Category Archives: Event Information

December 2, 2012
If you haven’t already, RSVP when you get a chance for the event Sunday, December 2nd at 1pm to benefit the Miracle League and Friends of Karen at the Hervey’s home.  We will be filling bags of Holiday candy.  For details click here.

December 16, 2012
And although I am still working on the final details….please join us on December 16th for an informal Holiday Party from 1:30 on at the Menzies — food, festivities, fun!  RSVP when possible so we know for catering.  Pete has been dreaming up delicious treats for all!

Join the Hervey and McKenney families for a Holiday event to benefit Friends of Karen and the Miracle League.  Sunday, December 2nd, from 1-3pm.  We will be filling goodie bags for the kids at each non-profit.  Event will be hosted at 433 Jay Street, Katonah.

The Miracle League of Westchester County’s mission is to establish and sustain baseball programs for people (of all ages) with disabilities. Our objective is to provide an opportunity for those individuals to experience the joy and benefits that come from playing our national pastime.  Our aims are to help the league’s players develop social skills and increase self esteem, while promoting community support and sponsorship for the league. We believe that everyone deserves a chance to play baseball.  Visit www.mlwny.org

Friends of Karen’s mission is to provide emotional, financial and advocacy support for children with a life-threatening illness and their families, in order to help keep them stable, functioning and able to cope.  Since our founding in 1978, we have served approximately 4,800 children and their families. When siblings are counted we have touched the lives of over 11,800 children.  Visit www.friendsofkaren.org.

Please RSVP here

We’re thinking 1:30 start time on December 16th – caroling at the ARC or other local charity – then maybe a hay ride around caroling in the neighborhood, and back to our house for Holiday cheer of the food, beverage, and running around having fun variety.  Will get more specific details out to you shortly.  Suggestions welcome.  Looking forward to celebrating the Holiday season with all of your families.  — The Menzies

NWH Event Sunday:  I have heard from a lot of you about the event for this Sunday, but if anyone else wants to join, please feel free.  We will be packing trick or treat bags for the pediatric patients at Northern Westchester Hospital (location: North Building Conference Rooms) from 1-3pm.  We will also be making get well cards for the other patients. RSVP

Future Events:  Currently we do not have any events planned for November.  If anyone wants to host, please let me know.  I’d hate to let the month slip by with nothing!  We are set for December – but then OPEN the rest of the year.  Please consider taking a date and starting to think of a project for the winter or spring.

Community Service Hours:  I am hearing from a few people that kids in local CCD classes and Bat/Bar Mitzvah classes need to complete community service hours, and I know that soon, many of our kids will be required to do hours for high school if not sooner.  If anyone bumps into a teacher in one of the above places, ask if we can be counted towards those hours for me?  And if we have to fit certain criteria, let me know what they are and if we can find a way to get that status, I will try to do it — I would love for this program to continue and for it to continue to make our lives MORE convenient to volunteer, not less.  IDEAS welcome!

On October 28th, I have hijacked a Favors date for a little help at Northern Westchester Hospital.  As no one had yet taken the October date (ahem) – I took it and am combo-ing the event with some work I am trying to get done at the hospital.  Although the group will be slightly more open to the general community than our usual events, the feel should be similar.

We will be stuffing trick or treat goodie bags for the pediatric patients at the hospital.  We will be meeting in a conference room to complete the activity — no worries if you are squeamish — it will be just the group, no hospital tour or visit with sick kids.  If you have friends interested in learning more about either the hospital or favors — please feel free to forward this along.

RSVP here

Sunday, October 14th, hosted by the Shevick Family.  1-3 pm.  The Pound Ridge Land Conservancy (PRLC), Armstrong Preserve, 1361 Old Post Road, Pound Ridge, NY.  Description:  Participants of this volunteer opportunity will help the PRLC remove Japanese barberry from the Armstrong Meadow.  There is not a maximum number of participants that we can host, but the number of people will dictate the day’s logistics.  In theory more people is better, but we need to know at least one week in advance the number of participants.  Read more and RSVP: click here.

A fun day the SPCA — amazing that no one went home with a new pet, but it felt so good to help there.  Some very cute kitties and pups and a great way to help out with some jobs that the staff just doesn’t have time for.

Thanks for coming and to the Brotmann crew for organizing!

We have some great events coming up — and many of the organizations/host families would love to hear ahead if you are going to be able to join. It helps with organizing activities and planning for all events if we can get numbers and RSVPs ahead of time.  Please check out the events below and when you can, pop an RSVP in the system.

Oh, and of course, my usual rant…dates still available for anyone ready to host, happy to share ideas, and let me know if you know any interested families outside of the usual list who might be interested in joining.

SPCA of Westchester: September 30, hosted by the Brotmann family, 2-4 pm**  please note time!  590 North State Road, Briarcliff Manor, New York 10510.  Join us as we bake some dog biscuits, tour the facility, learn about the shelter and maybe even meet some of the animals.  Max of 20 people so reply early and count the number of people already signed up

Pound Ridge Land Conservancy:  Sunday, October 14th, hosted by the Shevick Family,  1-3 pm.  The Pound Ridge Land Conservancy (PRLC), Armstrong Preserve, 1361 Old Post Road, Pound Ridge, NY.  Participants will help the PRLC remove Japanese barberry from the Armstrong Meadow.  There is currently not a maximum number of participants that we can host, but the number of people will dictate the day’s logistics and how much we can plan to get done.  Pound Ridge Land Conservancy, www.prlc.net.

Northern Westchester Hospital:  Sunday October 28th, hosted by the Menzies family (unless someone else wants to), 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.  We will be creating Halloween trick or treat bags for the pediatric patients.  Number of participants will help determine how many bags we will buy.  If we can get a lot of folks, we can make bags for the pediatric department and the emergency room.

RSVP here

Thanks for the help at the Westchester Land Trust this weekend — hopefully we helped to save about 30 saplings from becoming deer food this winter while also harvesting seeds in an effort to propagate some new plants on the property.  All in all a pretty good fall day!

Next stop — the SPCA in Briarcliff on September 30th.
If anyone has friends they would like to invite to participate in Favors, just let me know and I can add them to the list.  The more the merrier…

Here’s hoping that you are all settling in and getting your schedules and lives back in order!  A few updates to bring you back up to speed with Favors…

We are booked for an event THIS Sunday at the Westchester Land Trust — please RSVP today if possible so I know how many to expect.  We’d love to have some company and we can accommodate as many as can come.  Should be a super easy event, so all ages are welcome for as long as you feel like coming.  Hopefully it will be a pretty fall day to be outside and together with the kids!

And the calendar is filling in nicely with events through December:

September 30th — SPCA
October 14 – Pound Ridge Land Conservancy
October 28 – Northern Westchester Hospital (Halloween something possible)
November 11 – open and in need of a host/project
December 2 – Friends of Karen and Miracle League candy bag stuffing party
* If anyone wants to take November 11th, just ask….

And last, but not least — the Duncan/Gutfreund family was curious is anyone wants to join in a walk for the Ronald McDonald House, we could all walk together and Mary says she’d be happy to help organize and meet up with people (you can email her to arrange at duncanmarym@gmail.com) .

Event Description:  Join us for a fun, family-friendly walkathon benefiting Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley. The day includes live entertainment, games and activities for all ages. Sunday, October 7, 2012 rain or shine. Registration from 9am-10am, walk begins at 10:30am, activities till 1:00 pm. Hosted at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY. Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley’s mission is to provide a temporary home-away-from-home for families of critically ill or traumatically injured children. $10 pre-registration fee, children under 12 years old are free. $15 day of the event. All pre-registered walkers will receive a t-shirt while supplies last and will be entered into a special raffle.  *No pets allowed. 

Read more: www.firstgiving.com/rmhghv/footstepsforfamilies

All for now.  Remember, RSVP, sign up for events, or call me with any questions!