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Progress reported at troubled landfill
Akron applies for more stimulus funds
Summit engineer schedules summer road projects
State senate passes second temporary budget
Wadsworth parish unsure how pastor got Legionnaires' disease
Clydesdales to parade into Akron area
Most Read Stories
Barbecue restaurant owner appeals mannequin's cover-up order
Suspect nabbed in child's death
Five years after attack, woman finds her way
Two men hurt in assaults in Kenmore
Hundreds in Canton for Tea Party
Promises look promising for Browns
New York congressman blasts Michael Jackson as 'pervert'
Blogs:
Pets:
Sunburn in canines and felines
The Heldenfiles:
Monday Notebook, New "90210" on DVD
Patrick McManamon:
Some Trevor Ariza tales
Akron Zips:
Opponent outlook: Northern Illinois
Browns Bulletin:
Single-game ticket sales begin July 11
Tribe Matters:
Marte is IL’s Batter of the Week
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth test showed marijuana
Kent State Sports:
Men's Basketball Scheduling update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Free Agency Update: Frye in View?
All Da King's Men:
The Obligatory Palin Post
Blog of Mass Destruction:
The "Limbaugh Babies"
Akron Law Café:
The Veil and the Burqa – Constitutional to Ban or Restrict?
Varsity Letters:
Solon’s Baldwin could decide soon
See Jane Style:
Picnic Wear
Car Chase:
Where do We Go from Here?
Let's Talk Real Estate:
ID My Bug
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jennifer inquires about a bus tour to Atlantic City
Sound Check:
Rundgren fans rejoice!: Second night of AWATS at The Civic added
HRLite House:
DDI One of Best Places to Work
Akron Gamer:
Hot link: Best of Nintendo at E3
Bar mitzvah teen tutors seniors via game system
Published on Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008
Then he settled on a plan that would mean combining the old with the new.
He purchased and donated a Nintendo Wii game system to the clients at the nondenominational Senior Independence Adult Day Center in Westminster Presbyterian Church in Akron.
He also set up the system and was on hand Tuesday to teach his new friends how to use it.
Max could not have had a more receptive audience, especially when it came to the golf and bowling games.
''They even named the Wii after Max,'' said Daphne Massaro, the adult day center director.
If the enthusiasm with which the Wii was greeted is any barometer of things to come, it should give eager clients like Vashti Keith, Dorothy Lozada, Amanda Taylor and Linda Boyd real physical workouts, to say nothing of emotional lifts.
Wendy Hess gave her son high marks for his contribution aimed at keeping the seniors sharp. He raised the money to purchase the Wii by doing chores and getting contributions from neighbors, friends and Beth Shalom Synagogue members in Hudson.
And watching her son's leadership abilities as he taught the class in Wii had Max's mother and brother Ted, 11, seeing him in an entirely different light: commanding.
American synagogues often require children to perform a charitable act in preparation for their bar or bat mitzvah, the coming of age that takes place when a Jewish boy or girl turns 13. Massaro said she's always receptive to any intergenerational opportunity in which the young can learn from the old and the old from the young. This was one of them.
Dragon Dream Team
Craftsman Park on Portage Lakes will be the setting for an exciting and unique fundraiser — a Dragon Boat Race — at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The feature attraction will be the Dragon Dream Team, Ohio's first all-breast cancer survivor team, 90 strong.
''We are excited to have this opportunity to allow the community to learn more about this sport and about us, and we hope to welcome many new members to join our team as a result of the program,'' said Jessica Mader, founding president of the Dragon Dream Team.
Speakers will be Dr. Douglas Wagner, founding team sponsor; and Michael Dunphy, Ph.D. For more information, call 330-877-1268 after 6 p.m.
Perpetual dribble
Bouquets to the girls varsity and junior varsity soccer teams at Walsh Jesuit High School who are taking part in a ''Dribble-A-Thon.''
The players pledge to keep a dedicated pink soccer ball in perpetual motion for four hours, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, on the school's soccer field.
Donations may be made by calling Sue Simmons, the event's coordinator, at 330-723-3315. Proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Public vigil for victim
The grieving family of the late Joyce E. Yoakam will be remembering her in a public way at 7 p.m. Friday with a vigil at the Gazebo in Hartville on Edison Street, in front of Giant Eagle.
Mrs. Yoakam, a real estate agent and the mother of eight, was the victim of a hit-skip driver just before 10:25 p.m. Aug. 31, 2007, as she got out of her car to check her mailbox. She was 69.
''This year has been difficult, but my family sees this as an opportunity to remind people to be responsible each and every time they get behind the wheel of a car,'' said Eileen D'Alessandris, one of Mrs. Yoakam's daughters.
''Unfortunately, four people are killed each day in the United States by a hit-and-run driver. This does not take into account those people who are injured.''
Call for help
Tom and Sandy Zelei of Doylestown, who have contributed much to the community at large in times of need, now need our collective help.
''Our brother Marty Zelei, age 52, who now lives in Arizona came down with a disease called ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) in November 2006,'' their letter read.
With his condition quickly worsening, Marty was blessed to receive a double lung transplant July 26.
''Most of his transplant will be covered by his insurance and a foundation that was set up. His problem will be the medication costs. He was told he will be on medication costing $2,000-$3,000 a month for the first year.''
Interested in helping this Doylestown native? Please visit the site http://www.transplantfund.org and type in the name Marty Zelei or call Tom and Sandy at 330-658-5600.
Heavy lifting
Three cheers for Malone College's Pioneer men's and women's track teams, who will be doing some heavy lifting from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, on behalf of the less fortunate.
The teams, in collaboration with the Canton YWCA Emergency Shelter program and local moving companies, will make house calls, collecting donated furniture (no large appliances, please) to help folks make the transition from emergency shelters to permanent housing.
The Greater Canton area is targeted for advance home pickups. Call 330-453-7644.
Participating moving companies will be Abbott Moving and Storage, ASAP Movers, Buckeye/Richards Moving, Locker Moving and Storage and Two Men and a Truck. Items will be stored at the Y's warehouse pending distribution.
Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.
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