In just a little more than a week, Friday night Dec. 5, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be visiting St. Martin Lutheran Churchon Bay Rd. for the church’s annual holiday party.
They’ll be arriving by fire truck at around 6 p.m., then spend the next few hours visiting with children in the church’s community hall. Every child will have an opportunity to talk with Santa and tell him their secret wishes (you can skip the mall lines). It’s also a great opportunity for a beautiful family photo. Free photos will be taken, but feel free to bring your own camera.
After your kids visit with the jolly ol’ elf (and Mrs. Claus), make sure to hang around a bit and decorate your own Christmas cookies, enjoy some games and Christmas crafts, listen to Santa read The Night Before Christmas and Pastor Korey read the Real Christmas Story, and sing along with Santa. Free pizza and beverages will also be provided for all.
This is a community-wide celebration! Everyone is invited. Admission is free but please bring a canned good for the Little Free Pantry at the church, which provides food 24/7 for our neighbors in need.
St. Martin Lutheran Church is located at 813 Bay Rd. It all begins at 6 p.m. on Friday Dec. 5. Get there early so you can watch for the fire truck carrying Santa and Mrs. Claus.
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ROC the Day 2025 is right around the corner. This annual community-wide event, sponsored by the United Way, is a 24-hour opportunity for people in the Greater Rochester and Finger Lake region to support local nonprofits which are doing amazing work, through online donations. This year’s campaign will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
On their website, the United Way maintains a catalog of more than 500 local nonprofits which provide a wide range of services, to which you can make a donation on ROC the Day. I suspect there are already some Webster organizations on that list. But for the first time this year, an organization near and dear to my heart, and for which I volunteer regularly, is jumping into the ring and is asking for your support: the Webster Health and Education Network (WHEN).
WHEN is a youth drug prevention coalition. For 30 years now, its mission has been to promote healthy, substance-free behaviors and lifestyles in the Webster community. Chances are very good you’ve seen WHEN volunteers in blue shirts around town, at drug take-back events at the Town Hall, Above the Influence programs at Webster middle schools, and at Family Game Nights at our elementary schools.
A true community coalition, WHEN is comprised of more than 150 members representing multiple sectors of our community including business owners, faith-based organizations, youth, civic/volunteer groups, media, law enforcement, health care providers, substance use prevention professionals, and more. Their work is truly making a difference here in Webster. According to Youth Risk Behavior surveys conducted between 2017 and 2023, youth use of alcohol and marijuana has decreased by more than 50% over that period.
This year, through United Way’s ROC the Day, WHEN is asking for community support to help raise funds to support the group’s mission and continue their efforts to help our kids grow up strong and substance-free. On Tuesday Dec. 2, go to this website (or click on the QR code below) and please consider making a donation.
WHEN takes a positive approach to sharing prevention facts and strengthening protective factors which empower Webster kids to grow up strong and substance-free. From hosting parent forums to posting signs promoting healthy behaviors, and offering a website full of local resources, WHEN champions the health and well-being of all Webster youth. I hope you’ll join the fight with your donation.
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A quick shout-out to the Webster Recreation Center and this group of crazy people who got me out of bed at 5 a.m. this morning for a rather intense workout.
It was called the “Hell’s Mile,” and in short, it involved doing laps of the gymnasium, performing different exercises with each lap, like lunges, skipping, bear crawls and the like. At each corner, you had to do a DIFFERENT element, like jumping jacks, push-ups and sit ups. (Perhaps you understand why it’s called “Hell’s Mile.”)
Apparently the group has been doing this pre-Thanksgiving workout for 15 years now, and they have the T-shirts to prove it. When fitness instructor Jim Wallis told us about it last week during one of our classes, one of my workout buddies and I kind of looked at each other and said, “I’ll do it if you do it.”
And yes, he was there, too.
We all went at our own pace and it took me more than an hour to complete the whole circuit, well behind most of the other participants. It wasn’t pretty, but I got it done, and now I feel like I can eat turkey with abandon tomorrow.
Maybe next year I’ll order a t-shirt.
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Sometimes when I start working on a blog post, by the time I’ve dotted the last I and crossed the last T, the whole focus has shifted from where it began. This is one of those blogs.
It began when I heard that National Honor Society (NHS) students from Webster Thomas High School have been helping out at the community meals hosted by four local churches through the Churches Offering Meals for Everyone (COME) initiative. This effort — a collaboration among The Gathering Place at UCC, Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, St. Rita’s and Webster Methodist Church — provided free meals, served restaurant-style, to anyone who wants to attend. Each church serves a meal once a month, and no one is turned away. Especially now, when so many people are struggling more than ever, it’s a vital service for our community.
For two years now, Webster Thomas NHS students have been helping out at these dinners, sometimes with set-up and clean-up, other times serving, pretty much doing whatever needs to be done. I thought, this is a great little feature to remind everyone how our young people are helping to make this world a better place.
And that was going to pretty much be the end of the blog. But then I headed over to Thomas and met two of these young people, club president Ayleen Dehghani and vice president Kate Mitchell. It was then I realized there was much more to this story.
I learned that the students’ work with the church dinners is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how involved they are with their school and our community as a whole. Thomas NHS students are required to fulfill at least 15 hours of service every school year (20 hours if you’re a senior). The hours need to be distributed throughout the year, and split among at least three different organizations.
There are many chances within the school itself to fulfill at least some of those hours. Most recently, for example, the NHS students helped at a Red Cross blood drive held at Thomas, setting up, cleaning up, and donating blood themselves. Outside of school, the list of organizations the club has worked with is long. In Webster alone, it includes the Webster Comfort Care Home, Challenger Miracle Field, Baywinde, Maplewood Nursing Home, the Gathering Place, Bella’s Bumbas and the Webster Public Library. But it stretches well beyond Webster as well: TogetherNow, Cross Creek Church, the Margaret Home, Friends of Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester Refugee Resettlement, the Ronald McDonald House and many, many more.
Kate Mitchell, staff advisor Erika Stuff and Ayleen Dehghani
National Honor Society is just one of several service-oriented clubs at Webster Thomas, and it’s common for students to be involved in more than one. They include the CARE Club, Key Club, Rotary Interact and Titan Service Scholars — every one of them community-focused and committed to making our world a better place.
What particularly impressed me about the young ladies I met is how they sincerely believed that serving our community is an opportunity, not just something you do to complete service hours or because it will look good on your resume.
“It’s not a burden,” Kate said. “Connecting with people in our community is so important, especially being able to connect with people of different ages.” At the churches in particular, she added, the community members who attend are mostly older, “so the churches appreciate when we send the high schoolers. The older people get to connect with the younger generation.”
Ayleen noted that the service opportunities benefit students in several ways.
“It helps you in your future,” she said. “(People) get to know you and who you are as a person, which could help you later on. Also you feel way better about yourself knowing that you spent your time doing good deeds for other people.”
Webster Thomas English teacher Erika Stuff, who advises the club, agreed.
If you put students in meaningful authentic needs-based service, it’s rare if ever that a student will leave saying that was a waste of my time. They always walk away knowing more about their community or the world around them and more about themselves. That’s why we always push to have diversity in service and have them think about what are the critical issues and needs that we’re meeting. And trying to get away from just fulfilling hours that aren’t as meaningful.
A lot of them just put in the minimum time, but a lot of students go above and beyond.
And that’s just part of the story. Webster Schroeder High School and our middle schools are also home to thriving service clubs. These clubs bring together a core group of passionate Webster young people dedicated to improving our world. Our sincere thanks go out to them.
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The Webster Art Club, based at the Webster Recreation Center, has spent the last month or so turning memories into masterpieces, and the beautiful results are now on display for everyone to see.
In a heartfelt collaboration which began in early October, Webster Art Club members met with seniors and listened to their stories of childhood adventures, family traditions, life-changing journeys, and the quiet moments that shaped a lifetime. Over the weeks following their conversations, the artists took those stories and turned them into beautiful works of art.
Eleven art club members and nine seniors participated in the project, called Senior Inspirations. Last Wednesday morning, the seniors got their first look at the finished artworks when they were unveiled at a reception held in the Recreation Center hallway where the works are now on display.
As she welcomed the artists, seniors and community members in attendance, Mary Coy, co-president of Webster Art Club, explained,
This project came about after I read that the top contributing factor for healthy aging is having strong social connections, more so than even diet and exercise. Always trying to think of new ideas, I thought it might be nice for our club to do a community project that encouraged social connections.
Two months, ago, we invited folks to come to the Rec Center for an hour to connect with artists in our club and talk about their life stories, their memories and anything else they felt comfortable sharing, The room was abuzz with conversation, which in turn provided us as artists with the sparkle of inspiration needed to create the drawings and paintings now hanging on the wall.
One by one, each artist stepped up to their work, inviting their senior subject to join them, and shared the meaning behind their piece. They told of being fascinated by the stories they heard — sometimes sad, other times humorous or adventurous — and how hard it was to decide which of those stories inspired them most, and would make it into the final composition.
Without exception, the seniors were delighted with the results. The finished pieces included acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, pastels, pen and ink, collage, and even one created on an iPad. They brought to life a wide variety of memories, from stories about a favorite childhood bicycle and a long-ago bee sting to peaceful nature scenes and Paris cafe — every one an illustration of a life well lived. At the end of the reception, each senior received a print of the original artwork.
The artworks will remain on display through the end of December.
WHAM Channel 13 was there to cover the event for that evening’s Bright Spot segment. You can see that piece here.
If you’d like to see more beautiful work by the Webster Art Club, stop by the Webster Public Library from Dec. 6 through 27 for their annual art show, displayed in the lobby. You can even vote for your favorite piece.
Here are some more photos from the reception:
(L-R) Mary Joan Bodensteiner and artist Sara Walczak
(L-R) Artist Mary Coy and Rose Schifano
(L-R) Linda Fiske and artist Carol Osborne
Diana Holzwasser with the piece created for her by Jean Bileschi
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If you attend Geva Theatre’s annual production of A Christmas Carol this holiday season, you might just recognize one of the young cast members.
Once again this year, two young Webster actors — Reid Antal, an 8th grade student at Willink Middle School, and Adriana Ruya Venable, a 6th grader at Spry Middle School — have been cast as young Tim Cratchit in Geva’s A Christmas Carol (since there are so many shows, all the children’s roles are double cast).
Based on the classic by Charles Dickens, this adaptation begins with a wish made by young Tim Cratchit. Over the course of one night, notorious grump Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four ghosts, but will their intervention prompt him to change his “humbug” ways? Filled with humor, heart, hope – and a little bit of horror – A Christmas Carol reminds us that it is never too late to have a change of heart.
Geva’s A Christmas Carol runs from Nov. 22 through Dec. 28 on the Wilson Stage, 75 Woodbury Blvd., Rochester. Tickets can be purchased online here, by calling 585-232-GEVA (4382), or by stopping by the box office in person.
Geva will also present a free performance of A Christmas Carol called “Home for the Holidays” on December 26 at 7 p.m. for Blue Star Families, who are active-duty service men and women, veterans, and their families.
ReidAdriana
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The 54th annual Webster Turkey Trot is approaching fast, but there’s still time to register.
The Turkey Trot, organized by Fleet Feet, is an annual Thanksgiving Day race which features a 2.5-mile fun run and a 4.4-mile race along roads and grassy fields in Webster Park. The race began in 1972, started by Webster cross country coach and English teacher Jim May as a practice run for his cross country team. It has since become a very large (typically around 4,000 runners), long-standing tradition in the Webster community.
The 4.4-mile 2.5 mile routes both start at the corner of Holt and Lake roads. Even if you’re not running the race, watch for traffic restrictions beginning at 8:30 a.m., impacting Lake Rd., Whiting Rd. and Holt Rd. Registration is open through Wednesday Nov. 26 at 5:45 p.m., and all new registrants will receive a cool tote bag. Plus, all participants receive a finisher medal.
Parking for racers can be a challenge, especially when we’re talking about 4,000 runners, but there will be shuttle buses running from Willink Middle School and Thomas High School from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Lots more information about the race, including how to register, the race routes, when and where to pick up your packet, parking information, and more can be found at the Webster Turkey Trot website.
Fleet Feet will also be running a donation drive for Webster Hope during packet pick-up. This is a great opportunity to show your support for our community and thankfulness for all of the blessings we enjoy — enough food on the table, a warm place to live, good health. To thank you for your donation, you’ll receive a Mystery Buck valued at 10 to 50% off any full-priced item in store at Fleet Feet.
Hope’s November wish list includes (these are the most critical needs, but all non-perishable foods are welcome):
Baking items- flour, sugar, cake and brownie mixes
Cooking oil
Canned peas
Canned pineapple
Canned beets
Canned potatoes
Pasta sauce
Pasta, whole wheat is NOT popular
Hygiene Products
Dish soap
Laundry soap
Any toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, shaving cream, lotion, etc.
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Making Spirits Bright is an awesome organization here in Webster which for the last 12 years has been working quietly under the radar, doing amazing things for families in need during the holidays — and this year, their efforts are needed more than ever.
The organization works with area school counselors and social workers to identify families that need assistance. Then they collect wish lists from each of the family members and begin collecting items. And unlike many other programs, Making Spirits Bright provides far more than just gifts. They also assist with winter gear, household necessities, personal care items, cleaning supplies and various other items to lessen a family’s burden. PLUS, they provide for all members living in each household, no matter their age. This includes kids, parents, guardians, grandparents, and sometimes even pets. This year, Making Spirits Bright expects to surpass 600 families helped.
The call has gone out for donations to support this year’s effort, and there are several ways you can help:
Sign up as a group, organization, business or family to help out. (Click here for current community list)
Adopt an entire family (choose the family size you’re comfortable with, two-person and up)
Organize a collection drive for some of the most needed items, like toiletries, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, gift wrap, gift boxes and gift cards.
Make a monetary donation, which are used to purchase items on the list which were not adopted. Any donations, large or small, is appreciated. Click here for more information.
Help wrap gifts. Click here to see this year’s wrapping schedule and stop by to lend a hand!
Donations should be new and unwrapped (unless otherwise noted), and all items need to be dropped off at the MSB headquarters — located in Baytowne Plaza — no later than Saturday, December 6.Click here for additional drop-off locations and hours.
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Community organizations depend on dedicated volunteers to carry out their mission. But in larger groups with many moving parts, volunteers often focus on their own projects and may never cross paths with others working in different areas.
The Friends of the Webster Public Library (FWPL) recognize that, so they make sure that at least twice a year they hold special events to bring all of their volunteers together for an hour of friendship, socialization, laughter and lots and lots of good food.
Every May this meeting/social event takes the form of a potluck lunch, with a dozen or more delectable dishes lined up along tables in the library’s community room. Every November, it’s a dessert reception; last Saturday, those tables were filled with cheesecakes, shortbreads, cookies, chocolate candies, even a cherry trifle. The event drew almost 50 volunteers from across the FWPL organization, men and women who volunteer at the book sales, in the lobby book store, manage publicity, serve on the board and more. And each one went home with a little gift to say thank you for their time and commitment.
Winanne MessingEileen Brookins
Two of those volunteers received special recognition: Eileen Brookins and Winanne Messing. For many years, Winanne and Eileen were head of publicity for book sales and various other fundraisers, and they both served on the Friends’ Board of Directors before stepping down two years ago. Appropriately, each received a book inscribed with an individualized dedication recognizing their service. Once Winanne and Eileen have had a chance to read them, the books will become part of the library’s permanent collection.
And talking about the Book Sale …
These social events double as FWPL meetings, and at this last gathering, some pretty amazing details about this year’s book sales were reported.
The final figure from the most recent Fall Book Sale was an incredible $8,191.98 (including a portion of the proceeds from 70 Kittelberger flower cards sold during the sale). It’s been several years since the Friends topped the $8,000 mark, so that is a great accomplishment. The vintage book sales earned almost $3,200 on top of that this year as well. Those impressive figures can be attributed to all the donors, volunteers, shoppers and the incredible support of the Webster Community as a whole.
And did you know? Whatever books the Friends don’t sell are donated to Savers. They come down to the library, box them up and send them all over the country to other Savers locations to benefit other communities.
The Friends of the Webster Public Library are library supporters who are committed to strengthening the library and helping it provide the best service possible to the community. All of the funds they raise go directly to promote and support the Webster Public Library, its services, facilities, programs and needs. Click here to find out more about the organization and how you can become a member.
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Let’s start today’s mailbag with this quick note about something happening REALLY SOON that will interest those who want to get some Christmas shopping done.
Maplewood Nursing Home will be hosting their annual Holiday Bazaar this Thursday and Friday Nov. 20 and 21.
It will feature nine vendors offering one-of-a-kind items including home goods, crafts, jewelry, knitwear, wind chimes, and much more. Plus there will be a bake sale, two raffles and an ornament donation tree. All proceeds will benefit Lap Robes for Veterans, a charity near and dear to The Maplewood; the organization donates homemade lap robes to all military veterans at the facility.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The Maplewood is located at 100 Daniel Drive in the Village of Webster. There’s plenty of free parking. This is a community event and all are welcome.
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The Women’s Club of Webster has announced details for their 31st annual Holiday Cookie Sale, scheduled this year for Saturday, Dec. 13 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Webster Public Library, 980 Ridge Rd. Cost for cookies is $10 per pound (cash only!). They usually sell out very quickly, so get there early.
Proceeds from the sale, which is eagerly awaited by area cookie lovers, will benefit the club’s scholarship funds as well as many other programs in the Webster community.
AND while we’re talking about the Women’s Club, you’ll want to make plans now to attend the club’s December meeting, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 18 at the Penfield Country Club.
Santa will be the special guest at the luncheon, so this is your chance to ask him all those questions you’ve ever wondered about, like what his favorite cookies are and who pulls his beard the most. Mrs. Claus will also be with him.
The meeting will be held at the Penfield Country Club, 1784 Jackson Rd. It begins with social time at 11:30 a.m., followed by the meeting at noon and lunch at 12:30. Cost is $25 and includes lunch, either Chicken French, a Reuben or Italian Melt sandwich. All lunches also come with fresh fruit and beverages. Send your check made out to WCW with your lunch choice by Dec. 11 to Carolyn Rittenhouse, 405 County Line Rd, Ontario, NY 14519. If you think your check might be late, call Carolyn at 585-265-1303 to hold your place.
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From the Webster CSD:
Families with children residing in their household who are ages birth to 5 years old are asked to help Webster CSD forecast enrollment by completing the brief Young Children Census.
This census is a young family’s first connection with the district and helps the school district keep in touch with the family as their child approaches school age. When families share their email address with Webster CSD through the census, it enables the district to notify those families when their children are eligible for prekindergarten and kindergarten registration.
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Webster Comfort Care Home’s2025 Holiday Raffle is now open, your chance to win some fabulous prizes. (Details about what they are can be found on the WCCH website.) Tickets are one for $25, three for $60 and six for $100 (that’s a bargain!). You can click here to purchase them online. The raffle will be live through Thursday Dec. 18, when the winners will be chosen.
Not only is this a great opportunity to win a pretty awesome Christmas gift for yourself or a loved one, but you can feel good that you’ve supported a really awesome organization at the same time.
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Here’s another reminder that Country Gardeners of Webster will hold their annual Garden Club Holiday Sale on Saturday December 6 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Webster Recreation Center, 1350 Chiyoda Drive. This huge sale features fresh wreaths, arrangements, poinsettias, centerpieces and gifts that are created by hand by the club members. This is always a very popular event, so you want to get there early. Admission is free.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
I feature the people and places and events that make Webster the wonderful community it is — and throw in some totally-not-Webster-related personal ramblings every once in a while as well.
I love it when readers send me news about the great things happening in their schools or the community, so please email me anytime at missyblog@gmail.com
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