Middle Peninsula Insurance & Financial Serivces

Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services was honored to be the title sponsor of the annual Men’s Charity Tennis Tournament which took place on October 14th at Two Rivers Country Club.  Men’s Charity Tennis, Inc. was formed in 1999 by a group of local men who wanted to host a tournament for tennis players in the Williamsburg area and to provide financial support for Williamsburg’s charitable institutions. For the first tournament, they chose Hospice House and Support Care of Williamsburg as their charity and that institution has been their charity every year since.

This year the Men’s Charity Tennis fundraising events included silent and live auctions on the day of the tournament, sponsorships and contributions, and two special events.  The first event was a Fine Wine Gala hosted by the Fresh Market.  The gala was held on October 11th and proved to be a fun evening of socializing, great food, and wine sampling.  The second event was, of course, the tennis tournament itself ; players are men 50 and over who support Men’s Charity Tennis and Hospice House with their entry fees and other contributions.  Thanks to the tournament players, sponsorships, donors and bidders in the auctions, Men’s Charity Tennis and Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services were able to present a total of $65,000 to Hospice House and Support Care of Williamsburg.  Over the past 13 years since the establishment of this annual tournament, more than $465,500 has been raised for Hospice House and Support Care.

Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services will be among the sponsors for Avalon’s Charity Golf Tournament for Women: Women Helping Women.  This inaugural event will take place on August 26^th at Ford’s Colony Country Club.  Avalon: A Center for Women and Children is a local non-profit organization committed to intervening in and reducing the incidence of domestic violence and sexual assault. In order to achieve this mission, Avalon offers shelter, advocacy, education, and support to survivors and fosters awareness and prevention by educating the community.  For more information about the event, please visit the event site.

In addition, members of the Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services team will be among the golfers gathering on September 16^th for the Closer’s Club Golf Outing.  This event will take place at Williamsburg National and will benefit the Tribe Closers Club, the official booster club of the William & Mary Baseball Program.  For more information about this event, please visit the Tribe Club’s site.

Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services is proud to be a platinum sponsor for the Williamsburg Landing 5K for Arc Awareness.  The Arc of Greater Williamsburg serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our area; they provide educational, life and job skills, health and wellness, and social opportunities for these individuals.  On September 24^th, Williamsburg Landing will be sponsoring the second annual 5k run to benefit the Arc.  Last year the inaugural event was a huge success with 240 runners/walkers participating and over $12,000 dollars raised on behalf of The Arc.  Middle Peninsula is proud to support this race and the efforts of the Arc in our community.

For more information about the race, please visit the event site.

Members of the Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services team enjoyed themselves Tuesday evening, July 19 at the 14^th Annual Bacon Avenue Block Party hosted by the Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance.  Middle Peninsula sponsored the beer tent at the party which had a “Sunset Over Italy” theme. Sal’s by Victor provided food for the event while music was provided by WMBG AM 740.

Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services recently contributed to the Williamsburg Community Foundation’s Annual Fund Campaign through the agency’s new MidPen Foundation. In 2010, Joe Harrow and Bill Morrison of Middle Peninsula Insurance Agency established the MidPenFoundation Fund at the Williamsburg Community Foundation with a gift of $55,000. Over the past year, eleven area charities have received grants totaling $27,700 through this fund.

Middle Peninsula is proud to support the Williamsburg Community Foundation in its mission to provide grants to a large variety of nonprofit organization in Williamsburg, James City County, and York County and to provide scholarships to students in Williamsburg-James City County Schools.  Founded in 1999 during the 300th Anniversary Celebration of Williamsburg, the foundation’s activities are funded completely by contributions from individuals and businesses in our local area. The Foundation is building its Community Endowment in order to support needs in the greater Williamsburg area. Foundation assets are currently $4.2 million.

Pictured in the photograph are Joe Harrow, Karen Jamison, WCF Chairman, Nancy Sullivan, WCF Executive Director, and Bill Morrison. (L to R)

Middle Peninsula’s Joe Harrow and Bill Morrison were among the “Run the D.O.G. St. 5K Race” sponsors who gathered in front of the Governor’s Palace in Colonial Williamsburg to hear the exciting news about how much money was raised this year to benefit Avalon. The second annual race was held on April 16^th and is the only race that ends on the Duke of Gloucester Street.  The 5K was preceded by a 1 Mile Fun Run so that all members of the Williamsburg Community, big and small, could participate in the event.  The turnout was fantastic—603 runners and walkers registered for the scenic run through history!  Colonial Sports hosted the race, and all proceeds, totaling more than $14,000, went to Avalon: A Center for Women and Children.  Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services was one of the many sponsors of this community-supported event.

Avalon is a local non-profit organization committed to intervening in and reducing the incidence of domestic violence and sexual assault. In order to achieve this mission, Avalon offers shelter, advocacy, education, and support to survivors and fosters awareness and prevention by educating the community.

Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services sponsored a bowling team during Bowl for Kid’s Sake held Saturday, February 26th at AMF Lanes in Williamsburg to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula.  The team included Middle Peninsula’s own Rob Brown, Joe Harrow, Ken Johnston, Steve Morewitz, and Lucas Smith.  Bowl for Kids’ Sake is Big Brothers Big Sisters largest national fundraiser, raising over $20 million annually for children in need across the country.

Middle Peninsula’s Ken Johnston performed at Dancing with the Williamsburg Stars on March 5^th.  The event was held at Phi Beta Kappa Hall and supported both Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula and Literacy for Life at the Rita Welsh Adult Learning Center.  Local Williamsburg “stars” were recruited and accepted the challenge to train with a professional dancer and compete in front of a live audience and distinguished panel of judges.  Judges for the evening were Aaron Brooks, a retired quarterback for the New Orleans Saints and local real estate developer; Anne Conner, president of TowneBank; state Sen. Tommy Norment, an attorney with Kaufman & Canoles and professor at the College of William & Mary; and Rebecca Rushforth, a ballroom dance instructor at William & Mary. Professional dancers were from 7 Cities Ballroom in Williamsburg, Art Inspired Studio and Country Bootleggers, both in Yorktown, Dance Masters in Richmond and Cindy Black in Virginia Beach.  Ken has let us know that he is helping plan for the third annual Dancing with the Williamsburg Starts next year!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula helps young people in our service area achieve their potential during their formative years by providing positive, caring mentor relationships.  Literacy for Life at the Rita Welsh Adult Learning Center builds better lives by teaching adults the literacy skills required for self-sufficiency, better health, and meaningful participation in society, through individualized one-to-one tutoring.

Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services sponsored two race cars at Langley Speedway in 2010. Middle Peninsula’s Matt Slye was names 2010 Modified Division Rookie of the Year, and Troy Trunage was awarded Super Truck Division driver.  Matt races for Slye Fox Racing, a family owned business formed in 1989 whose mission is to “help our sponsors gain market share and build brand awareness through performance and professionalism on and off the track.”  Matt also devotes time to other community organizations, including the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Alliance.

Middle Peninsula’s Ken Johnston assembled the team that placed second in their flight at the 2010 Conservancy Challenge, played at Ford’s Colony. According to Ken, “it was a fun day of giving back to the community and networking with other local business people.” Ken noted that teammate Rob Brown shot the straightest drive in the tournament. 

This event raises funds for the Williamsburg Land Conservancy and is well supported by the community. MidPen’s Joe Harrow has served on the Conservancy’s board for three years and will soon rotate to the executive committee. Joe believes in the Conservancy’s mission because “it helps to maintain Williamsburg’s beautiful stature, which brought us all here.”

In the past three years the tournament has raised more than $75,000 for the nonprofit organization to carry out its mission of protecting and preserving significant natural, scenic, historic and agricultural land in the James and York Rivers watersheds.  While the final 2010 numbers have not been tallied, the Conservancy is confident it will be another great year.

Not to be outdone by his colleagues in Williamsburg, Middle Peninsula’s Lucas Smith and his team captured the first-place trophy at the Gloucester Point Rotary Club Golf Tournament in September. Lucas joined Middle Peninsula Insurance in April as a Commercial and Personal Lines Producer and has been an enthusiastic supporter of community outreach activities. Even better than winning the trophy, he said, “was the knowledge that the proceeds went to the Rotary Club to help with their community projects.”

Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services’ Ken Johnston joined the Great Wolf Resort in breaking the Guinness Book World Record for “Longest Distance Water Sliding in 24 Hours”. All proceeds of the slide-a-thon held on March 26^th went to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula.  All 12 Great Wolf Lodge locations teamed up to break the record with the Williamsburg Great Wolf Lodge racking up nearly 300 miles.  The companywide effort established a new world record of 3,593 miles, more than four times the old record of 843 miles set in Germany. More importantly, the event also raised $125,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula.  Big Brothers Big Sisters of Williamsburg received $30,001 made possible by our local Great Wolf Lodge.

Like every member of our team at Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services, Ken enjoys being involved in the community.  He is currently a board member and treasurer for Big Brothers & Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula.  Ken is also committed to the lasting legacy of Colonial Williamsburg. Ken currently serves as president of the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums Alumni Association and has his own music company: Williamsburg Field Musick Fifes & Drums.

Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services was the tournament sponsor of the 2010 Olde Towne Medical Center Challenge, and Middle Peninsula’s Joe Harrow, Bill Morrison, Rob Brown and Ken Johnston competed at the event. The fifteenth annual Challenge was held on April 15th at Ford’s Colony Country Club.  The OTMC Challenge raised over $55,000 for Olde Towne Medical Center, an impressive amount especially considering that the event has raised over $444,000 since its inception.  Fabulous weather and a remarkable turnout of 150 golfers made the event both productive and enjoyable.

Olde Towne Medical Center was established in 1993 as a clinic which provides care to those without health care insurance as well as the Medicare and Medicaid population in Williamsburg, James City County, and York County.  Their website explains that “OTMC operates as a family practice, providing comprehensive primary healthcare, including case management and patient education, with emphasis on areas of greatest needs.”  Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services is proud to support OTMC in its mission which centers around providing preventive care and early intervention services to the populations with the highest need in our community, especially children and their families.

Ten years ago, a small group of Williamsburg, Virginia residents formed Men’s Charity Tennis, Inc. to host a tournament for tennis players in the Williamsburg area. Its purpose went beyond tennis, however. A primary objective was to provide financial support for Hospice House and Support Care of Williamsburg.

Bill Morrsion, financial advisor of Middle Peninsula Insurance and Financial Services, has been an active member of this group for 12 years and currently serves on its board of directors. He recently participated in the annual SunTrust Men’s Charity Tennis Event. This year’s event raised $60,000 to benefit the Hospice House and Support Care of Williamsburg.