Aardvark Aamble

Break out your running shoes on September 26, 2010 for the 2nd Annual Aardvark Aamble. In cooperation with the Pocono Area Running Club, Aardvark Sports Shop on Main Street in Stroudsburg is rounding up the troops for a 5 mile road race and 5k trail walk at the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area.

Proceeds will help support the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program offered at the DWG Recreation Area. This program gives local classroom teachers the opportunity to host on-site public gatherings such as campfire instruction, outdoor activities and junior ranger programs.

The entire family is welcome to enjoy nature’s splendor. Bring your children along for a Pre-Aamble family nature walk before the main events begin. During the race, stay focused on your performance while the staff watches over your children, free of hassle.

Set a new record in the 5 mile road race and gain recognition in the 2011 brochure and complimentary registration for next year’s race. The top ten participants over the age of 40 will also be awarded Aardvark gift certificates based on their performance.

Through your efforts this September, public involvement in the Pocono Mountain’s most diversified recreational area is made possible. Visit www.nps.gov/dewa for more information on the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area and their Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program. Call Aardvark Sports Shop at (570) 424.6431 for more information or visit www.raceforum.com/aardvark to register for the event.

A Magic Fireside Christmas at The Inn at Pocono Manor

This winter season, the Inn at Pocono Manor introduces a new holiday tradition to the Northeast: A Magical Fireside Christmas celebration on Pocono Mountain. You’re invited to come and establish your own magical yuletide tradition with family & friends, and journey back in time to the sights, sounds, aromas and thrills of childhood on Christmas morning. Kicking off Thanksgiving weekend, the seasonal celebration will take place each weekend through December 27th. Admission is complimentary and activity tickets will be available for purchase at just $1 per ticket. The Inn at Pocono Manor will be donating a portion of proceeds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization working to give hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. From their humble beginnings in 1980 with one boy’s wish to be a police officer, Make-A-Wish has evolved into an organization that grants a child’s wish in the U.S. every 40 minutes.

All season long the century’s-old grounds of The Inn at Pocono Manor will be decked out in true holiday fashion for the Magic Fireside Christmas festivities; including the Inn at Pocono Manor’s charming Fireside Lodge, with its massive stone fireplaces and historic arts & crafts interiors adorned with glittering holiday decorations. Interactive family activities will include holiday ornament making and Christmas cookie decorating, as well as an Old World Santa transported straight from the Victorian Era. Santa family photos will be welcomed and encouraged, and family portrait opportunities will be available. Outside the Fireside Lodge, as holiday music streams across the twinkling mountain-top, loved ones can snuggle by an open hearth making Christmas S’mores, children can visit with live animals and ride a magical train. Even an old-fashioned horse-drawn wagon will be on hand for holiday excursions.

Because Christmas is a time of sharing and giving, the Inn at Pocono Manor encourages visitors to A Magical Fireside Christmas to donate an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. For more information on A Magical Fireside Christmas, the host of special activities for children and families, and holiday guestroom or dining reservations, call 570-243-4006 / 800-233-8150, or visit www.innatpoconomanor.net

Paint a Piggy for the Cure

As the leading malignant cancer diagnosed among women, it is likely that you have a sister, mother or friend who has fought breast cancer. In an effort to further support the courageous survivors of our community and beyond, Local Flair is partnering with Poke-A-Nose Pottery to paint some piggies for a good cause. Head to Poke-A-Nose Pottery, located on Route 611 in Bartonsville, during the months of August and September and pick out a plump ceramic piggy bank of your own, then get crafty for the cure! Each piggy costs $25.00, with half of the proceeds going toward the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the amazing work they do to raise breast cancer awareness. Once your pig is painted we ask that you let us show them off in local businesses and collect even more money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation during October. After a month gathering funds for a great cause your pig will be safely returned.

Party 4 Life at Pocmont Resort

Help support the search for a cure by attending the 2nd Annual Lucy Stanovick Party 4 Life at Pocmont Resort on June 13th. The event was started last year by local woman Lucy Stanovick after being diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer in April 2008. “I started Party 4 Life because I wanted to be around friends and family; I wanted people to see I was still me” said Lucy of her event. From 1p.m.-5p.m. attendees can take part in pay-as-you-go activities like chair massage, a tricky tray auction and beanbag and horseshoe tournaments. Taking part in Party 4 Life will also be an educational experience, with info booths and breast cancer risk assessments conducted by Shawnee Medical Group. The day will end with a spaghetti dinner and dancing from 6p.m.-9p.m., costs for the dinner are $10 for adults and $5 for children 3-12. Funds raised from the day of activities will all benefit the National Foundation for Cancer Research. “ It is my hope that this Metastatic Breast Cancer fundraiser will increase awareness about all breast cancers” stated Lucy. To learn more about the event please visit www.pocmont.com/party4life.html or contact Joanne Thomas at 570.588.4758.

Lace Up Your Running Shoes

Ready, set, run for a good cause at the 4th Annual Pocono Mountains Run for the Red Marathon, held May 17. This years event, hosted by The Chateau Resort and Conference Center, will give runners of all ages the opportunity to help out the American Red Cross of Monroe County and their Disaster Relief Fund. “There have been a number of fires and disasters in our local communities and the American Red Cross of Monroe County pays to support these families in troubling times” explained Bob Werts, Executive Director of the Pocono Mountain Marathon.

All participants who finish the 26.3 mile marathon will receive a medallion, and $7,000 in prize money will be handed out to top finishers. The 26.3 mile marathon, open to serious runners ages 18 and up, can be completed individually or as a two person relay team and is a Certified Boston Marathon Qualifier. Those looking to run a shorter distance can participate in the 5k Road Race, open to all ages. Registration cost before April 24th is $65 for the marathon and $20 for the 5k Road Race. 100 percent of registration costs will benefit disaster relief in Monroe County.

Not ready to lace up your sneakers? The Run for the Red Marathon can only happen with the help of over 1,000 volunteers, so contact the American Red Cross at 570.476.3800 to find out how you can lend a hand. For more information on the Pocono Mountains Run for the Red Marathon visit www.poconomarathon.org.

Participate in Safe Haven's "Non-Event"

Press-release from Safe Haven

Please don’t join us, we don’t want you to attend
You won’t have to come, it’s money you will send
For the peace and safety of others in need
Your generous support, will keep them safe indeed
No cookies to bake, no sitters to hire
No rummage to dig up, just hearts to inspire
You don’t have to worry about what to wear
Nor driving or parking to give you a care
Just kick off your shoes, don’t bother to dress
Dance your pen on a check; let a stamp do the rest

For your directions to not attend, just give us a call
Support is needed by one and by all
The fee for this fun is only 25 dollars
If you send more, we’ll hoop with a holler
And in return for your contribution
Besides the fact, you’ll be helping with a solution
A Safe Haven package for you will arrive
For huge savings in Pike, not far to drive
To include a receipt for your sponsorship
And lots of ideas, to help with your savings trip
Get ready for adventures in the county we love
We’ve mapped out a route that you can make use of

The whole month of February should be celebrated in kind
We’ve planned this event, with you in mind
For an added bonus and just for fun
We’ll have a raffle when the event is done
But only the ones who don’t attend
Will have a chance to win 2 tickets as proof in the end
Now stop reading this poem, we’ve run out of rhymes
Call the number at the bottom to help us this time
Operators are waiting for your voice on the line
Please won’t you be our Valentine


To learn more about Safe Haven and information on how to purchase your tickets for this “Non-Event” Event, contact Sheila Korick-Houston at Safe Haven 570-296-2827 or purchase your tickets online at HYPERLINK "http://www.safehavenofpikecounty.org" www.safehavenofpikecounty.org.

Support a Healthy Heart

This February show some love to the American Heart Association by supporting their Go Red For Women initiative. The national campaign raises awareness and educates the public about coronary heart disease, the number one killer of women, and hopes to reduce its occurence 25% by 2010.
Helping out Go Red For Women can be as simple as putting on your best red Friday February 6. National Wear Red Day, or participating in the events being held by the Lehigh Valley branch of the American Heart Association. Some activities include health screenings, fashion shows, and a luncheon all geared toward raising awareness of heart disease. You can make a donation to Go Red For Women year round at http://goredforwomen.org/donate.aspx, which will fund research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.
For more information on events held by the Lehigh Valley chapter of the American Heart Association contact Bianca Passalacqua at 610.867.0583