Keeping Kids Active AND Warm this Winter

Any parent knows that the initial shouts of excitement about snow, building snowmen, making snow angels, and sledding eventually dies off and is replaced by strains of “I’m bored!” and “It’s too cold outside to play!”

This January, Avon North Hill Lanes offers another option for those parents wanting to keep their kids active – a newly-expanded elementary school bowling program, designed with each RCS elementary school in mind. Bowlers of all abilities are invited to join their friends for after-school bowling in their own school-specific league.

Build your own team or enter as a single bowler and be placed on a team. For those interested, facility coaches will be on-hand to teach bowling fundamentals at no extra cost.

The cost for the 8 week session is $65 and includes 2 games and free shoe rental each week, with awards and a pizza banquet on the last day.

And, we understand busy families, so it’s okay if you have to miss sometimes; we’ll give you “free bowling” coupons to use at another time.

Parent/Child leagues are also available on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays.

Watch for registration information to come home from the schools after the holidays.  Can’t wait that long? Contact Tom at 248-670-3389 or thomas@avonnorthhilllanes.com

See the schedule below for your school’s league information. If your school’s scheduled day doesn’t work for you, we have league opportunities every day of the week including Saturday mornings.  Your child is welcome to join us on any day.


School Day Time Start Date
Baldwin Wednesday 4:30 1/23/2013
Brewster Monday 4:30 1/28/2013
Brooklands Thursday 5:00 1/24/2013
Delta Kelly Monday 4:30 1/28/2013
Hamlin Wednesday 4:30 1/23/2013
Hampton Wednesday 4:30 1/23/2013
Hugger Monday 4:30 1/28/2013
Long Meadow Tuesday 5:00 1/22/2013
McGregor Tuesday 5:00 1/22/2013
Meadow Brook Tuesday 5:00 1/22/2013
Musson Thursday 5:00 1/24/2013
North Hill Thursday 5:00 1/24/2013
University Hills Wednesday 4:30 1/23/2013
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MG Photography & Design Impacts Two Local Nonprofit Organizations

Just in time for high school senior pictures and summer family portraits!

When Michael Guimond of MG Photography & Design received a letter inviting him to help support the powerful Rachel’s Challenge program in the Rochester schools, he immediately began thinking of ways to help not one but two local nonprofit organizations.

Michael has offered to waive in-studio photography session fees for any high school seniors who bring 5 nonperishable items and any families who bring 8 nonperishable items.  MG Photography and Design will donate all items to the Rochester Area Neighborhood House Food Pantry.

Additionally, when these customers purchase print packages, Michael will donate ten percent of every sale to Rochester PTA Council’s Rachel’s Challenge program, a program that inspires students to live their life with purpose, kindness, and compassion.

Visit MG Photography and Design at www.mg-photography.com to for countless examples of his diverse and unique talent.

To take advantage of this opportunity, contact MG Photography & Design at 248-651-5070 or email info@mg-photography.com. This promotion will only run through the end of August.

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Fun-Filled Community-Building Event Coordinated by Angle Communication!

Stoney Creek High School celebrated its 10th Anniversary last Saturday night at Twin Lakes Golf and Tennis Club. Angle Communication was the event planner for this festive occasion. This fun-filled night combined a “Made in Detroit” theme with St. Patrick’s Day while 360 guests participated in raffles, silent and live auctions, a strolling dinner, dancing, and more! Guests raved about the “fantastic presentation of the silent auction items” and “the fabulous event”!  Stoney Creek High School Principal, Larry Goralski, commented that “not only did we meet and exceed our fundraising goals, but it was a great community-builder as well.  I met people that night who I will have relationships with for years to come.”  Do you need help with an event? Contact Sally Anglim at 248-420-5276.

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Rochester Area Optimist Club’s 2011 Oratorical Contest

The annual Rochester Area Optimists’ Oratorical Contest will be held Saturday, March 12, at 9:30 am at the Rochester Hills Public Library. Students are invited to write and present a speech on the topic “If I were Leader of the Free World, the First Issue I would Address would be…”

Winners will receive a $200 Savings Bond for first place and a $100 Savings Bond for second place at the Club level and will have the opportunity to advance to the Regional and District contests. The winners of the District contest in May will receive scholarships.

For more information on this contest, contact Carol Rafferty at 248-650-4332 or Gay Berg at gaymberg@aol.com. the deadline for applications: Friday, March 4, 2011. 

Who are the Rochester Area Optimists?

This is a little-known organization in the Greater Rochester area that is looking to be more involved with our schools and community.  Aside from this oratorical contest opportunity, they also host the annual Bloomer Boogie 5k and 5 Mile Walk/Run, the Boo Boo Boogie for Kids, and a Junior Golf Championship Qualifier. 

The focus of Optimist International is “Bringing out the Best in Kids.”  They work to develop optimism as a philosophy of life, and hope to play a part in creating an optimistic future for kids.

For more information, contact the club president, Bill Staperfenne, president@rochesterareaoptimists.org or 248-651-6267, Address:  P.O. Box 80613 Rochester, Michigan 48308

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Rainbow Connection – Making Wishes Come True for Kids

The Rainbow Connection has granted over 2200 wishes since the first wish in 1985 when 14 year-old John Bowden had the thrill of shadow boxing with Mohamed Ali at Children’s Hospital. 

From something as simple as a new computer to as difficult as coordinating a White House visit with the President of the United States, to the most requested wish of all, a trip to Disney World, Rainbow Connection made dreams come true for 158 Michigan children in 2010.  The Rainbow Connection also provides support services, information and referral, special holiday get-togethers and picnics and, perhaps most important of all, a listening ear to over 600 families each year.

The mission of The Rainbow Connection is to fulfill the special wishes of Michigan children, 2 ½ to 18 years of age, who have terminal or life-threatening medical conditions.  All wish requests are considered without regard to race, gender, or religious preference.

From something as simple as a computer, a bedroom makeover or as unique as meeting the President of the United States at The White House or a glorious trip to Disney World, with individual and corporate support The Rainbow Connection has fulfilled 90-100 wishes each year.  This year, Rainbow Connection already has hundreds of wish children who have either received their wish or are looking forward to one!   The Rainbow Connection has never turned away an eligible wish child. 

Rainbow Connection also provides several special programs for their wish kids and their families.  Through the Scholarship Program, they offer $1,000 scholarships each year for wish children taking college classes.  Their Special Response Program assists families with financial difficulties brought on by expenses of having a child with a catastrophic illness, such as rent, utilities and funeral expenses.  The Wish Enhancement Program provides fun times for these children and their families through summer picnics, a holiday party, and tickets to attend area theatres, concerts and sporting events.

The average cost of a wish is $4500.  To make a tax-deductible donation or to learn more about The Rainbow Connection, visit their website at www.rainbowconnection.org.

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Raffle Donations Needed to Support Scholarships

Rochester PTA Council is in need of raffle items for the Founder’s Day Raffle.  All proceeds from the Founder’s Day event benefit PTA Council’s Scholarship Fund which awards $4000 in scholarships to graduating seniors every year.  Businesses and individuals who donate by February 4 will be listed in the event program.  Donations are tax deductible.   Contact Jennifer Berwick at jaberwick@mac.com or 248-0656-8986 if you are interested in donating.

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Lend Your Voice to the Superintendent Search

In response to Rochester Community Schools’ Superintendent Dave Pruneau’s announcement that he will retire in August 2011, the RCS Board of Education has hired School Exec Connect, a Chicago-based educational search firm, to help recruit and screen candidates for the new Superintendent position. 

Community members will have several opportunities to participate in the search process beginning with a focus group discussion on Wednesday, January 19 at 6:30 in the Harrison Room at the RCS Administration Building.   Participants will meet with representatives of School Exec Connect to help identify key  strengths and attributes that Rochester community values and desires in the new superintendent.

School Exec Connect has also created an online survey.  All community members and stakeholders in the district are invited and encouraged to complete the survey which asks four main questions focusing on the district’s strengths, challenges and goals as well as the desired attributes of a future superintendent.  This survey takes roughly ten minutes and will be available until January 31. Visit the district webpage (www.rochester.k12.mi.us)  until January 31 to access the survey.

Other opportunities for community input will be announced as the search process continues.  The goal is to announce a superintendent at the April 11, 2011 Board of Education meeting.  We are encouraged to contact the search consultants through David Peterson (dpeterson3@charter.net) with any questions or comments regarding the search.

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Youth Dialogue Day Identifies Need for Better Communication

The Rochester Auburn Hills Community Coalition hosted Youth Dialogue Day last Friday, January 14.  This annual event brings many of the Greater Rochester community’s high school students and adult leaders together to talk in small groups about many different topics concerning both teenagers and adults.  This year, the small group discussions were driven by the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets and how the 12 sectors of our community can help our youth develop these assets.

Through three small group breakout sessions and one final large group “debrief,” hundreds of observations and suggestions were made regarding what our community currently does to serve our youth, what else is needed and how we can improve.

Interestingly, what was one of the major concerns?  Communication!  Several times it was noted that even though there are so many different organizations and programs from which our youth can benefit, we kept hearing “we don’t know about it.”

This was a similar observation I have made in the last several months, and it is the reason this blog was created.  This blog is designed to be a resource for all members of our community – youth and adults alike.  The goal will be to provide information about all of the many organizations, programs, and services that are available in the Greater Rochester area.  If you think an important event or program is missing, please send an email to Sally@AngleCommunication.com.

This service is provided at no charge for nonprofit organizations.  If you have a business, and you would like the community to know about your products, services or programs, contact me at Sally@AngleCommunication.com or (248)420-5276.

For more information about the Rochester Auburn Hills Community Coalition, visit www.RAHCC.org.

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The Avon North Hill Lanes School-Centered Bowling Leagues kicked off last night with huge success – on many levels.  Most importantly to this mom…  My kids had a blast!  The emphasis of this league is on FUN.  Tom Langan, owner of Avon North Hill Lanes, wants these kids to discover an interest in the sport of bowling.  How better to do that than to make sure they are having fun?

For those kids who want to improve their game, (and in the end, who doesn’t?) coaches walk around, and if a bowler wants a little instruction, they are there to give it.  Tom emphasizes that this is “player-optional” – if a child doesn’t want help, coaches will smile, offer encouraging words and walk off to the next bowler.

Over 70 kids showed up at opening day of the elementary league. There are still openings in the league for more, and families will receive a certificate for free bowling for any weeks that they miss.  The middle school and high school league starts today at 3:30, and there are also a few parent/child leagues offered throughout the week – which is great for anyone like me who was getting caught up in the excitement and fighting back the urge to jump up and grab a bowling ball last night!  :0)

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Bowling Leagues in the News

The Rochester Patch wrote an article about Angle’s client, Avon North Hill Lanes.  Read the article at this link.  We have been working together to design and promote the new school-centered bowling leagues which start this week.

By design, these leagues are intended to, first, be a fun, active, and social activity for the kids in the cold winter months.  Along the way, the kids will learn the basics of bowling and enjoy a little friendly competition between teams from other area schools.  In the end, we hope that the kids discover a love for the sport of bowling.  It is a fabulous life-long sport that is great for kids of all abilities.

It’s not too late to sign up!  Contact Tom at Avon North Hill Lanes (248-670-3389), or for more information, visit the website at www.AvonNorthHillLanes.com.

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