Old Town - Lansing, MI

Welcoming Arts Organizations to Lansing’s Old Town

This article was posted on Mon, Oct 19 2009 | Permalink

The Old Town Business and Art Development Association welcomes the Arts Council of Greater Lansing and Capital Area Blues Society to the Old Town Lansing area as the Arts Council of Greater Lansing celebrated its new home today with an open house on October 14.

“Old Town is in renaissance; it started with a group of artists and studios and galleries. It’s great to come to this point where there’s a concentration of arts organizations here in Old Town, which will take us to another level of providing quality arts programming for the community,” states Terry Terry, president of Old Town Business and Art Development Association and long-time Old Town business resident.

Arts Council of Greater Lansing has been located at the Center for the Arts on South Grand Avenue for a number of years. The renovation of and move to 1208 Turner Street is another step in promoting Old Town’s artistic culture –
the organization will work more closely with Old Town’s Michigan Institute for Contemporary Art, Old Town Business and Art Development Association and Old Town Commercial Association to continue revitalizing the historic area and promoting the arts.

“The Capital Area Blues Society is thrilled to be offered a place to call ‘home’ – in our nearly 15 years as an organization we have never had more than a post office box!” notes Toni Alexander, Capital Area Blues Society president. “The move gives us not only a physical presence in the community, but also a sense of kinship with the neighborhood businesses and arts organizations who are dedicated to the revitalization of Lansing. It is an honor to be situated in Old Town, the arts and entertainment heart of Lansing.

“It just feels right where we are supposed to be.”

Established in 1965, Arts Council of Greater Lansing is a non-profit organization whose mission is to lead, advocate for and advance arts and culture in the capital region. It serves hundreds of artists and more than 120 arts and cultural agencies, and also works alongside area stakeholders in an effort to best serve and support the cultural vitality of the region. See http://www.lansingarts.org for more information.

Founded in July 1995, the Capital Area Blues Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization designed to help support a growing interest in blues music in the greater Lansing area. For more information, see cabsblues.com.

Old Town Business and Art Development Association is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to quality arts programming, the preservation of historic buildings and economic development. See http://www.oldtownarts.org or call 517-371-4600 for more information.

Compassionate Feast 2009

This article was posted on Thu, Oct 08 2009 | Permalink

Program gives Families food for Thanksgiving Feast at home
For many, the holiday season brings back happy memories of family, friends and good food.  The season is quickly approaching and the Old Town Commercial Association (OTCA) is now preparing for Compassionate Feast, a program dedicated to providing families in need with all of the ingredients necessary to make a complete Thanksgiving dinner and happy memories of their own. Compassionate Feast will take place on Monday, November 23rd at the North Presbyterian Church on the corner of Grand River Ave. and Washington Ave. 
Each year Compassionate Feast provides more than 100 local families under the federal poverty line with all the Thanksgiving fixings they need to make a traditional feast in their own home.  The program, started by David Such, owner of Such Video, is now in its ninth year and has come to be more than just a meal. It also aims to give back pride and respect that may have been lost to families within our community.
The OTCA strives to find families who need the Thanksgiving baskets the most. Last year, in partnership with Head Start, Cristo Rey and Eve Inc., and with the help of the West Saginaw Meijer, the OTCA purchased food based on the dynamic of each individual family. 
The OTCA is currently in the process of raising money to buy groceries for the baskets.  Because the space and manpower needed to complete the project are generously donated, every single penny raised goes toward buying food for the families. Compassionate Feast is a community event, and would not be possible without the charitable donations given every year from local businesses and community members. 
If you are interested in donating to Compassionate Feast, there are many ways in which you can help. You can be a volunteer, give a monetary contribution, food donation, returnable bottle donation, or display a jar in your business for loose change donations.  A copy of our solicitation letter can be found at this link for more information on how you can help or if you would like to pass it along to anyone wanting to make a contribution. Compassionate Feast Solicitation Letter 2009
If you would like more information about Compassionate Feast, or would like to make a contribution to the program, please contact the OTCA office at 517.485.4283.

Doggie Trick or Treating

This article was posted on Thu, Oct 08 2009 | Permalink

Celebrate Halloween with your pooch!

Halloween isn’t only for kids! This year, take advantage of Dog Trick-or-Treating in Old Town, Lansing. Put together by Jana Nicol from Gone 2 the Dogs, this annual event draws dogs and their owners from all over the Lansing area to local Old Town businesses. Dog Trick-or-Treating will be taking place on Friday, October 23, 2009 from 4:30 – 7 p.m.

Old Town businesses are invited to participate in this unique event and hand out dog treats to the dressed up dogs as their owner’s take them on a crisp fall walk around Old Town. A variety of businesses participated last year, and all that is asked is a $5 donation to be included on the Dog Trick-or-Treating neighborhood map. This map highlights all of the participating businesses and helps to point the owners in the right direction (that is if their pooch is having trouble sniffing his own way!).

In conjunction with the Dog Trick-or-Treating is Tim Barron’s Dog Costume Contest. Local celebrity and radio personality, Tim Barron, will host the contest and hand out prizes to the most stylish, scary, or silly costumed dogs as they strut down the dog-walk! The costume contest will be held in the Sir Pizza parking lot on the corner of Turner St. and E. Grand River Avenue.

If your business is looking for a way to get involved with the community and treat man’s best friend, this is an event you won’t want to miss. Due to how popular the event was last year, new sponsor levels are being added. Also, WLNS Channel 6 will be catching all the action, and could feature your business!

For more information on sponsorship levels, or to get your business on the Trick-or-Treat map, contact Jana Nicol at 517.721.1413.

The event will go on regardless of weather!

Edge CEO to speak at National Heathcare Conference

This article was posted on Thu, Oct 01 2009 | Permalink

LANSING, Mich. – Lorri Rishar Jandron, president and CEO of Edge Partnerships, is a featured speaker at the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development’s (SHSMD) annual conference Oct. 2 in Orlando, Fla.

    Jandron will speak on the importance of government relations for healthcare marketing and public relations practitioners. Barb Berry, director of marketing at Northern Michigan Regional Hospital, joins Jandron for the presentation to share stories from the hospital perspective.

    “Now, more than ever, it is imperative that hospitals engage in the healthcare debate,” said Jandron. “Getting in the conversation requires assertive and aligned government relations and advocacy.”

    The session covers the basics of government structure, legislative activity, regulatory monitoring and grassroots advocacy. In addition to the ABCs of establishing an effective government relations program, attendees will understand the importance of engaging their staff, leadership, board members, donors and the community.

    Prior to founding Edge Partnerships, Jandron served as director of marketing and government relations for Sparrow Health System, mid-Michigan’s largest safety-net hospital. She previously spent seven years as director of communications for the Michigan House of Representatives and chief of staff to the Speaker of the House. Jandron began her career as a journalist in Hershey, Penn., and Grand Ledge, Mich.

    Edge Partnerships represents a number of healthcare clients, including the federal Health Information Security and Privacy Collaborative’s Provider Education Toolkit, creating a virtual toolkit for physicians to engage in health information exchange. Edge also has a number of Michigan-based healthcare clients, including the Michigan Department of Community Health, Michigan Public Health Institute, Michigan Health Council, McLaren Health Plan, Aging Services of Michigan and Hurley Medical Center.

    SHSMD, a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association, is the largest and most prominent voice and resource for healthcare provider-based planners, marketers, and communications/public relations practitioners nationwide. SHSMD’s annual conference is one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive with more than 1,000 attendees.

National Coming Out Day Celebration

This article was posted on Thu, Oct 01 2009 | Permalink

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Pride is hosting its first annual Coming Out Day Celebration, an event to honor Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) high school and college students coming out to their family and friends.

The event will be from 4-8 p.m. on National Coming Out day, Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Sir Pizza Grand Café, 201 E. Grand River Ave. in Lansing’s historic Old Town district.

Students from area high schools including Lansing Eastern, East Lansing and DeWitt and students from MSU, LCC and CMU will be on hand for the event, which will feature a discussion on sharing ideas about awareness and action, a drag performance and a DJ.

Michigan Pride, a nonprofit organization dedicated to diversity, education and communication, would like to unite LGBT students and young adults with support groups in a safe forum and environment.

For more information visit: http://www.michiganpride.org, friend Michigan Pride on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@MIPride)

Michigan Pride contact: Monique Goch, Outreach Director, (517) 410-1983

Event contacts: Shelley Olson (517-881-8479) or Darren Canejo (517-898-3625)