Radio Disney AM 910 Detroit is hosting a “Back 2 School Celebration” event on SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 from 12:00p.m. – 3:00p.m. at Westland Shopping Center.  The event will  include a special meet and greet session with CHLOE BRIDGES – the newest cast member of the highly anticipated Disney Channel Original Movie “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.”  Fifteen selected* local area winners (16 and under) will get the wonderful opportunity to meet Bridges with three of their friends.

At the event, the Radio Disney AM 910 Road Crew will provide LIVE on-stage entertainment filled with great music, fun games and prizes, including the chance to win four tickets and backstage passes to the Jonas Brothers Live In Concert on September 1 at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Auburn Hills!

In addition, visitors can enjoy activities throughout the mall including a Back 2 School Fashion Show, performances from Wayne Westland Community School groups and several FREE activity stations promoting the upcoming premiere of “Camp Rock 2:The Final Jam” on September 3 and the start of the new school year.

Westland Shopping Center

35000 West Warren

Westland, MI 48185

Looking for an affordable, educational, worthwhile, preschool for your little one?  Plymouth Children’s Nursery is a fantastic choice!  It is a Cooperative Preschool which offers a lower tuition cost and the opportunity for the families to be involved in the children’s experience and education.  This fall PCN will be offering a Bilingual Spanish/English school option for 4- 6 year olds.  This class will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1- 3 pm.  Research continually shows the benefits of early language exposure and this unique school experience supports the advantages of bilingual development and school readiness skills.

Children will be exposed to a traditional preschool curriculum in a play based environment with a focus on both English and Spanish communication.   Experienced, degreed language educators bring their expertise of second language learning to this bilingual program.  Music, songs, thematic curriculum, hands on activities, gross and fine motors skills, creative projects and out door play will integrated in the bilingual program.  This class is not only for preschoolers, but also an enrichment program for Kindergarteners.  Be sure to contact Plymouth Children’s Nursery (located in Canton) for more information and to schedule a visit.  Open House September 11 from 10- 12 noon.  Space is available, register today! 734-455-6245. www.plymouthnursery.org

This Friday, July 23 visit Bell Creek Park to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

Movie starts at dusk and is FREE!

15557 Inkster Road, Redford Township

For more info call 734-261-1990

Help Paint a Mural

The Museum of Contemporary Art invites parents and kids to team up with local artists to beautify parts of the museum’s exterior grounds.

When: Noon-4 p.m. on Sunday, July 18, 2010

Cost: FREE

Where:  The Museum of Contemporary Art   4454 Woodward Ave. Detroit

For More Info:  call 313-832-6622 or go to www.mocadetroit.org

Detroit’s 309th Birthday Party

Where:  Detroit Historical Museum

When:  Sunday, July 18  1-4 p.m.

FREE Admission!

Celebrate Detroit’s 309th Birthday!  See the “Belles and Bachelors of Fort Detroit” as they present Judge Augustus Woodward and Detroit’s role in the War of 1812 – courtesy of the Dance Thru History Company.

In addition, you’ll learn to trace your family tree at the genealogy table and enter the Old Fashioned Cake Walk for $1.  Children will enjoy the Kidz Art Zone which will host Candy Art, Spin Art and Sandy Art ($3 per activity).

For More info call 313-833-1805 or go to www.detroithistorical.org

Claddagh Irish Pub is hosting a “Stock the Pantry” rally at its Livonia restaurant to benefit local food bank partners July 16-18. Cordette Grantling, featured on Dateline Detroit, will be the guest of honor, along with her family, on July 18.

“ConAgra Foods and Feeding America created ‘Child Hunger Ends Here’, a program to benefit local food pantries across the country,” explained Audra Borger, sales manager at Claddagh Irish Pub in Livonia. “Forgotten Harvest and Gleaners Community Food Bank are the beneficiaries, so that’s a no-brainer.

“We decided to make it bigger and better by saluting Cordette. The bottom line is it’ll be a great party for our guests, all for a great cause!”

Guests will get the following:

-       If you donate three non-perishable food items, you receive a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert.*

-       A $5 coupon gives you $10 off your meal of two entrees and two beverages.*

-       On Sundays at the Claddagh, kids always eat free!*

*Free appetizer or dessert coupon cannot be used on the same day received. $10 coupon cannot be combined with any other coupons, promotions or offers except “Kids eat free on Sundays.” Children age 12 and under. Only valid July 16-18, 2010.

Claddagh Irish Pub Livonia is located at 17800 Haggerty Road and will be open Friday and Saturday, July 16-17, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; and Sunday, July 18, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

For more information, contact The Claddagh at salesmanager@claddaghirishpubs.com or 734-542-8141.

Head on down to downtown Plymouth where artists will be gathering.  There will be an interactive family theater for the kids to show of their talents.

Admission is FREE!

Starts Friday, July 9, 2010.

Times vary, so call 734-454-1314 or go to www.artinthepark.com for more information.

WHO

Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and The Henry Ford

Steven Reineke, conductor

Michael Runyan, harmonica

WHAT

The DSO returns to Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford for the 18th annual Salute to America concert series on July 1 through July 4. Conductor Steven Reineke and harmonica-player Michael Runyan join the DSO to present a program of patriotic and popular favorites featuring the sounds of America.

WHEN

Grounds open at 6 p.m

Performances begin at 8:30 p.m.

Fireworks Finale begins approximately at 10 p.m.

WHERE

The Henry Ford is located at 20900 Oakwood Blvd, Dearborn, Michigan, 48124-5029, on the corner of Village Road and Oakwood Boulevard, just west of the Southfield Freeway (M-39) and south of Michigan Avenue (US-12).

TICKETS

Tickets can be purchased at The Henry Ford, 20900 Oakwood Blvd; by calling 313-982-6001; or online at thehenryford.org.

COSTS

MUSIC

STEVEN REINEKE                                                                             Celebration Fanfare

JOHN STAFFORD SMITH (Lyrics by Francis Scott Key, arr. Luck)      Star Spangled Banner

GEORGE M. COHAN (arr. Hermann)                                                  George M. Cohan Salute

LEROY ANDERSON                                                                          Bugler’s Holiday

JOSEPH BRACKETT, JR. (arr. Reineke)                                             “Simple Gifts”

MORTON GOULD                                                                              American Salute

TRADITIONAL-PATRIOTIC (arr. Lowden)                                        Armed Forces Salute

SAMUEL WARD (arr. Dragon & Hayman)                                          America the Beautiful

JOHN WILLIAMS                                                                               Liberty Fanfare

HENRY MANCINI                                                                              “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s

STEVEN REINEKE                                                                             River Medley

PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY                                                       1812 Overture, Op. 49

(WITH FIREWORKS)

JOHN PHILIP SOUSA                                                                        The Stars and Stripes Forever

E. E. BAGLEY                                                                                     National Emblem March

JOHN PHILIP SOUSA                                                                        Liberty Bell March

Washington Post March

ACTIVITIES

• Pre-concert entertainment with the River Raisin Ragtime Revue.
• Family Fun Night on July 1 & 2 with pre-concert activities for children, including nineteenth-century lawn games and a special visit from Greenfield Village’s historic baseball teams.
• Picnics are allowed.
• Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
• Alcoholic beverages may not be brought onto the grounds.
• Concert attendees are welcome to bring chairs and blankets to the concert.

While many families are scaling back on summer trips, Pewabic Pottery is inviting children to travel the globe with the ultimate staycation, Pewabic’s Passport to Pottery Summer Camp, offered in various weekly sessions July 6 to Aug. 9.

The camp will allow students to discover the world one habitat at a time, while learning the importance of maintaining a balanced ecosystem. Participants will “travel” to exotic destinations around the globe including rainforests, deserts, oceans, tundras and even the arctic. Each week, students will create timeless ceramic pieces and craft projects expressing what they have learned.

The camp runs from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. weekdays beginning July 6 and is open to children ages 6 to 12. Class dates and corresponding themes include:

·         July 6-9: Rainforests

·         July 12-16: Deserts

·         July 19-23: Oceans

·         July 26-30: Tundras

·         Aug. 2-6: Forests

·         Aug. 9-13: The Arctic

Camp fees are $95 per week.

Pewabic also is offering a summer Teen Wheel Throwing Camp for both beginners and advanced students ages 13 to 17. The week-long camp is being offered July 12 to 16 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Aug. 9 to 13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Camp fees are $95 per week.

Pre-registration is required for all classes. To sign up for a class, call (313) 822-0954, ext. 100.

The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit is challenging metro Detroiters to join them in “doing the most good” as the organization celebrates its fifth annual Doing the Most Good Week, May 10-16, 2010.

DMG Week is unique to metro Detroit, and is designed to call attention to individuals and groups, who through their actions and donations are “Doing the Most Good” to help the communities in which they live and work. New this year, individuals may pledge to “Do the Most Good” at www.salmich.org and post how they’re doing the most good on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/salmich.org.

The goal of the week is to build awareness of The Salvation Army’s services within the community. To participate, all it takes is doing something positive to help someone in your community.  “Doing the Most Good” is as easy as opening the door for someone, greeting people you encounter with a smile or saying something nice to everyone you meet during the course of the day.

The campaign coincides with the 56^th Annual National Salvation Army Week May 10-16, which was created by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954.

The Salvation Army is once again partnering with the Detroit Tigers to help raise awareness of Doing the Most Good Week. Throughout the week, WJBK-TV (Fox 2) will air a public service announcement about Doing the Most Good starring short stop Adam Everett. The PSA will also be played before all home games at Comerica Park. Everett volunteered on The Salvation Army’s Bed & Bread Truck during the Detroit Tigers Annual Winter Caravan earlier this year. The truck is a mobile feeding unit that delivers food to Detroit’s most depressed areas 365 days a year.

The PSA was crafted to help educate viewers about the programs and services offered by The Salvation Army and how donations are used to help those in need.

“Doing the Most Good Week is a time for everyone to make a stronger commitment to helping those in need, an important sentiment for those struggling in metro Detroit,” said Major John Turner, general secretary of The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division.  “The Salvation Army has chosen the phrase ‘Doing the Most Good’ because it is our promise to do the most good with contributions of money, time and resources. Eighty-three cents of every dollar donated is directly allocated to services that assist people in need,” Turner said.

Each day of DMG week, The Salvation Army is focusing on a different way to do the most good. A schedule of the week’s activities is outlined below:

• Monday, May 10 is Doing the Most Good for Your Neighbor Day

The Salvation Army couldn’t continue Doing the Most Good without a dedicated team of volunteers. The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division will recognize husband and wife volunteers Wayne and Marge Cooper of Plymouth as Family Volunteers of the Year; and Colonial Plymouth Kiwanis as Organization Volunteers of Year with a special recognition ceremony at The Salvation Army Plymouth Corps Community Center, 9451 S. Main St., Plymouth, at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 13. The couple is truly Doing the Most Good in their community.

The Salvation Army also kicks off Doing the Most Good Week with a special food and toiletries drive at Hiller’s Markets in metro Detroit Monday, May 10 through Friday, May 14.

Individuals are also encouraged to visit www.salmich.org and pledge to Do the Most Good via an interactive share button on the Web site. Additionally, do-gooders can also post how they’re doing the most good on The Salvation Army’s Facebook wall.

Also, anyone who donates clothing, furniture or household goods to a participating Salvation Army Thrift and Family Stores through May 31 will earn a $10 gift certificate good for use at any Van Heusen, IZOD or Bass retail location.

• Tuesday, May 11 is Doing the Most Good for children day.

Livonia nonprofit ConnectUS will deliver 75 hand-made puppets to The Salvation Army’s Booth Shelter for Women and Families at 1:30 p.m. on May 11 during a visit with the shelter’s young children. ConnectUS was established to fill a need for quality day programming for severely multiply impaired (SXI) wheelchair-bound adults. The program is designed to provide stimulating activity for members, including puppet assembly. Shelter staff will use the puppets as an available play activity for the shelter’s children.

In addition to its regular food and shelter programming, The Salvation Army also provides summer day camps and after-school services to metro Detroit children throughout the year. Children are also some of the charity’s most prolific volunteer fundraisers. To learn how your children can help by hosting their own fundraiser, call (248) 443-5500 or visit www.salmich.org

• Wednesday, May 12 is Doing the Most Good in the face of disaster day.

The Salvation Army has disaster response teams on call to serve at many disasters, from the recent tornados in Mississippi to ongoing relief in Haiti and Chile. Locally, mobile canteens in metro Detroit provide food, vouchers for temporary shelter, blankets, communications, emergency lighting and clean-up kits to victims of fire and other disasters. To find out how you can volunteer to help with these efforts, call 248-443-2242 ext. 347.

• Thursday, May 13 is Doing the Most Good for your mind, body and soul day.

The Plymouth Wellness Center, located at 1075 W. Ann Arbor Road, will host a personal care items drive from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. to benefit The Salvation Army’s Plymouth Corps Community Center. Guests who bring a personal care item (deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) will receive a free 10-minute chair massage or 10-minute sinus release treatment and will be entered into a drawing for a detox package, including a 30-minute infrared sauna session, 30-minute ionic footbath session and a one-hour massage, plus a drawing for a couples massage. Those who donate will also learn tips and techniques on how to take care of (and even pamper) themselves, so they can focus Doing the Most good every day.

The Salvation Army also hosts many character building activities for children through their Salvation Army Outdoors programming and at its Camp Echo Grove in Leonard, Mich. Now is the perfect time to find out how you can get your child involved in upcoming summer activities. Call (248) 443-5500 for more information.

• Friday, May 14 is Doing the Most Good for the hungry day.

The Salvation Army wraps up Doing the Most Good Week with the final day to donate food and toiletries at Hiller’s Markets, which the business has generously offered to host at its six metro Detroit locations, including Berkley, Plymouth, Northville, West Bloomfield and its two locations in Commerce Township. Hiller’s Markets will encourage guests to ‘Do the Most Good’ and purchase extra nonperishable food items and toiletries for their neighbors in need, then drop them into designated shopping carts in the stores. The proceeds benefit The Salvation Army Corps Community Centers in Plymouth, Royal Oak and Pontiac.

• Saturday, May 15 (Armed Forces Day) is Doing the WRITE thing day.

The Salvation Army celebrates Armed Forces Day by continuing the legacy of The Salvation Army Lassie. Community members can show their appreciation to a soldier currently serving our country by going to www.salmich.org, Facebook and on Twitter @Salmich and writing a short note that The Salvation Army will send to a designated unit in the Armed Forces.

“Each one of us can make “doing the most good” our personal mission; to do the most good with the time and resources that we have. None of us can truly know the value of a good deed and therefore we should never miss an opportunity to do some good by considering the act too small,” Turner said.

To find out how you can join The Salvation Army in “Doing the Most Good,” visit www.salmich.org for a listing of some quick and easy ways to make an impact on the lives of those around you.

Founded by William Booth in London, England in 1865, The Salvation Army is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to serving people in need without discrimination.  In 2009, The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit was involved in providing 3,181,865 million meals and 724,134 nights of shelter for the homeless. The Salvation Army uses $.83 of every dollar raised to provide direct services to people in need each and every day of the year. For more information about The Salvation Army, please call 877-SAL-MICH, or visit us at www.salmich.org.

Local optometrists with the Michigan Optometric Association (MOA) will provide no-cost eye and vision care to area low income residents during Volunteers In Service In Our Nation (VISION USA) Day this Saturday, May 8.

VISION USA is a program that provides basic eye health and vision services free of charge to low-income, uninsured individuals and their families. The program is provided by participating MOA member optometrists who donate their services.

The no-cost VISION USA Day exams will take place at the following offices in southeast Michigan:

• Family Eye Care Associates of Clinton Township: 42550 Garfield Rd. Clinton Township, Mich. 48038. Call (586) 263-9708 to schedule an appointment.

• Family Eye Care Associates of Eastpointe: 21701 Kelly Rd., Eastpointe, Mich. 48021. Call (586) 779-4200 to schedule an appointment.

• Shelby EyeCare Associates: 48187 Van Dyke, Shelby Township, Mich. 48317. Call (586) 739-9550 to schedule an appointment.

• Marston Optometry PC of Livonia: 32037 Plymouth Rd, Livonia, Mich. 48150. Call (734) 421-5454 to schedule an appointment.

Appointments and pre-qualification are required to receive the exam. Individuals may obtain an application online at www.aoa.org/visionusa.xml.

To be eligible for a VISION USA eye exam, residents must meet the following criteria:

1. Have no vision insurance (this may include Medicare/Medicaid)

2. Have income below an established level based on household size

3. Not have had an eye exam within two years

4. Have a job or live in a house where there is one working member

“We know that area residents have been hit especially hard by the economic downturn,” said event organizer and MOA member, Michael Wallace, O.D. We hope that providing free vision care and eyeglasses can help individuals as they look for new jobs, provide for their families and weather this difficult time.”

To locate a Michigan Optometric Association doctor, visit the MOA website at www.themoa.org and click on the Find an Optometrist link at the upper right of the homepage.