Fundraiser for Ashley Rose

Three years ago, in March of 2007, God took in a beautiful angel named Ashley Rose Kucharski when she was nearly 16 years old. Since then, there has been an English scholarship set up in her name at Valley View High School in Archbald P.A., where her and I both attended. This year to raise money, there will be a fundraiser held at The Texas Roadhouse in Dickson City, right next to the Olive Garden on Route 6. For every party that eats on May 10th, 10% of their bill will be donated to the scholarship fund. There will be roses sold in the front of the restaurant during the fundraiser, in memory of Ashley "Rose" Kucharski. Also, there will be raffle tickets available inside for winnings of donated gift baskets.

As stated before, the proceeds will benefit the Ashley Kucharski English Scholarship Fund, so please save the date and spread the word! Flyers will be posted and left all throughout the towns of Peckville, Jessup, Archbald, Eynon, Blakely, Justice, Dickson City, Olyphant, Throop and Scranton. Be sure to have the flyer for the fundraiser with you or else your money will not be donated to the fund. If you are unable to get a flyer, please contact Liz O'Toole at 570-946-0557 or eotoole2009@yahoo.com, or Kaley Kucharski at 570-677-4939 or kaleykucharski@yahoo.com. and they will happily email the flyers to you.

Please come and say a prayer for our angel.

Free POLISH Food

On Thursday April 29th, Zebra Communications will be hosting it's second Polish Room Taste Testing Event, located outside of the Polish Room on the second floor of the Farely Library. The event will be held from 11:00 am-1:00 pm and there will be many items for you to enjoy free of charge! The food that will be provided is a preview of the Polish Room's 60th Anniversary cookbook, which will be able to be purchased at the event as well.

Since 1950, Wilkes University’s Polish Room has shared the Polish culture and heritage through original artifacts and publications located in the room, which was designed by Polish artist/ author Stefan Mrozewski. Today, The Polish Room committee defines themselves as a non-profit organization that "fosters an appreciation of Polish heritage by providing an enriching environment filled with cultural based artifacts."

Whether you are interested in finding more out about Polish heritage, purchasing a delicious cookbook, eating free food or doing all three at once - it is definitely worth taking the time to stop by for! Hopefully we will see you there!

Put on the Puzzle

April has been the offical month for Autism since the late 1970s, which is why it is encouraged for people to participate these last couple weeks as much as possible. The Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon is the most recognized symbol of the autism community in the world. Autism prevalence is now one in every 110 children in America, which = 13 million families and growing who live with autism today.

Autism diagnoses are much more common in males than in females. According to the 2006 study results, one in 70 boys in the nation have an autism diagnosis while only one in 315 girls are on the autism spectrum.

Show your support for people with autism by wearing the Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon this month. You can wear it as a pin on your shirt, a magnet on your car, a badge on your blog, or even your Facebook profile picture. This is truly an excellent way to show awareness and educate people on the potential of people with autism. Also, For the first time ever, supporters can now simply text “AUTISM” to 50555 to donate $10 to the Autism Society. 100% of your donations will go to support the Autism Society’s mission of improving the lives of all affected by autism.

Voting season in April

Get your votes in, because as of April 19th Public Voting has begun to pick the next 'Create Your Own Donut' winner. Voting ends on May 3rd 2010, and the public's vote makes up for 30% of the Grand Prize winner's determination. All you have to do is go to https://www.dunkindonuts.com/donut/ and pick which donut, flavor and/or story you like the best. Personally, I voted for the Mornin' Paper donut (which is currently ranked 6th out of 12)created by Catherine K. from Pittsburg P.A. It's a round shell, raised donut filled with peanut butter cream and topped with white icing and chocolate sprinkles. Other than looking and sounding completely delicious, Catherine explains this donut as the perfect way to satisfy a sweet tooth while still 'maintaining that corporate prestige.' I'm gunna go out on a limb and say the white icing with black sprinkles can be compared to a black and white morning newspaper as well..

Clever Catherine, you got my vote!

TWLOHA

...What's it stand for??

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. Tomorrow, April 21st, is one of TWLOHA days and to interact with the cause and support all you have to do is write the word love on your arm. The goal is to raise awareness of those who are hurting as well as promote TWLOHA’s work to provide hope, help, and support.

Also, if you check on TWLOHA's blog at http://www.twloha.com/blog/, you will read how USA TODAY has recently announced they would be giving away a free full-page, colored ad to the non-profit organization who rallied the most tweets in support of their cause. Needless to say, the TWLOHA is hard at work using social media tools such as Twitter and blogging to spread awareness about their organization.

To find out more information about TWLOHA, you can visit their website at http://www.twloha.com/vision/, and please continue to spread the word about this important cause!

10th Annual for Tom Bigler!!

Wilkes University’s 10th Annual Tom Bigler Journalism Conference will be held April 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The conference welcomes approximately 200 local high school students and their advisors to Wilkes' campus for a day filled with guest speakers, Wilkes alumni, Communication workshops and tours of the campus and Communication facilities.

This year’s conference theme is “Sports Journalism and Promotion.” The keynote speaker is Kevin Blackistone, a national columnist for AOL/FanHouse and a panelist on the daily ESPN show “Around the Horn.”

The conference is focused for high school students who are interested in journalism, telecommunications, public relations, and other areas of the communications field. The conference is free for all students and offers a lunch, student media competition, newspaper exchange and of course hands-on workshops with Wilkes students in Journalism, Public Relations, Television and Radio.

As a three year participant, I believe that this conference is extremely beneficial to all who attend, and I encourage anyone who has the time to stop by!!

Dunkin twists it up

On April 5th, 2010 Dunkin' Donuts introduced a new tasty twisted treat! The name? Dunkin Donut Bagel Twists. The new Bagel Twists feature Dunkin' Donuts' famous bagels, twisted into a more portable, easy-to-eat shape, bagel snack! These Bagel Twists are available in a variety of flavors including Cheddar Cheese, Cinnamon Raisin, Sour Cream and Onion, Pretzel Salt, Blueberry and French Toast. Bagel Twists are a new addition to Dunkin' Donuts' spring menu. Flavors vary by market and are available at the suggested retail price of $1.39 at participating Dunkin' Donuts establishments.

I read an recent interview with John Costello, who is the Chief Global Customer and Marketing Officer at Dunkin' Brands and he said that the new Bagel Twist is a highlight of Dunkin' Donuts' 60th Birthday celebration. He further explained how "As we commemorate 60 years, we honor our unique heritage, commitment to menu innovation and our promise to keep Americans running any time of day."

Although I'm yet to try one of these Bagel Twists, I completely agree that it is a great way to bring innovation to a company that strives on being bigger, better and more creative than all the rest!

Use the Blue

Dunkin Donuts has teamed up with American Express Blue Card for tastey monthly treat that is definitely worth trying. Every 4 times you shop at a participating Dunkin’ Donuts location in a calendar month you will receive a $5 Dunkin’ Donuts Card.

Cardmember must enroll in the offer with a Blue from American Express, Blue Cash from American Express, or Blue Sky from American Express Card and charge all purchases with the enrolled Card. Cardmember may enroll more than one Card in the offer, but charges on individual enrolled Cards may not be combined. To enroll in the offer, visit www.americanexpress.com/bluedining

Also, Dunkin Donuts is not the only company who has decided to undergo in the "Blue Savings Program" - Atlantis, JW Marriott, Renaissance Hotel, Hertz and Regent Cruise Lines have all teamed up with American Express to create great deals for us consumers.

Concert for a Damn Good Cause

This year's “Concert For A Cause 8" will take place on Thursday, April 22, at The Woodlands Inn & Resort in Wilkes-Barre. More than 30 acts will perform on four stages in an effort to raise money for United Way Veterans Programs. The first band will be going on stage at 6:00 a.m., and the last will be performing at 1:00 a.m. Friday morning. This year's event - which will be held 11 years to the day of the first “Concert For Karen” show in 1999 - will aid those that have served in the United States military for the first time. The cost for the concert is $7 and is open to all 21+ individuals. ALL Proceeds go to United Way Veterans Programs as well as current service men and women currently serving in Afghanistan.

‘Concert for a Cause 8: The Album’ is also on sale, and it features tracks from many of the acts on the bill. The album was released Feb. 4 and can be found at Gallery of Sound stores and it only costs 5 DOLLARS! This album has hit number one on the local album charts the past two years. The shelf life of this album is shorter than most because only 1,000 copies are pressed for the event. Some of the local bands who will performing are: 40-Lb. Head, k8, Bad Hair Day, The Five Percent, Flaxy Morgan, Pancea, and M-80

Come out and support this GREAT cause!