MONROE, CT — Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10059 participated in a Memorial Day Ceremony at Monroe Elementary School on May 25.
Students made poppies in art class for a large patriotic display on the front lawn of their school. The new poppies are placed beside saved ones.
The VFW provides the signage and conducts the ceremony to remember and honor the fallen.
SEPTA Sensory-Friendly Carnival
Monroe SEPTA invites families to a sensory-friendly carnival to be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Masuk High School, 1014 Monroe Turnpike, on Saturday, May 31.
The event promises an inclusive day of fun, designed for all ages and abilities. Tickets cost $15 each and admission is free for children age two and younger. For tickets and general donations, click here.
The carnival will feature hands-on sensory play stations including rice art, painting, tie-dye and more; OT led activities to calm the busiest bodies, a calm-down area with “Thor” the Therapy Dog, magic tricks, silly antics and nonstop giggles with Frizzles.
Carnival games and activities, unlimited pizza, chicken tenders, fries and fried dough will be included with each ticket. There will also be door prizes and a silent auction with items to bid on.
Volunteers are needed to set-up, operate the carnival and to cleanup after the event. Those interested in a shift should click here.
Chamber Golf Tournament
There is still time to signup for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce’s annual Golf Tournament, to be held at Whitney Farms Golf Course, 175 Shelton Road, on June 3.
To sign-up or be a sponsor, visit the Chamber website by clicking here.
Registration, which is $200 per person, is at 9:30 a.m. and includes greens fees, a golf cart, refreshments, dinner, prizes and raffles. Proceeds from the tournament fund scholarships for Masuk High School seniors, as well as donations to Project Warmth and other worthy community projects.
The day includes breakfast and lunch. There will be a shotgun start at 11 a.m. and refreshments will be served on the course. After the rounds of golf conclude, there will be a cocktail hour, before a 5 p.m. awards dinner.
Washington Lodge No. 19’s Open House
Interested in learning about becoming a Mason? Have questions about the world’s oldest fraternity? Curious about how Freemasonry can improve your life and help out your local community?
Join Washington Lodge No. 19, 1 Fan Hill Road in Monroe, for its open house to be held on June 15 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Make the lodge a pit stop, while enjoying Monroe Congregational Church’s annual Strawberry Festival. Check out the Masons’ historic building, ask questions and see what it’s all about.
Strawberry Festival
Monroe Congregational Church’s 53rd annual Strawberry Festival is coming back to the green, at the corner of Route 111 and Church Street, on Father’s Day Weekend, June 14-15.
This family-friendly celebration features over 100 juried crafters offering handcrafted goods, and homemade strawberry shortcakes, pies, jams, dipped berries and smoothies prepared by church volunteers, a food tent, and children’s activities, including games, a bounce house and face painting.
Admission is free for the festival, to be held rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 15.
There will be live entertainment both days.
On Saturday, June 14, Gunsmoke, a country band with seven albums, will perform from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The Other Four, a New Haven band, will play classic rock, blues, country, jazz, funk and Americana music, from 2 to 5 p.m.
On Sunday, June 15, Half & Half, a band of young musicians, will play at 11:30 a.m.
The award-winning Silver Steel Band, based in Bridgeport and led by Jim Royle of Jim Royle Drum Studios, will then perform from 1 to 4 p.m.
Thrive annual Walk, Jog, Run
Lace up your sneakers for fun and fitness at Thrive’s first annual Walk, Jog, Run Event. Proceeds benefit Thrive, a nonprofit supporting the minds and bodies of patients throughout their cancer journey.
The event will be held Saturday, June 14, from 9 to 11 a.m., at Fairfield University Track & Field, 1073 North Benson Road.
Walk solo or form a team. To register, donate and learn more about Thrive and its mission, click here.
Jockey Hollow Lions are Unified
On May 22, students participating on the Jockey Hollow Middle School Unified Sports Team celebrated a successful spring season with an awards ceremony. Each student received an “outstanding student” certificate and medal.
Throughout the season, students learned skills involving safety, teamwork and inclusion. Weekly practices incorporated techniques in Unified volleyball, cornhole, kickball, Wiffle ball and track and field.
Each session included a scrimmage to practice newly acquired skills. Special Olympics athletes and partners paired up in the formation of teams.
The team is led by Head Coach Donald Casey Jr. and Jennifer Fisher.
“We are so very proud of every student on our Unified Sports team,” Casey said. “Throughout the course of the spring season, students were safe, supported each other, learned new skills, worked together as a team, established friendships and had fun. Each student learned a lot about inclusion and sports that unites Special Olympics athletes and partners as teammates.”
Masuk Panthers score goals for Unified Sports
NEWTOWN, CT — On Saturday, May 17, nine student-athletes from Masuk High School volunteered their time to play in a charity floor hockey game supporting Unified Sports against the Nighthawks team at Newtown High School.
Unified Sports is a Special Olympics program combining athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on sports teams for training and competition. The teams are made up of people with similar age and ability, and the goal is to promote friendship and understanding through shared experiences.
Students learned floor hockey techniques including safety, passing, shooting and goaltending, as well as team building skills. Following the game, each student was awarded an “Outstanding Student” certificate and medal.
“We are so proud of every student-athlete on our team,” Head Coach Donald Casey Jr. said. “They were safe, learned new skills, had fun, and worked so well together as a team. Most important of all, each young person volunteered their time to support students participating in Unified Sports programs.”
Coastal Mix Chorus
TRUMBULL, CT — “Stay Tuned! Songs From the Small Screen” will harken back to beloved television shows of the past at the Coastal Mix Barbershop Chorus’ annual show Sunday, June 1, 3 p.m., at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 406 White Plains Road, Trumbull.
Catherine’s Butterfly Party
NEWTOWN, CT – The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary will host the ninth annual Catherine’s Butterfly Party on Saturday, June 7, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Fairfield Hills Campus, 3 Primrose St.
The free, family-friendly festival with a mega pet adoption event is held in honor of Catherine Violet Hubbard, a first grader who lost her life in the Sandy Hook
tragedy. It celebrates her enduring love for all animals.
The event will have 25 animal rescue organizations with more than 200 adoptable animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, horses and more.
Other highlights include:
- Educational Exhibits: Wildlife, farm animals, amphibian and reptile ambassador educators, and K-9 demonstrations.
- Family Fun: Face painting, crafts, vendors, artisans, food trucks, live music, entertainment, and endless activities for kids.
For information, visit: CVHFoundation.org.
Shak’s Boxing summer camp
Shak’s Boxing and Fitness, 600 Main St. in Monroe, will host a summer camp for children age 6 to 12 with boxing instruction, fitness challenges, obstacle courses, arts and crafts, games, movie days and more.
The camp is $300 a week and will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 7 to Aug. 22. For information, click here.
Masuk Class of 1975 to celebrate 50th reunion
Masuk High School’s Class of 1975 will celebrate its 50 year reunion at The Stone Barn at Whitney Farms, 175 Shelton Road (Route 110), on Saturday, Aug. 30, from 6 to 10 p.m.
The event will include a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres, a buffet dinner, a cash bar, photo fun, music, dancing and a lot of memories to share.
The cost is $75 per person. Payment should be made as soon as possible via Venmo (greggavogel@gmail.com) or with a check payable to Gregg Vogel, 2716 Hilltop Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660. Please include preferred name for name tag(s) with payment.
For information, check the Facebook group, Masuk High School Class of 1975 50th Reunion, or contact one of the organizers: Gregg Vogel (greggavogel@gmail.com), Cynthia Young McCurdy (clmccurdy@verizon.net), Lynn Hardy Susina (huskies1984@aol.com), Marcia Stenger Lafayette (marciahealthcoach@gmail.com), Diane Herb Landock (dianelandock@sbcglobal.net) or Lisa Huck (lisabeth.huck@aya.yale.edu).
Volunteers are needed to help make the reunion a success. Those who want to help should email Gregg Vogel (greggavogel@gmail.com).
