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AutismUp: New name, same commitment to caring

10 Apr

April is Autism Awareness Month.

Wait! Don’t stop reading there. Don’t be tempted to think, “That doesn’t affect me. On to the sports section!” Because chances are very good that autism DOES affect you.

Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S, affecting one in every 88 children. Think about that. That’s an amazingly high percentage. That means that in your daily life, you have most definitely come in contact with people affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and probably even know some personally.

So this issue is not something our society can push under the rug, and the more people who understand that, the better.

So let me tell you about an incredible local organization dedicated to spreading the word, and about an event they’re holding later this month where you can help.

The organization is called AutismUp. You may already know it by its former name, UNYFEAT, which stood for Upstate New York Families for Effective Autism Treatment. The new name reflects the evolving and expanding role of the organization as the autism incidence rate continues to grow.

This local organization was founded in 2004 by a small group of parents of children with ASD, and has since grown to more than 1,000 members. Its mission is to support individuals with ASD and their families by expanding and enhancing opportunities to improve quality of life.

But to do that, they need funds. And here’s where you can help.

On Friday, April 26, AutismUp will host their seventh annual Seeds of Hope Growing and Giving Gala from 6:30 to 11 pm at the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University  Avenue. They’re calling it the “gala at the gallery,” and it will feature, according to the press release,  “fabulous food from MAX Rochester, a variety of music and entertainment, a live and silent auction, and opportunities to learn more about AutismUp programs and services.”

Several Webster businesses are among those who have generously donated raffle prizes, including Prime Steakhouse, Hanks, Kid’s Hair Zone, Armstrong Adirondacks, Bella Vita, Flahertys, Bayview YMCA, Yolickity, Kittleberger, Hegedorns Bakery, Pontillos and Webster Interiors. Plus, Casciani Builders has donated a private helicopter experience for the live auction. Pretty cool.

Tickets are $100 in advance, or $125 at the door. Presale tickets can be ordered online by April 20 at www.AutismUp.org or by calling (585) 248-9011.

Can’t make the gala? Then show your support this Friday by wearing something blue. I know at least one school in the district is encouraging all their staff and students to wear blue, and I hope more get on board.

You can count me in. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of these kids, and despite their communication and behavioral issues, they’ve all been cheerful and funny and pleasant. The way they take joy in life and take pride in new achievements just fills my heart with smiles.

This is definitely a cause you can believe in.

Thursday Webster Mailbag

20 Mar

It’s a sure sign of spring: special events are beginning to pop up all over the place.

For starters, Webster Thomas High School’s Production of The Wiz eases onto the stage for four shows beginning this evening at 7:30 pm.  The Wiz is a hip, 1975 adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the even more famous movie.

Yesterday several of the cast members treated Thomas staff and students to a teaser, featuring some of the songs from the show. So I can tell you that this is going to be a very entertaining, high-energy production. Anyone who lived through the ‘70s will enjoy the cultural references to that … far out … era. The kids will enjoy the vibrant costumes and upbeat melodies.  It’s about as different from the Wizard of Oz as it can be, while still sticking to the famous storyline. The Cowardly Lion, for example, looks and acts a lot like Elvis.

Tickets are $10 and are still available for all shows, but it might be too late to get them at Hegedorn’s, so pick them up when you get to the show.

The Wiz will be presented tonight, Friday and Saturday at 7:30, and Saturday at 2 pm, at Webster Thomas High School, 800 Five Mile Line Road, Webster.

THROUGH THE STUDENT LENS RECEPTION

Friday night, you’re invited to attend a reception for a multi-school photography show called Through the Student Lens 2013,at the Image City Photo Gallery.  This annual event showcases stunning photography by high school students from all around the county. The idea is to give students a chance to display their photographs professionally, in a gallery setting. This year’s collection includes 170 images by students from 17 area high schools, including Thomas and Schroeder.

Through the Student Lens opened on Wednesday and runs through April 14.  You can meet the artists at a reception Friday night March 22 from 5-8:30 pm.  The Image City Photo Gallery is located at 722 University Avenue, in Rochester.

25TH ANNUAL SCOUTING FOR FOOD

Believe or not, this weekend marks the 25th anniversary of Scouting for Food. I know this because I got one of those hangy-tag things on my doorknob earlier this week. If you did, too, and immediately tossed it into the recycle bin, go fish it out, because this is a very worthwhile effort.

Here’s the way it works: On Saturday morning, gather up some non-perishable foods, put them in a bag, and then plop the bag outside your front door by 9 am. That’s all there is to it.  The Scouts will be around to pick it up, sort it and deliver all the donations to local food pantries.

AND, these days Scouting for Food also includes a clothing drive. So get another bag, fill it with gently used clothes and shoes in it (no household items, please), and plop the bag outside your front door right next to the food bag. These items will be donated to Goodwill.

If the Scouts don’t make it by your house to pick up the donations, you can drop them off yourself at any Wendy’s Restaurant or any Goodwill store between March 23 and March 30.

SCHLEGEL ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION FAIR

Schlegel Road’s Second Annual Beautification Fair is Saturday, March 23.  All sorts of crafters will be on hand to display a tremendous variety of gift items. Funds raised through the craft sale and raffles will go towards beautifying the school’s cafeteria. The second phase of the project began earlier this month, when Schlegel art teacher Colleen Palmer and all of her students started painting murals during their art classes. You’ll can check out their work this weekend while you’re at the fair.

The show takes place from 10 am to 4 pm at the school, 1548 Schlegel Road in Webster.

BLOOD DRIVE AT THE AQUATIC CENTER

Your next local opportunity to donate blood is Tuesday March 26 at the Webster Schroeder High school Aquatics Center, 875 Ridge Road. Donations will be taken from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. It might be best to make an appointment for this one, since a lot of Schroeder students will probably be participating as well. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

WEBSTER CHRISTIAN SCIENCE AND HEALTH FAIR

Did you know that dogs’ nose prints are as unique as human fingerprints? That there’s such a thing as glow-in-the-dark soda? And what the heck is “morphing matter”?  Find out more about all of these questions and more at Webster Christian School’s Science and Health Fair, Tuesday evening, from 7-8:30 pm.

I went to this event last year and was amazed at some of the projects these young people were able to pull off. I may have to go again this year just to see what “dry ice bombs” are.

Webster Christian School is located at 675 Holt Road.

RENEW WEBSTER

A free Renew Webster Home Energy “Lunch and Learn” Workshop is scheduled Wednesday, March 27, 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the Webster Recreation Center to help residents learn about and understand programs available to help them reduce energy use and annual energy costs by an average of $700.

At the meeting, homeowners will be able to sign up for their free or reduced-cost energy assessment, as well as learn about other energy efficiency program opportunities available from Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E).

The Town of Webster will provide each family (up to 100) with a 10-pack of compact fluorescent light bulbs, which can save $84 per year or more by replacing incandescent light bulbs.

The lunch and program are free of charge, but space is limited. Pre-registration is encouraged to reserve your light bulbs and lunch at http://www.RenewWebster.org or toll free at 1-866-495-2959.

YellowJackets’ new CD celebrates music’s power to bring the world together

9 Feb

The YellowJackets, Webster’s hometown a cappella group, is making waves again with a brand new CD.

OK, to be entirely truthful, the YellowJackets do not really belong entirely to Webster. The group actually hails from the University of Rochester, and the boys in it are from all over. But the group has a very Webster connection in former member Christopher Young.

You might remember the blog I wrote last February about Young.  At the time, he was working as a student teacher at Webster Thomas High School. But the previous summer he was a television star, performing with the YellowJackets on The Sing-Off, an NBC reality show featuring a cappella groups. The group did so well on the show they advanced to the final rounds before being eliminated.

Young has now graduated from the U of R, so he’s no longer a member of the YellowJackets.  But he does perform on the group’s new CD, which has just been released.

The CD is called United We Sing, and is the 16th studio album the group has released.  But (and I quote the press release) it’s “unlike anything the group has ever produced!”

I listened to some of it, and they’re right.

The album grew out of the YellowJackets’ visit to rural Kenya in the summer of 2011, where they shared their musical talents with Kenyan children, conducting workshops, learning traditional native songs and teaching students popular American songs.  The trip was designed to bring people together through the power of music. The resulting album is a continuing effort to do the same.

Its 13 tracks deliver the unification message through a mix of African songs, like “Jambo” and “We Bale Jesu,” and pop favorites “Africa” by Toto and “Waka Waka” by Shakira.  It features students from Kenya’s Mbaka Oromo Primary School and the World of Inquiry School in Rochester, and gospel artist Trey McLaughlin. The Sing -Off fans will also really enjoy the return of “Wavin Flag,” sung by the YellowJackets on season three, and a rousing rendition of “We Are the World,” featuring contestants from all of the show’s seasons.

United We Sing (Pamoja Tuimbe in Swahili) is available  in hard copy for $20 and digital download for $10 at www.jackets.org.  And what’s super great is that the boys have pledged to donate 100% of the proceeds to support music and education programs for students in need.  I totally believe that music can change a child’s life, because I have seen it happen. Maybe it can change the world, once child at a time.

Great music for a good cause. Doesn’t get much better than that.

 

The YellowJackets perform on The Sing-Off. Christopher Young is in the back row, on the far left.

 

Walk for W. Webster Firefighters raised thousands

11 Jan

Just a quick follow-up this morning on a blog I posted earlier this week.  The folks at Operation Patriot Foundation have informed me that the Walk for West Webster Firefighters which took place last Saturday at Greece Ridge Mall raised $3,574.05.

Yesterday they presented a check for $3,600 (they rounded it up) to the West Webster Fire Department.

Operation Patriot founder Mark Rossney added in an email,

Combined with our initial donation of $1,000 made on Christmas Eve afternoon, we are pleased to have donated $4,600.00 in support of our heroes Lt. Michael Chiapperini, Tomasz Kaczowka, Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofstetter.

We will continue to offer t-shirts from the walk until Jan. 31 (they will no longer be available after that) and will donate those proceeds in early February. Anyone interested in ordering a t-shirt, you can do so online at http://www.OperationPatriot.org.

We are also pleased to announce that The American First Responder Institute of Heraldry out of Philadelphia, PA has asked us to deliver four “First Responder Service Medals” to the West Webster Fire Department.

It is our privilege and honor to do so.

The logo which appears on the Walk for W. Webster Firefighters t-shirt. Order one for $20 at http://www.operationpatriot.org

Mall walk benefited West Webster firemen

6 Jan

A charity walk drew an estimated 300-400 people from all over the county to the Greece Ridge Mall on Saturday morning to raise money for West Webster firefighters.

The walk was organized by the Operation Patriot Foundation, a group dedicated to paying tribute to first responders, and to raise funds to support them.

The event was intended to bring the community together for a one-lap walk around the mall to honor firefighters Mike Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka, who lost their lives on Christmas Eve; and Ted Scardino, Joe Hofstetter and John Ritter, who were injured.  It was also designed, of course, to raise money for the West Webster Volunteer Fireman’s Association. The effort raised funds through walker registrations and t-shirt sales.  A final total is not yet available, since donations are still coming in, but the folks at Operation Patriot expect it to be more than $3500.

If you’re still interested in purchasing a t-shirt, by the way, you can order one for $20 through the Operation Patriot website.

I could not attend the walk myself, so am very grateful to Kim Runnells for acting as my blog photographer for the event. She took some great photos. A few of them are posted here, and the rest are posted in a gallery on my Facebook page. Just click on any of the photos to go there.

By the way, if you haven’t heard the news yet, Joe and Ted have both been released from the hospital. May they have a speedy recovery.

 

Webster folks doing their part for literacy

8 Nov

Book Festival patrons can take a chance on winning this gorgeous quilt from Altrusa.

Book lovers from all over the state will gather this weekend at MCC for the Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators Annual Book Festival, and some Webster folks are going to be right in the middle of it.

Those folks are members of the Rochester branch of Altrusa International, a service organization dedicated to promote literacy worldwide.  Webster resident — and Altrusa member — Karen Marquardt has really taken that mission to heart.  Karen has befriended city school librarians and has learned how under-funded they are. To help, she scours public library used book sales, and using Altrusa funds, stocks up on books to donate to city schools. She recently donated more than 800 books to School 42, including 149 which she picked up at the Webster Public Library book sale for just $89.

Altrusa will be hosting a table at Saturday’s book festival, and accepting monetary and book donations to support their city school cause.  They’ll also be raffling off a beautiful quilt; anyone who donates a dollar or a book will receive a raffle ticket.

The Book Festival itself is a book-lover’s wonderland, a full day of author talks, workshops, presentations, activities and story-reading.  Plus there’s all sorts of information and vendor booths. Popular authors including Vivian Vande Velde and Linda Sue Park will be on hand to chat and sign your books.

The Festival runs Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm at Monroe Community College in Brighton. For more information, check out the Rochester Children’s Book Festival website here.

 

Welcome to the D&C’s newest blogger

4 Sep

I would like to extend a warm welcome this morning to the Democrat and Chronicle‘s newest community blogger, Carolyn Iman Stahl.

Carolyn signed on as the Irondequoit blogger a few weeks ago and has already posted three very informative and entertaining blogs.  As a 31-year-long resident of Irondequoit, and stay-at-home mom who “moonlights” as an English teacher, Carolyn brings with her a very engaging writing style, a knack for headlines that draw you in (“Keep Irondequoit Crunchy!”) and a good eye for everyday stories that everyone in the community will love to read about, but won’t necessarily find in the daily paper (like, where did the “Santa Jogger” get to?).

Welcome to the Blogger Nation, Carolyn. I look forward to reading more of your “I-town” insights.

I encourage everyone to check out Carolyn’s blog at blogs.democratandchronicle.com/irondequoit, whether you live in Irondequoit or not.  (I know you can’t wait to read about the Santa Jogger and why Irondequoit is crunchy.)

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