Ruritans’ fruit sales support students

For the past 25 years, many folks in the community look forward to the Gainesville Ruritans grapefruit and navel orange sale. This year, more than 200 people preordered their fruit to make sure they received it.

Bart Colendene, fruit sales chairman, and Cynthia Hughes, secretary for the group, were on hand Nov. 20 selling the fruit to regular customers as well as new ones.
Megan Van Stry, from Haymarket, said, “I had just been talking about the fruit sale and wondered when it would be again. We just left breakfast and were driving by, and I said, ‘There it is.’ I was so excited I saw it.”

She and Aldo Rodriguez, also from Haymarket tasted the samples and both agreed the fruit was delicious. Rodriguez said, “The oranges were really sweet, so I went in for another taste. We are getting a mixed box of oranges and grapefruit.”

Colendene explained the proceeds of the sale go to a good cause. “We have a scholarship program called Adopt a Graduate. Each year, the recipients receive $600 for four years as long as they are in school. Currently we have four students who have scholarships. The students are so enthusiastic, and I am really impressed with their attitudes. They seem to have a direction.”

He added, “We also make contributions to St. Vincent De Paul for those in need of funds for electricity, medicine or rent and help a church with there turkey baskets. [In addition], we send two high school students, which can be a sophomore, junior or senior, to a Freedom Foundation Conference in Valley Forge. The conference emphasizes what freedom means, and the students always come back thrilled and meet with the group to explain their experiences.”

Read the full story in the print edition of the Bull Run Observer.