Angels take flight in Springfield April 28
By Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.com
GREATER SPRINGFIELD – Those who find themselves at Forest Park on the morning of April 28 could find themselves surrounded by guardian angels. Angels Take Flight, a non-
SPRING BREAK at Ruth’s House
At Ruth’s House Assisted Living Residence, we want to make it even easier to choose the easy life. We are offering a spring move-in special on our COMPANION apartments. If you move in by the end of May, the fee on your COMPANION apartment will be waived!—that’s a month’s rent free! Call today and find out how easy life can be at Ruth’s House Assisted Living Residence.
413-567-6212
www.jewishgeriatric.org
Jewish Geriatric Services, Inc., 770 Converse Street, Longmeadow, MA
10 Reasons to Buy Your Power Equipment from Acres Equipment Co.
Connie says — Condoms Continued from page 4
1. Acres specializes in selling power equipment. 2. Acres has knowledgeable salespeople who can explain the features, benefits and differences between our product and competitive models.
3. Guaranteed service and fast.We give a high service priority to machines that are purchased at Acres.
4. Our service technicians are the best in the business – and certified by the manufacturers we purchase from.
5. At Acres,we use genuine OEM service parts. 6. When you purchase a unit from Acres, it will be given to you fully assembled, tested and prepped with gas and oil.
7. At Acres,we’ll teach you how to use and service your new unit from an outdoor power equipment professional, not an owner’s manual.
8. At Acres,we’ll register your product for you at the time of purchase for your convenience. 9. Acres offers a full line of accessories for your equipment. 10. By purchasing your equipment from Acres, you’re supporting economic growth in our community.
Power Equipment Co. 104 Shaker Rd., East Longmeadow
413-525-3752
www.acresequipment.com CHAINSAWS • GENERATORS • SNOWTHROWERS Page 8 APRIL 9-15, 2012
of sex have always been with us, they are much more blatant and pervasive today. I’m no prude. I’m not looking
for government censorship. Parents should talk to their children about what they read, see and hear.
Events Continued from page 7
Motorcycle Dispatches from Early Twentieth Century Women” will discuss his book at the Museums a la Carte program at the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, 21 Edwards St., on April 12 at 12:15 p.m. Cost: $4 ($2 for members of the museums). For more info, call 263- 6800 ext. 488.
FEDERAL CAREER FAIR A Federal Career Fair for job seekers will be on April 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Tower Square Community Room, 1500 Main St., second floor. Representatives from local federal agencies will provide information on job opportunities, the application process, salaries and benefits package.
The era of looking to schools
to fix such problems and then blaming schools if they don’t find a suitable solution should be over. Hey, agree with me? Disagree?
Drop me a line at news@the-
reminder.com or at 280 N. Main St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. As always, this column represents the opinion of its author and not the publishers or advertisers of this newspaper.
WILBRAHAM
FRIENDS OF LIBRARY BOOK SALE Donations of good quality books, CDs and DVDs may be brought to the Wilbraham Public Library from April 25 to 28. All genres are welcome (except encyclopedias). The book sale will be from April 30 to May 5. Proceeds benefit the Wilbraham Public Library.
NEW RETURN POLICY As of April 1, Wilbraham Public Library users will be able to return DVDs, music CDs, and audiobooks in the aluminum book drop located on the side of the building. Materials returned after hours will be counted as returned on the day of drop-off.
ART LEAGUE MEETING The Wilbraham Art League will be having Christina Mastrangelo conduct a demo of her work in oil at its meeting on April 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Wilbraham Senior Center, which is located in the Scantic Valley YMCA. For more info, call Joyce Emerle at 596-2032.
For news & advertising call 413-525-6661
profit organization aimed at helping at-risk children, will be hosting its first-ever 5K walk-run to raise money for the program that provides dignity to children in at- risk situations. One of Angels Take Flight’s biggest focuses is giving proper luggage to children who are forced to move into group homes. “For years, I had witnessed at- risk children going from home to home carrying their belongings off in a black trash bag. Often the weight of their belongings was so heavy the trash bags would be held together with duct tape,” Tamara Blake, president and founder of Angels Take Flight, told Reminder Publications. “As young as the children are, they had always appeared embarrassed by this. It took away a sense of dignity. By putting their belongings in trash bags, it sent a message to them that their belongings were worthless and many believe they are as well.” The movement started
modestly with Blake, a licensed mental health, marriage and family therapist, passing out fliers to friends, family and business contacts asking for any extra suitcases, duffel bags and backpacks for the children at the residential home for children taken by the Department of Children and Families at which she worked. “Word spread, and a church
even participated. By November 2010, there were enough luggage donations for each child who would come into the home for a year’s time,” Blake said. “The children saw the hundreds of pieces of luggage arriving over the course of the next few months and really seemed to understand people in the community were helping them.”
Realizing the number of
children who faced similar hardships to the ones she cared for, Blake began collecting toys and
delivered them on Christmas morning, saying, “Santa accidentally dropped these off at my house.”
“On that first Christmas
morning of December 2010, my heart really began to burst as one child began sobbing and said, ‘I thought Santa would forget about me this year,’” she said. The following year, Blake collected nearly 700 toys and delivered them to after school programs for poverty stricken children, two group homes, foster families, and to families in the community facing adversity. Shortly after, Blake’s cousin
Anthony Surrette, inspired by what he saw and the birth of his own daughter, joined Blake in her cause, using his expertise as an accountant to help turn Angels Take Flight into a recognized non- profit organization. With the program’s success
growing, Blake and Surrette hope to further engage the community through the 5K, which is open to all ages and all ability levels. “We thought a 5K would be a
great way to get the community together, involved, and to do something active and healthy,” Blake said. “Activity and exercise is another way to instill positive [self] esteem, positivity, and even academic achievement in children thus giving them wings in another way.”
While the initial response has
been good, Angels Take Flight is still in need of more sponsors for the event.
“There are different levels of sponsorships and local businesses can have a mile marker and recognition on the website with their business displayed or more, such as their name on the Angels Take Flight shirt for the 5K,” she said.
Registration for the race
begins at 9 a.m. Runners step off at 10 a.m. with walkers following at 10:05 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to first and second place at a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Registration for the race is $25
in advance and $30 on the day of. In addition, the registration forms
See ANGELS on page 9
Since 1969
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