Generous Sponsor Support
The Amway One By One campaign has stepped up to sponsor our Teacher Wish Lists campaign for the second year in a row.
Amway One By One Campaign
Bringing Art Prize to Park Parties
Something new this year at Park Parties is the Amway Art Area. Each week kids will have the chance to work with an Art Prize artist on his entry.
Park Party 101
We’re ready to Rock The Park as we kick-off the 2011 Park Party Season on Thursday, June 23rd at the Greenville High School Complex! Thanks to the Michigan Department of Education and the USDA we’ll have FREE lunches for everyone 18 and under. We’ll start serving those at 11:30 a.m. Park Party action will go from noon until 2 p.m. Here’s a few of my best tips for making the most of your Park Party experience:
1. Get in line early for the one large scale event your child really wants to do-climbing wall, super slide, dixie twister, etc. These lines will get long quick and it’s probably not realistic to think you’ll get on all the activities during the two hour event.
2. Bring a water bottle for each person in your group. We’ll be passing out FREE Ice Mountain Water, Milk with the lunches and 100% Apple Juice from Mc Donalds but you’ll want to have water with you at all times so bring some from home to be safe.
3. We have great corporate partners that are passing out cool things: Priority Health is giving out backpacks, AMWAY will be at the Art Area and Fifth Third Bank at the Super Slide handing out tattoos. Craig’s Cruisers will have candy, Ferris State University will be at the Climbing Wall with Pennants. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital will have jump ropes, Meijer will have Michigan Apples and other goodies, Holland Aquatic Center will be doing a Safe Water Activity, the Bethany Christian Services Wheel of Prizes and Touchstone Energy Cooperative will have some great giveaways. The West Michigan Whitecaps will be there with Crash and two fun inflatables!
4. Special for the Greenville Party-be sure to pick up a special gift from the Meijer area as a thank you to the city of Greenville! You can even come to the grand opening of the Fred Meijer Flat River Trail in the Meijer Parking Lot at 10 a.m.
5. Bring a bag of new or gently used items to donate to Goodwill and you’ll get an Entertainment Book! Goodwill will be at the Greenville and Wyoming Park Parties.
6. Great food items include Cheese Kurls, Country Fresh Ice Cream, Ice Mountain, McDonalds Apple Dippers and Meijer local produce. Remember everything is WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!
7. We’re super excited to introduce the AMWAY One-By-One Art Area for kids. Work with artist Corey VanDuienen to create cool art that will be part of his 2011 Art Prize entry!!
8. Visit the WOOD TV tent to get your picture taken with your favorite WOOD TV on-air talent. Brett and Emily from DayBreak will be at our Greenville Party.
9. If you can’t make it to this week’s Park Party, log on to woodtv.com throughout the Party and we’ll be posting photos live from the event!
10. Watch all the Park Party Action on “Where You Live” this weekend to see highlights from the first big event! Catch the show Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on WOTV 4 and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on WOOD TV 8.
HAVE FUN and feel free to post photos from the Party at facebook.com/marandatv!!
Things to Do This Summer In West Michigan!
Get ready for great summer fun in West Michigan! This weekend on “Where You Live” we’re giving your family all sorts of ideas on ways to make the most of summer! We’ll head north to the Double JJ Resort to explore their swimming hole, Western Village and amazing horse back riding trails! Plus we’ll give away a week at Camp Blodgett and a backstage VIP experience at the Broadway Grand Rapids show, “Shrek The Musical!” We’ll also get yummy recipes you can try on the grill from our friends at Meijer and simple ways to keep your skin looking fantastic from our friends at AMWAY. Plus, all the latest on Park Parties and the 2011 Summer Reading Club! It’s a big show of great summer fun ideas and prizes–join us for “Where You Live” Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on WOTV 4 and 11:30 a.m. on Sunday on WOOD TV 8.
Spring Make-Up & Skin Care Tips
A great way to update your look for spring is by making some simple changes to your skin care and make-up routines. The experts from Artistry have some great advice for busy moms.
You can learn about these Artistry products and tips through an Amway Independent Business Owner and at www.Amway.com/Beauty.
Enhancing Your Natural Beauty
Amway brought in make-up artists from their Artistry cosmetics line to talk to girls about proper skin care and age appropriate make-up tips.
Beautiful U!
Girls today are bombarded by media messages that make them question their value and their worth. These messages give young ladies a distorted definition of beauty and what is most important in life. In an effort to combat these negative message we recently brought together 50 middle school girls from around the area to Ferris State University Grand Rapids for an event called, “Beautiful U”. The event included a series of workshops put on by our partners Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Priority Health, Pine Rest Christian Services, Meijer, Grand Rapids Community College. Each session
focused on healthy eating, moving more, self esteem, careers and good choices. The Amway One-By-One Campaign was the lead corporate partner and brought in skin and make up specialists to share tips with the girls. The event wrapped up with a P2 fashion show featuring high school students wearing trendy yet modest clothing from Meijer. The event was incredible and I can’t wait to share highlights with you this weekend on “Where You Live”. It’s all about celebrating beauty from the inside out!
1,715 Teachers Need Your Help!
The Teacher Wish List campaign is in full swing and it’s been amazing! We have 1,715 teachers from 525 different schools around West Michigan who have posted wishes for their students. Several of our partners including Amway, Fifth Third Bank, Meijer, Craig’s Cruisers and Priority Health have made very generous donations. But the needs are still great! If you and your family or business can grant a wish-big or small-I know teachers would greatly appreciate it! Thanks to everyone for stepping up and giving. There’s more work to be done. Together we can help our teachers help our kids in a big way!
Grant A Wish!
Over 500 teachers from around West Michigan have posted wishes at woodtv.com/teacher wish lists. Now, it’s our turn to grant these wishes! If your family or business can grant a wish I encourage you to do it! It’s easy. Log on to www.woodtv.com and search teacher wish lists. Select the community where you live and review the items teachers in your neighborhood schools are requesting. Then, grant a wish or two. It’s as easy as buying a few boxes of markers or a canister of animal crackers. It’s really all about helping teachers help our kids! Let me know if you and your family are out granting wishes! I’d love to hear about it!
Teacher Wish Lists
I’ve been out and about talking to teachers all over West Michigan these past few weeks. I was amazed to learn that regardless the district, teachers are spending over $500 of their own money for things in their classroom.
Simple things like paper towel, extra markers, color paper, sandwich bags, wipes, prepackaged snacks, band aids, tissue, etc. Since many of these items are consumables they need to be replenished many times throughout the school year and the one making sure the room is stocked is usually the teacher!
I appreciate all the time, love and energy many teachers pour into the lives of our kids. I also know many of you feel the same way. We’re launching a campaign here on WOOD TV in partnership with AMWAY called the “Teacher Wish Lists”. Teachers can log on www.woodtv.com and search Teacher Wish Lists. There we’re asking teachers from around West Michigan to register their classroom and list the items they need. Then, any of us in the community who are able to help, will go to the Wish List and grant the wishes of our local teachers! It’s a very simple, cool way we can show our teachers how much we appreciate all they do! Encourage the teachers you know to sign up and share their wishes. Then, look for simple ways you and you family can help! Be sure to share your stories of how you’re helping-I’m always looking for ways people are making a difference in the lives of our kids!
Blogs
Maranda's Blog
Keep in step with Maranda as she explores issues affecting your family.
Maranda's Go-To Gal
Insights from the mom who helps Maranda get it all done.
Whitecaps Blog
Whitecaps mascot Crash takes you inside the ballpark.
Cruiser's Blog
Cruiser has the inside track for Craig's Cruisers.
Health & Wellness
Make health and wellness a priority.
Fifth Third River Bank Run
On pace with the Fifth Third River Bank Run.
Healthy Living
Simple solutions for healthy living.
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