All Entries Tagged With: "Ferguson"
Here’s a “souper” way to help the Metamo4ic
With its former home severely damaged in the Aprill 2011 tornado, Ferguson's Metamo4ic Math Center is looking to re-open at a new location, following some serious fundraising and a "green" renovation.
When a tornado swept through North County last April, leaving a path of destruction from Bridgeton to Bellefontaine Neighbors, it wasn’t just houses that bore the brunt of it. Several churches were hit hard as well, including the First Baptist Church of Ferguson, which had generously donated its entire third floor to the nonprofit Metamo4ic Math Center.
This kid-friendly math museum, which was featured on NOCO back in 2010, is a wonderful labor of love from teacher Vicki Adams, who cashed in her pension to open it and built all of the exhibits herself. Largely destroyed in the tornado, the Metamo4ic had an uncertain future for a while there. But now, thanks to a kind donation from Sportsprint’s Ralph Rockamann, the math center has a new home at 123 S. Florissant Road, the site of the former Ferguson Bowling Lanes.
Of course, there is a bit of a catch. The property needs about $700,000 worth of renovation, which the small nonprofit must raise in order to re-open. But the good news is, YOU CAN HELP!
This Saturday, January 28, the Metamo4ic is hosting a fundraiser at Dick Weber Lanes called the Souper Bowl, in which teams compete for cash prizes in two different contests. The first contest is a mix between crazy bowl and football, and could land your team 300 bucks. The second is a soup competition that yields $100 for the winner.
If you’d like to participate, the cost is $150 per six-person team plus a crockpot full of your best soup. And don’t worry if you can’t pull a whole group together. There’s also a “potluck” team for individuals, at a cost of $25 per person. All are welcome!
To register or get more info, contact Vicki Adams at (314) 807-3290.
The Souper Bowl is January 28, 1-4pm, at Dick Weber Lanes, 4575 Washington, 63031.
NoCo Catholic schools hosting an Open House
Though I’m neither a parent nor a particularly religious person, I do know one thing without a doubt: North County’s Catholic schools play an incredibly vital role in our community. Without them, we will definitely lose more families to other areas. We will also lose the foundational glue that holds many local neighborhoods together.
In the past few years, facing closures, consolidations and declining enrollment, the eight schools within the Northeast Deanery finally figured out that they’re stronger if they work together. And despite some setbacks – including the recent decision to move Blessed Teresa School to the old Good Shepherd location, which upset a good number of folks here in Ferguson – the “Federation” has certainly made positive strides.
Not only did they launch a new marketing campaign this month, but they’re hosting a Community Open House on January 29. And if you have school-age kids or know someone who does, I heartily encourage you to attend. You don’t even need to be Catholic.
“We invite parishioners, families of all faiths, community leaders and all members of the North County community to celebrate Catholic Schools Week with us by visiting one or more of the schools located in our neighborhoods,” says Cara Koen, Director of Advancement for the Federation of Catholic Schools in the Northeast Deanery. “Come and see our facilities, meet families and students who attend our schools, and learn about the positive ways Catholic schools impact North County.”
The Federation includes the following parish-sponsored elementary schools, which will all be open to the public on January 29, 2012 between 1:00-3:00 pm. Why not stop by and say hello…
- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, 314-522-3888, 150 N. Elizabeth Avenue, Ferguson
- Christ, Light of the Nations, 314-741-0400, 1650 Redman Road, Spanish Lake
Sponsored by Holy Name of Jesus and Our Lady of the Rosary Parishes - Our Lady of Guadalupe, 314-524-1948, 1115 South Florissant Road, Cool Valley
- Sacred Heart, 314-831-3372, 501 St. Louis Street, Florissant
- St. Angela Merici, 314-831-8012, 3860 N. Highway 67, Florissant
- St. Ferdinand, 314-921-2201, 1735 Charbonier, Florissant
Serves parishioners of St. Ferdinand and St. Martin de Porres - St. Norbert, 314-839-0948, 16475 New Halls Ferry Road, Florissant;
and St. Norbert Early Childhood Center, 314-420-9773, 1625 Swallow Lane, Florissant
Serves parishioners of St. Norbert and St. Sabina Parishes - St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, 314-921-3023, 3500 St. Catherine Street, Florissant
The SLOUP soup dinner comes to Ferguson
Sloup, a monthly soup dinner that raises money for local artists & nonprofits, will travel to Ferguson on January 29. All are welcome!
For many artists and other creative types, coming up with ideas is not the problem. It’s coming up with the money to implement the ideas that usually hits a snag. That’s where Sloup comes in.
Founded by some clever South City folks back in 2010, this monthly soup dinner tackles the challenge of funding head on, allowing regular people like you and me to pool our cash and donate it to a worthy cause. Basically, a restaurant or other locale provides the soup and bread, charging $10 a person. Then everyone at the Sloup gets a voting packet containing project proposals from local artists.
As you enjoy your soup, you can read through the various ideas. And when the meal is over, everybody votes, a winner is selected, and the top idea gets 100% of the evening’s proceeds!
During 2011, this innovative grant program helped to fund around a dozen worthy projects all over the metro area, including the Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra, Los Caminos, and Ferguson’s own Strings Attached. Who knows what kind of genius ideas might sprout up in 2012? They might even come from you…
The Sloup is scheduled for Sunday, January 29, but you have until Friday, January 27, to submit your one-page proposal. You can check out the project archives here, then complete the following questions and send them in a PDF file to sloup2122@gmail.com.
What are you making? How will you make it? When? What’s your timeline? What’s a thing you heard/saw recently about the making of art that you embrace?
In the past, Sloup winners have received anywhere from $100 to $1,000, depending on how many people show up to eat soup. Since this is the first event held in North County, I’d love to see a packed house! Let’s break the record and help to fund an awesome creative project!
Sloup #23: The Science of Sloup will be held at St. Stephen’s Church, 33 N. Clay, 63135, with the talented Father Steve Lawler doing the cooking. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to stringsattachedproject@hotmail.com or call (314) 521-0138 and leave a message. Tickets are $10. The event runs from 6-8pm.
FYI: your Christmas candles can be recycled!
With so much going on during the holidays, it can be hard to think ahead. But that’s exactly what the fine kids of the Ferguson Youth Initiative (FYI) are asking you to do.
They’re planning an innovative new fundraiser over the winter, in which they make eco-friendly candles using recycled candle wax. These handcrafted candles will be available for sale in March, but first, the kids need your donations!
If you burn candles this Christmas season, please set aside your leftover wax and then bring it to the next Vine Market on January 21. Chunks of old wax are fine, or you can bring the used container too.
That same day, FYI is also wrapping up its winter coat drive, with all proceeds benefiting needy students in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. So now you have three reasons to attend the Vine Market….fresh local food, candle wax and coats! Please donate if you can.
And if you know a local child who is especially creative, you might want to hear that FYI is holding a mascot contest. The best design for “Fergy,” submitted by January 6 at 4pm, will receive a cash prize! The contest is open to anyone under 18, and submissions can be sent to fyi@fergusoncity.com or FYI Mascot Contest, 110 Church Street, Ferguson, MO 63135.
The Vine Market takes place Saturday, January 21, from 9-11:30am @ St. Stephen’s Church, 33 N. Clay, 63135. For more info about the Ferguson Youth Initiative and how local kids can get involved in the fun, visit the FYI website.
