Thursday, February 28, 2008

March 15 - 5th Annual Spring Sports Fest Celebration & Fundraiser

5th Annual Spring Sports Fest Celebration & Fundraiser

Join the Decatur Bulldog Athletic Booster Club for the 5th Annual Spring Sports Fest Celebration and Fundraiser

This year the DBABC presents a St. Paddy's Day (and a bit of Mardi Gras, too) SportsFest on Saturday, March 15th, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Come out to celebrate and support Decatur sports - this event supports ALL sports at Renfroe Middle School and Decatur High School. There will be a great silent auction, wonderful food and drinks, and amazing music featuring the powerful blues of the Non-Essentials! Adults Only.

At the Church of the Epiphany, 2089 Ponce de Leon Avenue (intersection of East Lake Drive and Ponce de Leon Avenue). $20 per person in advance, $25 at the door.

To purchase your tickets in advance, send your check, made payable to DBABC, to 181 Coventry Road, Decatur, GA 30030. Any questions or if you want to volunteer to help or donate, please call or write Marc Wisniewski at 404-377-5864 or
marc.wisniewski@us.ibm.com.

March 15 - 2008 TOUR deCATUR

6th annual TOUR deCATUR 5K Road Race & Fun Run
Saturday, March 15, 2008.

The race starts at 8:45 in front of Renfroe Middle School and winds through the lovely neighborhoods of south Decatur. In addition to the 1 mile Fun Run/Walk and the 5K Run, a "Tot Trot" will be held for ages 0-4 (strollers are welcome!).

Bring the whole family and come join us for a fun morning as we "pound the pavement for kids." Entry fees are $18 for adults and $12 for children under 18 if paid by March 10, 2008. Race day entry fee is $25.

All proceeds from the race support the Decatur Education Foundation. Race entry forms can be downloaded from the Foundation Web site at
www.decatureducationfoundation.org or www.georgiarunner.com.

On-line registration is available at
www.active.com.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

May 3 - Decatur Storytelling Festival!

First Annual DECATUR STORYTELLING FESTIVAL
Saturday, May 3, 2008 ● Decatur Cemetery ● 10am – 4pm

Ticket Prices: $5.00 per person, Under 3 FREE

Parking: Decatur First United Methodist Church

Weather: Rain or shine

Proposed Ticket Sales Locations: Little Shop of Stories ● Hoopla ● Decatur Recreation Center

Activities: Face Painter, Balloon Sculptor, Photos with Storybook Characters, Craft Making, Hand Stamps (Free) by wandering storybook characters

Purpose of the Event: To provide a family centered event focused on storytelling by featured professional and local storytellers; to introduce families to the beauty and history of the Decatur Cemetery; to provide funds for two Decatur charities.

History: In 2004, the Friends hosted a “Stories by Starlight” event. In 2007 the Decatur Recreation Department and the Friends agreed to partner to offer a family friendly event to be held during the day to benefit projects at the cemetery and to provide funds for youth scholarships.

Proceeds Benefit:
-The Decatur Youth Fund: A scholarship fund that provides financial assistance for after-school care, recreation and enrichment activities to Decatur children whose families demonstrate a need.
-Friends of Decatur Cemetery Committee of the Decatur Preservation Alliance: Its mission is the preservation, restoration, stabilization and interpretation of this treasured community resource.

2008 Storytellers to Date:
Tersi Bendiburg - Latin Stories
Kathy Bennett - Queen Glitter
Chetter Galloway - Jammin with the Jembe and Juba
Eric Litwin/James Dean - Pete the Cat
Holly Stevenson - Franny Fable Tells a Tale

Festival Committee: Mary Miller and Greg White ● City of Decatur ● David Crenshaw, Victor Donham, Cathy Vogel ● Friends of Decatur Cemetery ● Diane Capriola ● Little Shop of Stories ● Patricia Dollisch ● Decatur Library ● Lain Shakespeare ● Wrens Nest

First Annual DECATUR STORYTELLING FESTIVAL Sponsorship Opportunities

Main Stage Sponsor: $1500
Benefit: Free booth/table at event, Name on all print material and webpage as Festival Main Stage Sponsor with logo, Name on main stage

Festival Print Sponsor:
Providing Color Posters, Tickets, Photo Frames (black and white on card stock for coloring, Bookmarks: (black and white on card stock for coloring), Programs
Benefit: Free booth/table at event, Name on all print material and City webpage as Festival Sponsor with logo, Name on main stage

Festival Photo Sponsor: Provide Polaroid film or $625
Benefit: Free booth/table at event, Name on all print material and City webpage as Festival Sponsor with logo, Name at picture taking venue, Name on photo frame

Featured Storyteller/Entertainer Sponsors:
Cost: $300
Benefit: Free booth/table at event, Name on all print material and webpage as Storyteller Sponsor, Name on stage during performances with logo

Friend of the Festival: $50 donation
Benefit: Name on festival program

Booth Rental: $50
Activity, service or product sold must be harmonious with the purpose of the Festival. The Festival Committee reserves the right to accept or deny requests for booth rentals.)

Volunteer: Help us set up, be a gatekeeper, help with an activity, or clean up.

For more information, please contact Mary Miller, Decatur Children & Youth Services, P.O. Box 220, Decatur GA, 30031, (404) 378-1082 or Greg White, (678) 553-6543, Decatur Active Living.

Welcome!

Welcome to "231 Sycamore St.", the new blog for the City of Decatur's Active Living Division. 231 Sycamore St. is the address for the Decatur Recreation Center, which turned 50 years old this year! All of our staff members will be posting news, notes and topics for discussion on this blog. The Decatur Rec. Center phone number is 404-377-0494, and the Glenlake Tennis Center phone number is 404-377-7231.

The Active Living Division, formerly the Recreation Division aka "Decatur Rec", falls under the city's Community & Economic Development Department. All of the traditonal parks & recreation programming, such as
youth baseball, adult softball and seniors fitness classes will continue, of course. But we will also be emphasizing "active living" concepts, such as bicycle usage & safety, and other forms of physical activity, such as walking, running, Safe Routes to School, even gardening, etc.

The
Health Impact Assessment from the city's Community Transportation Plan is the guiding resource to developing the Active Living Division. Here is an excerpt from the Health Impact Assessment on Active Living principles:

The following principles have been developed by
Active Living by Design, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation administered by the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, to promote and increase physical activity through interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Physical activity is a behavior that can favorably improve health and quality of life.
- Everyone, regardless of age, gender, language, ethnicity, economic status or ability, should have safe, convenient and affordable choices for physical activity.
- Places should be designed to provide a variety of opportunities for physical activity and should accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
- Development patterns should encourage mixed uses, compact design, and a variety of transportation choices.
- Buildings should be designed and oriented to promote opportunities for active living, especially active transportation.
- Transportation systems, including transit, should provide safe, convenient and affordable access to housing, worksites, schools and community services.
- Parks and green space, including trails, should be safe, accessible and part of a transportation network that connects destinations of interest, such as housing, worksites, schools, community services and other places with high population density.
- Municipalities and other governing bodies should plan for ongoing interdisciplinary
collaboration, promotion of facilities, behavioral supports, policies that institutionalize the vision of active living, and routine maintenance that ensures continued safety, quality and attractiveness of the physical infrastructure.
- Community governing and planning processes should address the multiple impacts of the built environment and transportation choices on residents' ability to be physically active.


But we also want to hear from you! Please leave a post with your comments, thoughts, complaints, ideas, etc. on "Active Living" here in the City of Decatur, Georgia, USA.
Thanks,
Dan Magee
Director, City of Decatur Active Living