Vinegar Hill Cafe Preps for Several Saturdays Full of Pancakes
“We’re going to be up to our elbows in pancake batter,” said Joel Schechtman, Vinegar Hill Cafe Manager. Schechtman and his staff are excited to see their Pancake Breakfast Fundraisers gain momentum. This Saturday, October 19, the Cafe will host the NAACP. Jefferson School City Center resident Literacy Volunteers will celebrate its 30th birthday with a pancake breakfast on Saturday, October 26.
Rick Turner, President of the Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP said, “We thought that this would be a good opportunity to raise money for student scholarships, while at the same time giving the community an opportunity to visit the still-new Vinegar Hill Cafe and other parts of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center.”
Schechtman expects a large turnout for the next two weekends’ events. The pancake buffet costs $8, with the organizations and the Cafe sharing the profits. Literacy Volunteers will be highlighting its work over the last 30 years with a Birthday theme at its pancake breakfast. “We have a lot to celebrate,” Executive Director Ellen Osborne said. “We’re so thankful for the over 1300 tutors who have dedicated their time to helping our students over the years. The last 30 years have been great and we’re excited for the next 30.”
Literacy Volunteers’ Pancake Party will feature birthday favors and a video booth where guests can film short testimonies about the value of literacy. “In addition to the fun, we’ll also be informing our guests about our 30 for 30 Campaign,” Osborne added. The 30 for 30 Campaign challenges new donors to contribute $30, returning donors to add $30 to their current contribution levels, and all supporters to participate in a social media fundraising effort for the remainder of the year. “Our main fundraising event every year is Wordplay, of course,” Osborne said. “But our birthday calls for us to have some kind of celebration– so we’re grateful to have the Cafe as a partner for this.”
In November, Vinegar Hill Cafe will be hosting Tupelo Press’s Teen Writing Center, Better World Betty, and Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church. “We’ very excited about the coming weeks,” said Schechtman. “We’re expecting strong turnouts and great support for the sponsoring organizations.”
Art Adventures, an Open Studio for Preschoolers Puts Paint to Paper on October 23
Carver Recreation Center Manager Dan Carpenter is excited to announce the start of Art Adventures, an open studio for preschoolers, with its first session on October 23. This open studio provides traditional and nontraditional media for children to explore projects based on monthly themes and inspired by their interests. Children and caregivers can move through the space, visiting varied project stations.. This class is designed to encourage students to learn through play and sensory experience as they create small and large works, exercising fine and gross motor skills. Parent/caregiver supervision is required. There is a drop-in fee of $5, and the program is for children ages 1-6 years. Art Adventures will occur on the following dates: October 23, 10-11:30am; October 25, 10:30 am-12pm; October 30, 10-11:30am; and November 1, 10:30am-12pm.
Additionally, Carver Rec is gearing up for its Pumpkin carving contest next Friday, October 25, from 5:45 to 8:00 pm. Interested carvers must register in advance and the cost is $5.00 per pumpkin. All pumpkins will be entered into the Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Downtown Safe Halloween Event on Saturday, October 26 (2:00 to 4:30pm). Pumpkins will be judged in three categories: Youth (ages 12-17), Adult (18 and over), and Family (all ages) and winners in each category will win a free two-month pass to Carver Rec and Smith Aquatic and Fitness Center. Pumpkins and tools will be provided. Please call 434-970-3035 to register.
The Y at the Jefferson School Preps for an Extraordinary Halloween Extravaganza
Early Child Care Director Michelle Ryan and her staff are hard at work prepping for the YMCA Intergenerational Learning Center‘s Halloween Extravaganza, from 6:00 to 10:00pm Halloween night. The event promises a variety of activities for children of all ages. Ryan explained that each of the Y’s rooms will feature a different activity or theme. One room will have a “Monster’s Inc.” theme, for instance, and another will feature a Pumpkin Patch. Children will be able to work off their candy-fueled energy in the playground outside, which will be transformed into a graveyard. Concessions will also be available. The cost is $2.00 per person and $1.00 per person for YILC participants.
During Halloween day, child care participants will be able to wear their costumes and trick-or-treat throughout the Jefferson School. Parents are encouraged to pack their children’s costumes so children can change into them at the Y and change out of them after their costume fashion show.
Jefferson School City Center is a voice of the nine nonprofits located at Charlottesville’s intergenerational community center, the restored Jefferson School. We are a legacy preserved . . . a soul reborn . . . in the heart of Cville!
