STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- Concert pianist and Cleveland native William C. Shaffer will perform at 3 p.m. April 27 at Strongsville United Methodist Church for a special Steinway Piano Dedication Recital.
The event, held in the church’s Worship Center, 13500 Royalton Road, marks a moment of joyful celebration for the congregation and its community.
About a year ago, members and friends of Strongsville UMC came together to raise funds to purchase a 1999 Steinway grand piano -- a significant addition to the church’s music ministry.
The dedication recital will showcase this remarkable instrument and the musical talent of Shaffer, whose performance will include works by Brahms, Debussy, Bizet, Grieg, Mozart, Joplin, Gershwin, Dvořák and Barber.
The concert is free and open to the public, though a love offering will be collected to support the Strongsville UMC Concert Series.
A brief reception will follow the recital, offering attendees a chance to meet the artist and celebrate the occasion.
Shaffer, an accomplished organist, pianist, accompanist and music director, has built an impressive career both locally and internationally.
In addition to solo recitals across the United States, Europe and Mexico, he has graced the stages of Severance Hall, all the major universities in the Cleveland area and even the White House, where he performed for President George H.W. Bush.
His passion for music spans a wide range of genres, including musical theater.
Shaffer has performed with many of the top Broadway tours visiting Cleveland, such as “Wicked,” “Les Misérables,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” and “Back to the Future.”
He also served as associate conductor and keyboardist for the First National Tour of “Something Rotten.”
Locally, Shaffer has directed more than 30 theatrical productions and played a key role in the 2022 Cleveland premiere of the new musical “Infamous.”
His collaborative work includes accompanying soloists and ensembles throughout the region.
Strongsville UMC invites the entire community to join them for this exceptional musical experience and to witness the artistry of a hometown talent whose career continues to inspire.
For more information, go to www.strongsvilleumc.org.
Fundraising competition: Throughout February, students at all of Strongsville’s five elementary schools learned about the importance of being heart healthy.
They were educated on hands-only CPR, engaged in heart-healthy exercises, discovered the importance of heart-healthy foods, gained new jump rope skills and honored loved ones with special hearts.
In addition, the students engaged in a fundraising competition that also earned them special prizes and raised money for the American Heart Association.
Overall, students and families raised $34,542.21.
Kinsner Elementary in Strongsville raised over $12,400 for the American Heart Association.Strongsville City Schools
Congratulations to Kinsner Elementary School for raising over $12,400.
Kinsner will be receiving around $1,000 from the American Heart Association and its partner, US Games, to help in the purchase of new physical education equipment.
Thank you to everyone who registered for the Kids Heart Challenge and to all who helped raise funds for such an important cause. Your participation made a significant impact.
Touch a truck: Polaris Career Center announces the return of the highly anticipated third annual Secret Service Touch a Truck and First Responder Career Fair, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 26.
This immersive event aims to showcase the diverse roles and opportunities within public safety departments and agencies.
It features representatives from more than 80 organizations, including the U.S. Secret Service, Ohio State Highway Patrol, FBI, U.S. Coast Guard, TSA, U.S. Marshals Service and local police, fire and EMS.
Attendees will have the opportunity to explore interactive vehicle displays and first responder equipment, ranging from fire trucks and helicopters to Secret Service armored Suburbans and FBI evidence trucks.
Additionally, demonstrations featuring police horses, motorcycles and state-of-the-art rescue equipment will provide an engaging and educational experience for all ages.
The event is free and open to the public, with all participants subject to a security screening.
Those interested in pursuing career opportunities within these agencies are encouraged to visit www.secretservice.gov/join and www.usajobs.gov prior to April 26 for valuable information.
Polaris Career Center is located at 7285 Old Oak Blvd. in Middleburg Heights.
For more information about the event, contact the U.S. Secret Service Cleveland Field Office at 216-750-2058.
New website: If you have a child with mental health issues, disabilities, developmental delays, academic struggles, behavior problems or other concerns, finding summer programs can be challenging.
Connecting for Kids has introduced a new website to help local families easily find inclusive summer programming for those 0-12 years old.
The site, inclusivesummer.com, includes adapted summer camps, sports, arts and recreational opportunities, as well as programs addressing academics, speech-language, motor, social and executive function skills, among others.
This website is searchable by child’s age, region or program length.
It even has a feature where users type in their ZIP code and indicate how far they are willing to travel for a program, with search results shown visually on a Google map.
An advanced search option allows families to search on more than one criterion; for example, West Side programs for preschoolers.
“Connecting for Kids receives a large volume of calls each spring from parents and caregivers looking for ways to not only keep their child occupied over the summer, but to keep up skills heading into the new school year,” said Executive Director Sarah Rintamaki.
“By creating this website, Connecting for Kids has introduced a user-friendly experience, giving families information matched to their needs and offering direct links to provider websites and contacts.”
All of the programs on the website take place in June, July or August.
Connecting for Kids staff will continue to verify and add new programs that are available this summer.
Providers can share their updates with an online form. Please note that the site only takes submissions that welcome children ages 0-12 who have disabilities or mental health concerns.
Since families are busy, a how to use this site page explains all of the different ways families can search the site to find the resources and information they need.
“Some parents are just so overwhelmed with a new diagnosis or life circumstance that they don’t even know where to begin,” Rintamaki said.
For those families, Connecting for Kids offers free Ask Us sessions where individuals can schedule a 30-minute, one-on-one session with a Connecting for Kids family resource specialist to discuss their unique situation and get personalized summer options.
Reserve a time on the website, email info@connectingforkids.org or call/text 440-570-5908.
Garden club: The Chippewa Garden Club invites community members and gardening enthusiasts to its next monthly meeting, at 6:30 p.m. April 22 at the Brecksville Human Service Building, 2 Community Drive.
This month’s featured presentation, “Managing Pests and Diseases in Your Landscapes Naturally,” will be led by Sean Fenton, an ISA Certified Arborist and Ohio Licensed Commercial Applicator with Bartlett Tree Experts.
Fenton will offer expert insights on identifying, preventing and managing common landscape threats using eco-friendly approaches.
The Chippewa Garden Club welcomes anyone with a green thumb or simply a budding curiosity for gardening.
Whether you’re newly retired or just exploring a new hobby, club members say there are plenty of reasons to join: It’s affordable, keeps you active, benefits the community, offers educational opportunities and fosters friendships that last a lifetime.
The club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Guests are encouraged to bring a friend, neighbor or family member.
For more information, visit www.ChippewaGardenClub.com, or follow the club on Facebook for the latest gardening tips, event updates and club news.
Let the Brecksville, Broadview Heights, North Royalton and Strongsville communities know what is going on with your organization, church, school, business or family. Email me at shirleymac48@att.net.
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