Tonight is another Ladies' Night at The Mane Attraction. Chris Ariyaratnam organizes the monthly event as a way to help promote local businesses and raise funds for various local charities.  In addition to shopping the booths of local vendors, visitors can buy raffle and Chinese auction tickets. Tonight's event isn't over yet (at 6:15 p.m.). It is open until 8 p.m.

we are mayhem riders mc,a family oriented motorcycle club out of the batavia area
last year we collected gently used clothing,toys,and other items to help families at christmas time,we were able to help 3 families,that without us would not have had a christmas at all.
we would like to help out alot more families this year,but we need the communities help to complete our goal.so before you give anything away please think of us and contact us.
we can use anything for all ages we will be making a list of families that need our help,and try to fullfill their wish list,also if anyone would like to help us collect or donate anything,volunteers are always needed.the mayhem riders mc along with the community can make a family that may be a little down on their luck very happy for christmas.     contact info:   webmaster@mayhemriders.com

check out our website:                http://www.mayhemriders.com

Our dinner tonight was some of Joe Gerace's famous spaghetti and meatballs at Holy Name of Mary Church in East Pembroke. The popular dinner is a fundraiser for Genesee Cancer Assistance. Friends told us to get their early because it's not unusual for them to run out of sauce.

Besides the great services provided by Genesee Cancer Assistance, one of the great things about the charity is that it has no overhead and all the money donated stays in Genesee County.

Gerace is pictured below on the right.

Visit TVFCU on Thursday, October 15^th when we will be giving you $10.00, just for telling us how you would use it to help someone else! Entries will be videoed.  Finalists will be selected and posted on-line for voting. The winner will be awarded $1000 to use in contributing toward their cause. Stop by October 15^th, when between 10am and 2pm, to tell us how you would “Pay it Forward”. Employees and their families are not eligible.

10 Jefferson Sq Batavia NY 14020 10am-2pm TODAY!

Kiwanis Club of Batavia's 51st Annual Pancake Days

Saturday, October 24th, 2009   --   7:00 am - 2:00 pm

First Presbyterian Church Service Building--Corner of Main Street & Liberty Street

Adult - $5.00   Child (10 and under) - $3.00   Senior Citizens ( 62 and over) - $3.00

Pancakes, sausage, fresh cider and a wonderful fully served, sit-down breakfast.  Giveaways, music and more...

For more information or to purchase tickets contact Anita @ 585-813-5371

Or see a Batavia Kiwanian!

I am really excited about this upcoming event in Batavia. Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union is going to Pay it Forward to the Batavia NY community with $10 CASH to each participant. I added a paragraph below to explain this event clearly!

You’ve heard people say, “a penny for your thoughts”.  Visit TVFCU on Thursday, October 15^th when we will be giving you 1,000 pennies - $10.00 - just for telling us how you would use it to help someone else!  All entries will be videoed.  Finalists will be selected from these entries and posted on-line for voting. The winner will be awarded $1000 to use however they wish in contributing toward their cause. Stop by October 15^th, when videoing will take place between 10 am and 2pm, to tell us how you would “Pay it Forward”. Employees and their families are not eligible.  For more details about TVFCU “Pay it Forward” and voting, visit TVFCUBatavia.com or see our Pay it Forward Video and Rules.

Lori Ann Santini took these pictures today. She reports that it appears today's "Fill the Boot" campaign put on by the firefighters union was successful. The union raised money today for MDA.

Above is firefighter Jeff Stevens. 

Union president Greg Ireland and Captain Jay Steinbrenner.

Firefighter Tim Stengal.

UPDATE: Greg Ireland reports the fundraiser brought in $4,500.

"It's a bit shy of last year's total but it will still go a long way to help the kids. Local 896 wants to send a big THANK YOU to everyone who stopped and donated to this great cause."

Several weeks ago, Steve Hawley traveled with his wife Crystal to visit his step-son Tim Rimmer in the Dominican Republic, where Rimmer is doing work for the Peace Corps.

It sounded like a fascinating trip, so I asked Steve if he would sit down for a video interview and talk a little bit about the trip and share some pictures.  It took me some time to get the video put together because of our move and everything else going on. 

One of the key projects Tim Rimmer is involved in is building ceramic stoves for families to cook on. The Peace Corps is seeking donations to help with the project. To donate, click here.

Scott "Scotty" R. Johnson was found dead by his parents in his Oakfield home May 25.

He was 19.

His mother is a waitress at Settlers Family Restaurant and friends Sunday, June 14, at 1 p.m. to help raise money to help with expenses, and particularly provide Johnson with a headstone.

The car wash will be held in front of Billy Goats, 345 W. Main St.

Donations will also be accepted.

Bob Fitzsimmons and Mike Boyle get a little sun sitting next to an eye-catching jet black 1963 Corvette Convertible. Fitzsimmons and Boyle said they will be in the same spot everyday, outside the Stafford Fire Department building, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. selling raffle tickets for the vehicle (or $50,000 in cash) until the drawing on Father's Day.

This is the 26th year the SFD has raffled off a Corvette. Fitzsimmons said it's a very successful fund raiser for the department.

"We own all our own engines, the building and the land behind it," Fitzsimmons said. "The town gives us a little bit of money, but not much. It (the raffle sure helps with my taxes, I'll tell you that."

The raffle is known throughout the world, Fitzsimmons said. They publicize it through their own mailing list as well as magazine ads.

Tickets are $1 each, or three for $2, or $10 for a book of 15.

When Michael Napoleone was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma/Leukemia, he wasn't going to give in without a fight.

The child fought the disease, and was as strong and positive as any eight year old kid would be in the situation.

But, he couldn't fight anymore and wound up passing away from the cancer on December 30.

Michael played youth baseball and football before becoming ill. He was also a big Notre Dame fan and was able to visit the University of Notre Dame three months before his passing.

While Michael was fighting the disease, the Batavia community rallied and helped the family out. The Napoleone's were struggling to to pay for food, gas and medical bills.

They appreciated what the community was doing for them.

After Michael's death, parents Michael and Laurie founded the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation, with the hopes of raising money to help fight childhood cancer.

At Monday night's game between Pavilion and Notre Dame, there was t-shirts and hats as well as raffle tickets for sale to raise money. The game was called "The Michael Napoleone Foundation Cancer Awareness Girls Basketball Game" and both Pavilion and Notre Dame's team was wearing shirts to support the cause.

Dave Pero is Michael's uncle and got together with Pavilion coach Verne Brooks to work out the details of setting up the fundraising game.

The Pavilion girls wore t-shirts that said "Gopher a cure", which plays off the Golden Gophers mascot. Notre Dame's shirts said "Irish for a cure".

The Foundation started small but with the support of the community has grown to be pretty big and is helping a lot of people out. Money has been raised by countless donations and fundraisers. 

At last count, 63 families have been helped out by the foundation in just over a year.

The Foundation also purchased the scoreboard at Lyons Park in Michael's memory, after youth football was banished from Dwyer Stadium.

The big one is donating $5,000 to the Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong Memorial. That money went towards purchasing a machine that analyzes cells. A test like that used to take the hospital a week, and now it can be finished within a day.

The Foundation has also made large donations to United Memorial Medical Center and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

If you are interested in donating to the charity you can e-mail the Foundation at michaelnapoleonememfoundation1@verizon.net.

We received the following notice from the Friends of Jennifer:

    Jennifer Bobzin was in a serious accident with a tractor trailer on Monday, October 20, 2008 around 1 p.m.  She was put into a coma by the doctors to perform a Bifrontal Craniectomy (part of her skull cap was removed to make room for swelling of the brain), the surgery was finished around 730 p.m. Monday night. The injuries sustained in the accident were mainly to her face and head. She has several facial fractures and trauma to her head/brain, with bleeding.
    Jennifer was transferred to St. Mary’s Brain Injury Unit on November 13th for rehabilitation.  She is doing well and has even progressed to being able to come home for occasional day visits.
    Jennifer is a single mom, and recently purchased her first home for herself, her mother and her boys.  Due to the accident and the extent of her injuries, the financial situation is poor.
    In an effort to help with the many medical and everyday expenses, her friends have planned a benefit dinner and concert for
January 24, 2008.  The benefit will feature four live bands, dinner, a Chinese auction, door prizes, raffles and a live auction as well.  We are planning on about 400 people.  We are currently seeking donations from area businesses for items to use in the auctions and raffles.  We are also looking for donations of food items or monetary donations to offset the cost of the dinner.
    For more information you can check out the websites that have been set up for Jennifer.  www.caringbridge.org/visit/jenniferbobzin is the website that has been tracking her progress with daily updates and a guestbook that can be signed, and www.myspace.com/jamminforjen has been set up to promote the benefit.   Businesses will be promoted on the my space website as well as area radio stations and newspapers.
If you need to contact someone, please feel free to call Jennifer’s sister Shari at 585-813-7675.  Donations can be mailed to Shari Loewke at 6664 Townline Road Byron, NY 14422.

Thank you,
Friends of Jennifer

Road crews all over Genesee County have been vigilant and most roads and city streets are now all clear of the ice and snow that covered them yesterday, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. Nevertheless, some patches of packed snow can be found in spots, so caution is still advised while driving. As for tonight—how about rain? Temperatures will be pushing 40 degrees as we head into Christmas Eve. That means some of the ubiquitous snow will shrink down as it melts.

Fischer reports that the storms have caused some collateral damage, costing the Salvation Army some $5,000 in donations to the Red Kettle Campaign, presumably because folks couldn't get out and give.

From the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern:

The Batavia Days Inn donated over 100 beds to the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern furniture program.  This generous donation helped GOMOC to almost exhaust an 8 page waiting list of people in need of beds in our community.  This holiday season, many children and families will now have warm beds to sleep in.

The GOMOC Furniture Program collects furniture donations from the commuity and distributes them to those in need.  The service is free to both the community members donating and those in need.  We accept beds, dressers, couches and chairs, kitchen tables, and working appliance. To make a donation, simply call our agency and schedule a pick-up.

The Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern would like to thank the Batavia Days Inn and all the other generous community members who have donated to our furniture program.

The holidays are a precious time of year.  In the spirit of celebrating, giving, sharing food and spending time with family, it is hard not to be thankful for the many blessings in life.  Sadly, many families in our community have never experienced the  joy of the holiday season.  Many children do not know what it's like to get gifts from Santa or enjoy a big holiday meal with loved ones.  This year, you can make a difference in the life of a struggling famliy.  By making a donation to our agency, you can help make the holidays a special time of year for those who need it most.  Your generosity is a blessing to those in need in our community. 

Happy Holidays!

The Batavia Days Inn donated over 100 beds to the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern furniture program.  This generous donation helped GOMOC to almost exhaust an 8 page waiting list of people in need of beds in our community.  This holiday season, many children and families will now have warm beds to sleep in. 

The GOMOC Furniture Program collects furniture donations from the commuity and distributes them to those in need.  The service is free to both the community members donating and those in need.  We accept beds, dressers, couches and chairs, kitchen tables, and working appliance. To make a donation, simply call our agency and schedule a pick-up.

The Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern would like to thank the Batavia Days Inn and all the other generous community members who have donated to our furniture program. 

We're looking for a family in need. In particular, a family in the Batavia area with young children whose parents will be unable to provide gifts this holiday season. Over the weekend, The Batavian received a request from a reader who is coming to the area with his family during the upcoming holidays. He wrote to us:

"Myself and my family are going to be vacationing in the Batavia area visiting family for the Christmas and New Year's Holiday. We would like to find a family with children who will not be able to provide gifts and/or food for the children."

If you know of a family who might fit the bill, please pass along the information so that we may get them in touch with this giving family from Phoenix. You can reach me via e-mail or by phone: (585) 802-3032. Call anytime. Leave a message if there's no answer.

From Genesee Community College:

The fourth annual RESPECT Campaign Food Drive at Genesee Community College was a success, despite the recent slower economy. The food drive ran from November 3rd through November 11th, with all collections donated to the local Salvation Army.

In addition to the donations collected by the members of the RESPECT Campaign, the group also purchased 15 turkeys as well as the ingredients to create the perfect Thanksgiving meal. Mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce were all purchased to complete the meals. The members of the RESPECT campaign anticipated the donations could feed approximately 30 local families this holiday season.

"The members of the Salvation Army we're so surprised with our donations this season," said Ellen Brokaw, assistant director of Residence Life at College Village. "In the face of a slower economy and tighter spending, people still came out and donated so many items. This really shows the type of people we have in our community and the generosity they demonstrated."

The RESPECT Campaign aims to promote and create a more respectful environment throughout the College and among all students, staff and faculty. It is organized by Residence Life at College Village, as well as Student Activities. They promote special events and opportunities for the entire college community, the many different cultures, races, religions, as well as the different genders and various levels of authority, so they can build a dynamic understanding with one another.

Anyone interested in becoming involved are encouraged to call Ellen Brokaw at 343-0163 or Joanna Barefoot at 343-0055 x 6513. Volunteers and contributions from the general community are warmly welcomed.

Casual Fridays or dress-down days are observed by businesses and organizations throughout the nation. At Byron-Bergen Central School they are a weekly event that has raised thousands of dollars for local organizations and charitable causes. Each fall the Byron-Bergen Faculty Association democratically designates a recipient to present the donations to that were collected through the school year. Through the generous donations of less than 120 members during the 2007-2008 school year, BBFA was able to collect $1600 to present to this years recipient, The Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern. 

As the holiday season fast approaches, the Salvation Army readies its legion of bell ringers for the ubiquitous Red Kettle Campaign. Volunteers are needed, and anyone in the community can sign up.

From the press release:

“We call upon all businesses, families, individuals, clubs, churches, unions and associations – including sororities, fraternities, schools, business and civic organizations – to consider scheduling some time to ring the bells,” said Major Leonard Boynton, officer-in-charge of The Salvation Army in Batavia.

“A successful campaign is especially critical this year,” said Boynton. “With the economic downturn, this winter is going to be very difficult for many struggling families. We are already experiencing increases in requests for assistance and we anticipate that the demand will continue."

“The appeal of the kettle campaign is that it is very personal. When we see someone at a kettle, we know this is our neighbor, someone who is willing to sacrifice a few hours for those less fortunate or those having a temporary crisis.”

Money raised during The Red Kettle Campaign is used throughout the year to provide services to families, individuals, children and senior citizens. Programs include: emergency family assistance, older adult luncheons & activities, and after school youth programs.

Any person or organization wishing to help may call the local Salvation Army at 343-6284 or The Red Kettle Center, anytime at 1-877-764-7259. Information and volunteer forms are also available on-line at www.redkettles.org.

The Red Kettle Campaign began in 1891 when a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner to the area's poor. Kettles now are used around the world, including Korea, Japan, Chile and Europe. Everywhere, public contributions to the kettles enable The Salvation Army to bring the spirit of Christmas to people who would otherwise be forgotten - the aged and lonely, the ill, poor and disadvantaged, and inmates of jails and other institutions.