• Free State Inspection donated by Randy Townley, Bland Auto
• Travel bag of goodies (5) by Jack King
• Gift Certificate by Ann Pruett’s Beauty Shop
• Box of greeting cards by Della Mae Neel
• Kitchen towels (18) by Della Mae Neel

A prize will go to the individual who sells the most ($) in tickets. Again, we would appreciate your help this year. This is our largest fund raiser.

We hope you will sell or buy the enclosed raffle tickets. Sold ticket stubs may be mailed to PO Box 32, Ceres, VA 24318. Raffle tickets are $1.00 each or 12 for $10.00. If you need additional tickets, please call 276.682.4255 or 276.688.4450.

It will be hard to top the wonderful program provided last year by Dr. Sidney Harvey. We were given a trip down memory lane back to those days 50 years ago. A special treat was seeing many folks who were making their first return to their old high school. As a matter of fact, we invite the 1959 boys basketball team members to return this year because we are working on one more small surprise.

This year we want to continue to travel down memory lane. The focus this year will be "Ten Years and Beyond." Anne Britton is coordinating the sharing of some favorite memories. If you have a story you would like to share, contact Anne at 276 682-4587.

Henry C. Groseclose Museum

3^rd Thursday – 7:00 PM

Everyone is welcome to attend.

September 25, 2010 ~ 7:00 – 9:00 AM

$5.00 per person

Purchase tickets or pay at the door.

October 16, 2010

On the Ceres school campus

Registration starts at 11:00 AM

Meal served at 1:00 PM

Meal by Loretta Worrell Catering Services

Meal cost - $15.00

Reservation forms must be returned by

October 8, 2010 to PO Box 32, Ceres, VA

See registration forms below.

Peery Center Gym

Nov. 2, 2010 ~ 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM

October 16 - December 1. 2010

Bring or send new unwrapped toys and stuffed animals. Items may be brought to Homecoming, mailed to our post office box, given to any Board Member, or left at Harner’s Market in Ceres.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Place orders before 12/10/10, by calling Wade at 682.4380 or G.H. at 682-4381.