Local Mom Needs Double Lung Transplant, Fundraiser Held Saturday

Event at Luxury Lanes in Ferndale will help fund a double lung transplant for St. Clair Shores resident Jessica Johnson.

A fundraiser is being held in Ferndale this weekend to help fund a double lung transplant for St. Clair Shores resident Jessica Johnson. The 34-year-old wife, mother and stepmother was born with cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease that has left her with only 30 percent to 40 percent of her normal lung capacity. She will continue to lose lung capacity until she dies — or until she gets a lung transplant. A double lung transplant could save Johnson's life, but her transplant-related expenses are estimated to be about $60,000. Her family has turned to the community for help and they have almost raised enough money for the transplant. The event on Saturday is a bowling fundraiser from 12-3 p.m. at Luxury Lanes in Ferndale. A $…

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Ferndale Concert to Raise Money for Wounded Warrior Project

‘Shamrocks and Shenanigans’ will be held on Thursday, March 14 at the Loving Touch.

Local nonprofit organization Hooligans for Heroes is hosting a benefit concert in Ferndale next month to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project. The Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit organization that provides programs and services to severely injured service members during the time between active duty and transition to civilian life. ‘Shamrocks and Shenanigans’ will be held on Thursday, March 14th, at the Loving Touch in downtown Ferndale. The event begins at 8:30 p.m., with tickets available for $5 at the door (ages 21+ event). Performing bands include the Bad Assets, The Hand Me Downs and 1592. 100 percent of all proceeds to Hooligans For Heroes (including merchandise sales available at the event and tickets to the concert) go…

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Ferndale Students Raising Money for Japan Trip

A silent auction and spaghetti dinner will be held on Friday.

Ferndale High School sophomore Rebecca Phoenix is dreaming of being able to "experience the wonder of Japan." Phoenix got into the Japanese culture through anime and enjoys researching the country and reading about Japanese mythology in her spare time. She has the chance to go on a trip to Japan this summer, but she and her classmates first have to come up with $5,000 each. Phoenix is one of several Ferndale students in Karen Kaczmarek's Japanese class at the six-school consortium Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts, or CASA, located in Oak Park. She and about nine other students from her class would be embarking on a 12-day trip to Japan with Kaczmarek, who has taken three other groups of students there in previous years. "This would…

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Ferndale Holiday Party to Raise Funds for Newtown Families

Annual 'Mustache Turtleneck & Sweater Holiday Extravaganza' to be held Dec. 23 at the Magic Bag.

The community is invited to join in some holiday fun on Sunday night and help support an important cause. The 'Mustache, Turtleneck and Sweater Holiday Extravaganza' is an annual event put on by a group of friends on the night before Christmas Eve, said organizer M.G. Shapiro, of Ferndale. Tonight's event kicks off at 8 p.m. at the Magic Bag in Ferndale. Each year the group picks a charity and donates the proceeds from the event. This year, all of the proceeds will be donated to the United Way of Western Connecticut, which has established a fund to support the families and community of Newtown/Sandy Hook Elementary School. "I take enormous pride in this event as each year it is a true celebration of life," Shapiro said of the event. "…

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Tonight: Drink, Shop, and Support FernCare at Rust Belt Market

The Rust Belt Market will host the second annual "Not-So-Silent Night" benefit from 5-9 p.m. Friday.

Drink, Shop, and Support FernCare at Rust Belt on Friday

The Rust Belt Market will host the second annual Not-So-Silent Night benefit from 5-9 p.m. Friday.

There's no time like this weekend to get your holiday shopping in at the Rust Belt Market. From 5-9 p.m. Friday, the artisan market at Nine Mile and Woodward will host its second annual Not-So-Silent Night drink and shop event to benefit FernCare Free Clinic. DJs Mike Trombley and Coleman Esj Young will provide entertainment and guests will be able to shop from the market's more than 60 local vendors. There is no cover charge to attend. Here are the ways you can help support the Ferndale-based free health clinic at the event: Last year's Not-So-Silent Night generated nearly $1,000 for FernCare, said Rust Belt co-owner Chris Best, and he hopes they'll raise even more this year. The market will not keep any of the proceeds. "If you're gonna …

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Ferndale to Celebrate 79th Anniversary of the End of Prohibition

"Taste History" event to be held Dec. 1 as a fundraiser for the Ferndale Goodfellows.

Residents are invited to celebrate the 79th anniversary of the end of prohibition this weekend with an event that will help raise money for local families in need. "Taste History" will be held Saturday, Dec. 1 and will mark the fifth year that Ferndale residents Larry and Monica Mills - along with a group of about 20 other volunteers - have put on the fundraiser. The idea all started with passing some time watching the History Channel. The Mills were watching a special on prohibition years ago and learned that prohibition officially ended on Dec. 5, 1933. "We felt we should do something to celebrate that," said Monica Mills, adding that her husband Larry came up with the idea for the event. "And because it's right around Christmas we …

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Ferndale Firefighters Raise More Than $1,400 for Breast Cancer Awareness

T-shirts are still available for purchase at Ferndale City Hall and at both Ferndale fire stations while supplies last.

Ferndale firefighters have raised more than $1,400 so far as part of their breast cancer awareness campaign. Firefighters and city staff have been wearing pink t-shirts while on duty this month to promote breast cancer awareness and raise money to help find a cure. They've been selling the same style t-shirts for $20 each, with all funds benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It's part of a national effort by the International Association of Fire Fighters, said Gary McMenamin, community relations chair for the Ferndale Firefighters Local 812. He told Ferndale City Council members at their meeting on Monday that he was proud of the support the community has shown for the effort. "The support has been phenomenal," he said, noting that they …

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Ferndale Student Hopes to Pursue Ballet Dream in NYC

Mikaila Downing, 16, is raising money to study ballet full-time at a prestigious school in New York City.

In the competetive world of ballet, Ferndale 16-year-old Mikaila Downing stands out. She has recently been accepted into a prestigious dance school in New York City. If she is able to go, she'll be packing up her bags in January and heading off to pursue her dream. The big city might seem daunting for the hometown teen, but her mom, Heather Downing, knows Mikaila is pursuing her dream and will thrive. This is her chance to make it big. But that's if she's able to go. Downing, a single mother of five who also watches her oldest daughter's grandson full-time, can't manage the $12,000 tuition without help. Mikaila and her mom are reaching out to the community with the hope people will take an interest in helping make a dream come true. …

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'Soctober Fest': New Pub Crawl to Benefit Ferndale Soccer Programs

The first annual event will start at Treat Dreams at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Ferndale Soccer Boosters is hosting "SOCTOBER FEST - Ferndale Pub Crawl Fundraiser" on Saturday starting at 6 p.m. The pub crawl will go through downtown Ferndale and will feature drink specials, door prizes and food. It is open to anyone ages 21+; tickets are priced at $15. The event will begin at Treat Dreams, where participants will enjoy a special "Pub Crawl Crunch" made with Guinness, cashews and caramel. Other stops include The Emory, Imperial, One-Eyed Betty's, Rosie O'Grady's, Valentine Vodka, and Woodward Avenue Brewers. The Ferndale High School Soccer Boosters is presenting the first annual event to raise money for the Ferndale High School Varsity and Junior Varsity, Girls and Boys Soccer programs. The funds will help provide…

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