Wednesday, March 23, 2016

2nd Annual S.O.D.A. Easter Egg Hunt

Thanks everyone for coming out in the cold to the Easter Egg Hunt!
Because of the generosity of all our neighbors we had 39 baskets to give away and about 1200 eggs stuffed with candy.
We would like to thank Lolly by Golly, Redeemer Community Church, Whitmore-Bolles PTA, Michele Featherston, Kelly Featherston, Michael Albano, Deb Seder, Linda Snow, Viki Pung, Liz Courtesis, Michelle Giles, Michelle Rebecca, Tammy Rayburn, Jay Rayburn, Debbie Turley, Timothy Harrison, Eva Harrison, Michelle Leonard, Nathan Leonard, Jeremy Roth, Christi Roth, Carolyn Farrell, Carol Lowe, Sylvia Hall, Karl Weigand, Mark Wolffradt, Georgann Wright, The Henry Ford College Community Service Club, Debra Hay Ainsworth, Donna Hay, Britt Fuch and Jeff Fuch. Without these people, this event wouldn't have happened. Thank you so much!!

March Raffle Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to our March Meeting raffle giveaway Winners!

Member Raffle: St. Patrick's day Basket
Winner: Kelly Nestico

Attendance Raffle: Spring/Easter Basket
Winner: Joseph Nudi

50/50 Raffle
Winner: Mike Bonich


To win the member raffle you must be present at the monthly meeting. The attendance raffle can be won by anyone in attendance at the meeting. Prizes are typically items donated by local businesses or business members.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

S.O.D.A. Easter Egg Hunt


Second Annual S.O.D.A. Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday March 19th, 2016
12:00 pm at Penn-Vassar Park

All neighbors are welcome.

Bring your baskets or a bag to carry your found eggs.  Find a "Special" Egg and win an Easter Basket.  Each found egg will have a small prize or edible treat inside.  The hunt will be divided into age groups.

The Easter Egg Hunt committee is currently accepting donations. Candy, prizes, etc.
Donations can be dropped off at either the Feb 18th or Mar 17th S.O.D.A. meetings, or contact Sarah Ford.

Friday, March 11, 2016

March S.O.D.A. Meeting

March S.O.D.A. Meeting
Thursday March 17th @ 7:00pm
in the auditorium at Whitmore-Bolles Elementary
21501 Whitmore St, Dearborn, MI 48124

Bylaws Vote

Special Guest:
TBS


Win Prizes At The Meeting
Member Raffle - for any paid Regular Members in attendance.
Attendance Raffle - for ANYONE in attendance.
50/50 Raffle

The only requirement for winning is attending the association meeting. For the Member Raffle we pull names from the entire member list until we pull the name of a paid regular member in attendance. For the Attendance Raffle we draw names of anyone that signed in when attending the meeting. You must be present to win.

*All prizes are donated by our supporters and business advertisers.


Tuesday, March 8, 2016

2016 Events

I'm super excited for this year! This past year as Vice President of S.O.D.A. was an educational and eye opening experience. One thing is clear, S.O.D.A. puts on some of the best neighborhood events and is bucking the trend by continuing to increase our membership. Conventional wisdom states that people only get involved when there are issues in the neighborhood.  While issues at Penn-Vassar park may have re-energized the association, it's the great events that keep people coming back and new members joining.

Today Penn-Vassar park has once again become a peaceful neighborhood park were kids can play and families are proud to have it as an asset to the community. Neighbors and S.O.D.A. members around the park continue to pick up trash, notify us and the city when equipment needs fixing, and maintain the natural ice rink over the winter. Are there issues still in the neighborhood? Sure. Continued larcenies from vehicles, home invasions, and vandalism still seem to be happening at an alarming rate. One way we can combat these issues is to be on the lookout for each other, and knowing your neighbors helps bring the community together.

Events like the Easter Egg Hunt, Movie Night In The Park, and Track or Treat at Penn-Vassar have been a resounding success and help to get everyone together and meet each other.  We have many events planned and in the works for this year.  As we move forward we look to expand some new events to other parks in our boundaries.

As you may or may not know S.O.D.A. is celebrating it's 20th Anniversary this year.  20 years ago after moving to the neighborhood Michele Featherston inquired if there was a neighborhood association in the area. As it turned out, the previous association had recently dissolved and had donated their remaining money to the PTA at Whitmore-Bolles.  Michele took it upon herself with the help of others to register S.O.D.A. with the State of Michigan and begin a new association. It is in no small part that S.O.D.A. still exists today thanks to Michele. We are blessed to have her still supporting the neighborhood and keeping the books. I would also like to thank past officers Judy Struble and Regan Ford for their continued support of S.O.D.A.  Also current officers Michelle Rebecca for her detailed recording and keeping the member and mailing lists straight, and Jeremy Roth who brings access to much needed resources.

I would finally like to thank all the volunteers and committee chairs that have donated their time, talents, and treasures to support and run the many events we have. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you on our future events!

Here is a list of events planned for this year:
March 19th - Easter Egg Hunt - Penn-Vassar Park
April 16th - Spring Meetup - Schemansky Park
May (date tbd) - Park Cleanup
May/June (date tbd) - Summer-Stephens Pool Cleanup with SOP (Save Our Pools)
June 18th - Summer 3rd Saturdays, Lunch in The Park - Penn-Vassar
July 16th - Summer 3rd Saturdays, Lunch in The Park - Penn-Vassar
August 20th - Summer 3rd Saturdays, Lunch in The Park - Penn-Vassar
September (date tbd) - Movie Night in The Park - Penn-Vassar
October (date tbd) - Track of Treat - Penn-Vassar

More information will be forth coming on many of these events and more.
TOGETHER WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Timothy S. Harrison
S.O.D.A. President

Friday, March 4, 2016

Easter Egg Hunt is 2 Weeks Away

We are about 2 weeks away from the Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Bunny has told me that they are coming to our hunt. I want to thank those who have donated so far, Mark Wolffradt, Michelle Ann, Michele Featherston, Kelly Featherston, Georgann Wright, Michael D. Albano, and Henry Ford College Community Service Club. Remember to invite your neighbors. Hope to see everyone there!!
- Sarah Ford

Donations can be dropped off at the Mar 17th S.O.D.A. meeting, or contact Sarah Ford.

Second Annual S.O.D.A. Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday March 19th, 2016
12:00 pm at Penn-Vassar Park

All neighbors are welcome.