You’re invited to a March 3 fund raiser to support a proposed Tybee Island charter school, which now has an official name, the Tybee Island Maritime Academy.

The focus of the school’s curriculum will be the full scope of the local, from the ecology and biology of the Lowcountry to the jobs that are specific to it (e.g., ports jobs, boat maintenance, shrimping, etc.).

Please like the proposed charter school on Facebook here for the latest updates.

On Monday, February 13, impress your Valentine and help benefit the Savannah Children’s Choir!

The SCC will host a Spaghetti Supper from 4-7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 34th & Abercorn, to raise funds for their upcoming trip to Italy.

Dinner, only $7, includes pasta, choice of meat or vegetarian sauce, bread and salad. Drinks and home-made baked goods are available for additional sale, and you are welcome to take-out or dine in.

For more information, click here or call (912) 228-4758.

You’re invited to participate as a taster or baker in the Battle of the Bakers, 1-3 PM Sat. Feb 4 2012 at the Hoskins Center, 66th Street and Ranger St, on Memorial Health’s campus, Savannah.

The event benefits Ronald McDonald House, 4710 Waters Ave., Savannah Ga 31404

Baked goods – such as pastries, muffins, cakes, cookies, and more – will be judged in four categories: appearance; authenticity; taste; creativity.

No matter who “takes the cake” the real winner will be the Ronald McDonald House, because in addition to competing, contestants reach out to friends and family members to support their fundraising efforts. All proceeds benefit the House’s Share A Night fund.

Buy Tickets online here.

Participate as a Baker or Taster
Taster Tickets:
$65 Baker’s Box – Support RMHC’s Share a Night Campaign – Includes a large pastry box and champagne bar
$25 Taster Ticket – Includes a small pastry box and a glass of champagne
Baker Registration, Free.

Admission for Children
FREE for children 10 years old & younger
$10: children 11 years & older

All of the registration information can be found here Contact Alex Wysocki, alex@rmhccoastalempire.org, 912-350-7641

2012 Ronald McDonald House Charities Battle of the Bakers, The Hoskins Center at Memorial Health, 66th Street and Ranger St, Savannah, 31404

Savannah’s biggest children’s consignment event – High Cotton Kids – is set for February 23-25 2012 at 706 Mall Boulevard, Formerly Seeds of Faith Bookstore!

Come shop consignment at it’s finest. High Cotton Kids  is THE place to save a lot of money, make a lot of money and have a great time doing both! This spring’s upscale resale shopping event will include high end boutique children’s brand clothing sizes 0-12 and many other items. There will also be a variety of new merchandise from several local retailers. Get ready to rack up on all your favorite children’s brands at a fraction of the retail price! There is something for everybody’s taste and budget from adorable smocked frocks to funky threads to even high cotton play clothes your kids will love to throw on all spring and summer.

Do you want to shop early for the best selection? Come to the Shop for a Cause Presale on Thursday, February 23 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM. High Cotton Kids is partnering with The Next Generation at Memorial Health Backus Children’s Hospital to help brighten the day of a child in the hospital.  HCK will be collecting gift cards to be used for birthday celebrations and/or end-of- chemotherapy parties. Please bring your gift cards to Target, Walmart or Toys-R-Us and shop one hour early, before the show opens to the public! Minimum amount of $5 is requested and more is greatly appreciated! Monetary Donations of $5 or more will also be accepted at the door as your entry pass. Join The Next Generation now and receive two Preview Party tickets!

Consignor registration is open now through Sunday, February 19th! Clean out and cash in, all consignors keep 65% of your sales! Bring your gently loved children’s items to our consignment marketplace and let HCK do the selling. High Cotton Kids also accepts high end maternity clothing, children’s furniture, art work, baby and nursery necessities (ie. bouncers, exercausers, etc.), strollers, toys, books, dvds and more. For a complete list of items HCK accepts and do not accept, click here

High Cotton Kids thanks it’s sponsors The Monogram Place & Robyn’s Nest , Pediatric Dentistry  and JPaige. Stay connected and get updates about the event by liking High Cotton Kids on Facebook here

High Cotton Kids Spring & Summer 2012 Show Hours
Thursday, February 23rd
5:00 – 6:00 pm Shop for a Cause Presale  benefiting The Next Generation. Check the details to shop early!
6:00 – 8:00 pm Open to the Public
*Military and Expecting/First Time Moms with Children under 12months of age may register for early entry during the presale by emailing HCK at info@highcottonkids.com .

Friday, February 24th 9:00 am – 3:00pm
Saturday, February 25th 9:00 am – 1:00pm (Select items will be 40% OFF)

High Cotton Kids, 706 Mall Boulevard (formerly Seeds of Faith Christian Bookstore), www.highcottonkids.com , email info@highcottonkids.com High Cotton Kids is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

An exciting Savannah Celtic soccer program for children with disabilities – including autism/aspergers – starts next week Jan. 10 2012.

TOPSoccer is an indoor soccer program that helps young players with disabilities develop, compete & achieve success according to their individual abilities.

TOPSoccer will be 7-8 PM Tuesday nights, indoors. The Winter 2012 Season will run Jan. 10-Feb. 14. Registration fee for U8 through U14 TOPSoccer is $85.

The goal of TOPSoccer – started by US Youth Soccer – is to take children from the sidelines to participating in the game!

Check the Savannah Celtic website here for more information.

If you have any questions, please email Savannah Celtic at celtic@savannahceltics.com. Savannah Celtic is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

You’re invited to the Magic Passion Love Art Show & Party @ Caraway Cafe (202 E Broughton @ Abercorn) 6-8 PM Thurs. Nov. 10

Art Contest Winners Announced at 7:30 PM!
MPL Art Raffle for Heads Up Guidance Savannah (H.U.G.S) $5

Tasty Treats provided by Caraway Cafe, Low Country Gourmet Foods & The Tea & Spice Exchange
Entertainment by Singer Jill Chang
Special Guest Artists: Isak Dove, Anna Singletary, Kim Swann & Eric Wooddell
MPL Manifesting Mobile – add to the growing art project before the Tour leaves in Jan to continue with the MPL Art Tour!!

More info here:

Attention non-profits that focus on women’s & children’s advocacy: The Junior League of Savannah is now taking applications for Done in a Day, Community Projects and Community Assistance Funds.

Done in a Day includes six to eight projects that the Junior League of Savannah undertakes each year in which Junior League volunteers assist local organizations or social service agencies through hands-on volunteer work and funding of up to $1500.00 per project. Typical projects include assistance with painting, gardening, special events or physical improvements. The projects are generally scheduled over a time span of a one-day period on a Saturday or Sunday.

Community Projects are organizations that partner with the Junior League of Savannah and receive funding and volunteers.

Community Assistance Funds are awarded once a year in the spring and represent an additional financial commitment to the community. Partnerships and funding are available to all local 501(c)3 organizations that are within the program focus area of Women and Children’s Advocacy.

Currently, the Junior League of Savannah focuses its efforts on women and children’s advocacy. The Junior League of Savannah believes that women and children deserve to be empowered through quality opportunities in order to thrive and to be contributing members of our community. These opportunities should develop the whole person socially, emotionally, physically, as well as academically.

To apply, visit the Junior League of Savannah’s website at www.jrleaguesav.org  or call 912-790-1002. The application deadline is December 1, 2011.

The 2nd Annual ‘Kid’s Kickin’ for Cancer’ charity games will be Tues. Nov. 1 at the Jennifer Ross Soccer Complex Field 4 on Sallie Mood Drive in Savannah. Proceeds from the event benefit the Mary Telfair Women’s Hospital Mammography Fund.

Game times are:
5:30pm – U16G SCFC Cobras V U15G YDP
7pm – SCFC Coaches (old crocks) V SCFC Mutiny (young bucks)

Please come out to watch, support and donate for the cause! All proceeds go to the Mary Telfair Institute. For more info, call Savannah Celtic at (912) 495-9996

We often get questions about the status of building a Savannah Children’s Museum. Work is under way on such a museum near the Georgia State Railroad Museum in downtown Savannah and organized by the Coastal Heritage Society. Here’s a snippet from the Coastal Heritage Society Web site:

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

The Coastal Heritage Society is working towards creating Savannah’s first, and only children’s museum! This project is specifically targeted to educate children ages 0-10 in a non-school environment, to address the need for young children to learn about their community, and to support families and educators in developing fundamental skills.

What Will the Savannah Children’s Museum Be?

Building Size
SCM will have 38,000 sq. feet of interior space and a 15,000 square foot courtyard with 20,000 sq. feet of exhibits, located on a National Historic Landmark site.
Learning Standards
SCM is dedicated to the education of young children, covering 9 educational goals that incorporate a variety of learning strategies and Georgia Learning Standards.
Audience
SCM will serve 84,379 children, ages 0-10 locally within an hour’s drive and an undetermined tourism audience. We anticipate 50,000 – 75,000 visitors per year.
Use
SCM will be a resource serving parents, children, teachers, childcare centers, elementary schools and tourists seven days a week.
Perfect Location
SCM is located in a tourism based, educational, and recreational complex of 25 acres, which will contain 5 public venues and provide a locomotive-powered rail shuttle. All of these attractions can occupy a family for many, many hours of enjoyment.

How you can help

For further information on the Savannah Children’s Museum, or for volunteer opportunities with this project, contact Samantha Pogorelsky, Campaign Director at 912.651.2438 or spogorelsky@chsgeorgia.org .

Savannah Baby Co. has launched “Savannah’s Angels”. Give $5 directly to CURE Childhood Cancer and put your child’s photo up in their store! This week, Savannah Baby Co. will match your $5 donation.

Savannah’s Angels support CURE Childhood Cancer and is a way to show off your little angel in the Savannah Baby Co. store and help raise money for CURE Childhood Cancer at the same time. All money will go directly to CURE Childhood Cancer. The first 20 Contributors to Savannah’s Angels, starting tomorrow 10/26/11, will receive a FREE Skip * Hop Zoobie Lunch Box.

Help Savannah Baby Co. support CURE Childhood Cancer and come in to put your Child’s photo on their store wall! Also, come read “Sean’s Voice” and learn more about how you can be involved in CURE Childhood Cancer.

Savannah Baby Company, 5301 Paulsen in the Medical Arts neighborhood, Monday-Friday, 10-6. Saturday 10-4. 912-480-0212, www.savannahbabyco.com,  Savannah Baby Company is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

Jacob G. Smith Elementary and TailsSpin Pet Supply Store are joining forces to hold the Second Annual Savannah PAWrade featuring pet costume parade and contest, on Lamara Street, adjacent to Habersham Village,11 AM-3 PM Sat. Oct. 29.

Events – which are open to the public – include Pet Costume parade and contest, Celebrity Judges, Music and Food, Children’s Carnival, Local Artists, Dog Wash, Pet Nail Trimming and TailsSpin’s signature Low-Cost Pet Microchipping and Vaccine Clinic.

The Savannah PAWrade and costume contest will boast a line of exciting prizes for first, second and third placed winners, from Blue Buffalo, Dublin Georgia’s Hitek Rations, and Natural Balance Pet Food Manufacturers, engraved Pet ID Tag and Gift Certificates from TailsSpin Pet Supply Store.

Fourteen of the Greater Savannah Pet Rescue Agencies are scheduled to participate. Savannah Kennel Club will join the festivities with Doggy Derby; Jamison Murphy, Savannah teenage folk singer sensation will be performing, and the Jacob G. Smith’s PTA will host many kid activities throughout the day.

For every pet adoption, TailsSpin Pet Supplies will assist new pet owners by giving them a free small bag of dog food, an engraved ID tag, and 10% off their purchase that day.

100% of the money raised from the event will be divided among Jacob G. Smith Elementary and the participating pet rescue agencies.

FOR MORE FUN KID-FRIENDLY LOCAL ACTIVITIES, VISIT THE SOUTHERNMAMAS.COM EVENT CALENDAR BY CLICKING HERE.

Come support local runners who are training for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Marathon & ½ Marathon – set for November 5, 2011.

Check out their GARAGE SALE October 1st (Sat) 8 A.M. – noon at 6600 Abercorn St (Landmark Building Parking Lot) GREAT prices and AMAZING finds!

Have some items you want to donate? Email Victoria at vtenbroeck@gmail.com

The sale is to raise money for American Cancer Society. All Team DetermiNation runners running either the half or full Rock & Roll Savannah Marathon each has to raise $1,500.00 minimum.

Come support local runners who are training for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Marathon & ½ Marathon – set for November 5, 2011.

Check out their GARAGE SALE October 1st (Sat) 8 A.M. – noon at 6600 Abercorn St (Landmark Building Parking Lot)

GREAT prices and AMAZING finds!

Have some items you want to donate? Email Victoria at vtenbroeck@gmail.com

The sale is to raise money for American Cancer Society. All Team DetermiNation runners running either the half or full Rock & Roll Savannah Marathon each has to raise $1,500.00 minimum.

Simply Children’s Dentistry supports the Annual Buddy Walk Festival in Forsyth Park

Simply Children’s Dentistry in Savannah is asking families to come join them in the 6th annual Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk Festival.

This kid-friendly event will be hosted at Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia, on Saturday, October 1, 2011. Rides, food, games, and music for the whole family. Registration begins at 8:30 AM. The cost of registration is $12 per person. The walk starts at 10:30 AM. The festival  in the park lasts until 2 PM.

The Buddy Walk was developed by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to bring together a wide range of concerned individuals to reach out to friends, family, and co-workers to promote awareness and inclusion for people with Down Syndrome and to raise funds for education, research, and advocacy programs.

Dr. Kamiti Harden believes in all children and because she is an advocate for children, Simply Children’s Dentistry will be attending and participating in this annual walk. You and your families are invited to participate.

Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society
6th Annual Buddy Walk in Forsyth Park
Sat. Oct. 1, 2011
8 AM for registrations
Festival in Forsyth Park 11 AM- 2 PM

Simply Children’s Dentistry, 613 Stephenson Ave Suite 201, Savannah, GA 31405, 912-353-9993 www.simplychildrens.com. Simply Children’s Dentistry is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

To find more fall festivals in the Savannah-Chatham County & Lowcountry area, visit the SouthernMamas.com 2011 Fall Fun Page here (Corn Mazes/Pumpkin Patches/Fall Festivals)

We know many of you have children who aren’t old enough yet for elementary school. But you probably already have your school of choice picked out.

Chances are you want to do what you can to help that school even before your little ones are enrolled. You can help by eating out. Many public schools partner with local restaurants which offer school nights and donate a portion of the proceeds from that night to the school.

We’d love to tell our readers about the various school nights at local restaurants. Email your school’s restaurant and school night to anne@southernmamas.com.

Meanwhile, you can support Charles Ellis Montessori Academy in Savannah by eating at Barberito’s  Southwestern Grille at 4525 Habersham Street (in Habersham Village) on the first Tuesday of every month. Barberito’s will donate 20% of ALL the sales from the evening – from 5 pm until close- to Ellis.

Barberito’s Eat out For Ellis Nights – 5 pm Until Close at 10 PM.
Sept 6; Oct 4; Nov 1; Dec 6; Jan 10 (exception to the 1st Tuesday rule); Feb 7; March 6; April 3; May 1; June 5

Chatham Orthopaedic Associates is pleased to announce that the Dancing Docs are back with their sponsorship of the 4th Annual Ballroom Extravaganza.

Proceeds benefit HUGS, which provides counseling and vocational training for disadvantaged youth & adults in the Savannah community. Dancing for HUGS this year will be Dr. Sandra Bohnstengel & Alonzo Boschulte. Local physicians & medical professionals will compete to raise money for their favorite good cause. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase votes for their favorite couple’s routine. Links to all participating charities can be found at www.southmagazine.com .

Funds earned for HUGS from this event will go directly to providing counseling and vocational training for disadvantaged youth and adults in the Savannah community.

The formal event will include dinner, live entertainment from the Rogues, a silent auction & the popular “Dancing with the Doc’s” competition. 60% of every ticket purchased will go directly to the charity chosen by the purchaser. Guests will walk the Red Carpet into the ballroom. Prizes will be awarded for Best Dressed Male and Best Dressed Female.

Sat Sept. 17, 2011 6-11 PM at The Savannah Marriott, 100 General McIntosh Blvd.

$100 per person. Tables of 10 are available for $1,000. Must be 21 to attend. Your generous support is Tax Deductible.

Several Sponsorship levels are available. Contact Jeri Gale at 912-657-57540 or Garlana Mathews at 667-0441 about sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets. Major Sponsors are: WJCL abc; South Magazine; Costner Law Group; Chatham Orthopaedic Associates, P.A

You want to do your part to help improve our local schools. But you don’t always have the childcare or time to take away from your own kids to do so. In2Books is a way to do volunteer outreach from your own home.

In2Books is an innovative eMentoring program that connects caring adults with students grades 3-5 to enhance their reading, thinking and writing skills by reading books and exchanging online letters about the books.

Savannah is the largest implementation of In2Books nationwide.

The program pairs volunteer pen pals with Savannah-Chatham public elementary school students. Over the course of the school year, the students and their pen pals read five books together, exchanging six letters (emails). The letters reinforce writing skills and foster a conversation that facilitates a greater understanding of each book.

In2Books is looking for approximately 260 more pen pals for the 2011-2012 school year in the Savannah-Chatham County public school system.

To sign up to be a pen pal, go to www.in2books.com. Select and/or write in Savannah for geography.

The Leukemia Cup “Run for Jane,” is a 5K Run/Walk & Kids Run held in conjunction with the 2011 St. Joseph’s/Candler Leukemia Cup Regatta Weekend of Events. It is named in honor of Dr Jane Philbrick, a well-known Savannah educator & community supporter.

Opportunities to receive a $100 Fleet Feet Gift Card and more great prizes are available to those participants who choose to individually fundraise for the “Run for Jane”. The Leukemia Cup is a community coming together through a series of sporting events to help fight leukemia, lymphoma & other blood cancers & includes; a 5K Run/Walk, golf, junior fishing, in-shore fishing, tennis, sailing and the Spirit of the Sea black-tie dinner & auction. The sporting events benefit the mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

“Run for Jane” will be at the historic Fort Pulaski, on a beautiful trail run in and out of the woods around the Fort and by the river. It will include the National Anthem & cannons firing by the soldiers in their historic regalia.

“Run for Jane” is Labor Day Weekend, Sat. Sept. 3, 2011. The Packet pick up will be available at Fleet Feet Friday September 2, 2011. Registration will be available online at www.active.com . Dates for the 2011 Leukemia Cup Regatta Weekend of Events are September 19, 23-25.

The St. Joseph’s/Candler Leukemia Cup Regatta will benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. Money raised at the event will go towards critical research to increase the survival rates of the 912,938 Americans who are now living with leukemia, Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma or myeloma.

Registration is available online at www.active.com  for the 5k Event.

For more information please visit www.leukemiacup.org/ga

The public is invited to help grieving families who suffer the loss of an infant by attending the second annual summer fund raiser for The Zoe Foundation.

The family-friendly benefit will be at Lovin Spoons Froyo (Savannah Location) 10 AM-2 PM July 1, 2011. Live music, clown, yogurt and more. A portion of the proceeds from all yogurt sold between those hours will be donated to The Zoe Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, to continue offering financial and emotional support to families who have endured the loss of a baby due to miscarriage, stillbirth, chromosomal disorders, SIDS, accidents or other causes.

(UPDATE: The .5 millage rate increase and no modification days proposal passed 5-4 at the Tues. June 7 board meeting.)

A big thank you to local public education advocate and mom Michelle Solomon for the following guest post:

The Savannah-Chatham Board of Education is meeting on Tues. June 7 to consider the school budget and there are a lot of cuts on the table: furloughing teachers, closing schools, or eliminating band and athletic programs. They are also considering a proposal to avoid the cuts by raising property taxes a small amount – about $70/family depending on your property value, which is less than what most people are getting back because of the devaluations. It’s a small amount to pay for so much.

It would help tons if everyone who cares about the schools would send an email ASAP to the members of the Savannah-Chatham Public School Board saying:
– you support the .5 mil property tax increase that Savannah-Chatham Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Lockamy asked for:
– where you live
– your profession
– where your kids go to school
– your own thoughts on the proposed cuts (optional)

Even if your kids are in private school, or you don’t have any kids in school, it would help to send something – actually, it would probably help even more.

Here are the Board emails, plus an email set up to get copies of the letters that someone will hopefully bring to the Board meeting – you can just cut and paste this list: joe.buck@sccpss.com ; julie.wade@sccpss.com ; floyd.adams@sccpss.com ; alexander.luten@sccpss.com ; irene.hines@sccpss.com ; gregory.sapp@sccpss.com ; lori.brady@sccpss.com ; julie.gerbsch@sccpss.com ; ruby.jones@sccpss.com ; forsavannahschools@gmail.com

And even better than all that, if you can go to the Board meeting and speak in support of the schools, that would make a big difference. The meeting is 6pm Tuesday at Whitney Administrative Complex, 2 Laura St.

For background info on this issue:

Savannah Morning News on the tax proposal
Savannah Morning News on the proposed cuts
Savannah Morning News on property tax devaluations

Not long after Liam was born, his mother Janet Steffen knew there was something she could do – a way to use her vascular nursing background. It just took her a while to figure it out.

Liam was born with a cystic hygroma, a malformation in his tongue and floor of his mouth that required him to be trached shortly after birth. The Savannah baby will also have to undergo as many as a dozen surgeries, the first of which he had a few months ago.

After countless hours of research and talking to some of the lead facilities that deal with lymphatic malformations, Janet realized that there was no national database to serve as a repository that could stand alone or be used by researchers.

A few months ago, Janet Steffen founded a nonprofit called Liam’s Land that will support the national database and further clinical trial/research. Liam’s Land has gained support from some of the top hospitals/doctors that deal with lymphatic malformations. And Liam’s surgeon, Dr. Gary Josephson of Nemours Children’s Hospital, is spearheading the database project with Janet.

The website for Liam’s Land would not have been possible without people donating their talents to the site. Kudos to Clark Creative Design for the logo, Southpoint Media for the web design, and John Zeuli for the photography. Now it is time to get to work and raise awareness. So please check out www.liamsland.org

Is your child struggling with making friends? Social Skills for Individuals and Groups are available at The Mindspring Center in Pooler. Now forming groups for summer and fall sessions.

Social Skills Therapy teaches skills that will promote positive interactions with others, decrease anxiety, and increase self-esteem.

Summer and Fall Group Registration
Ages: Preschool – Adult

Summer Groups:
Preschool and upper elementary & middle school
Dates: Tues. May 31 – Tues. July 14
Day: Every Tuesday and Thursday (7 weeks = 14 sessions)
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 (preschool) and 5:45 – 6:45 pm (elementary/middle)

Fall Groups:
Preschool, early elementary, older elementary, middle school, high school, and adult.
Dates: Begin week of Aug. 13
Day: Depends on group – Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday
(14 weeks = 14 sessions)
Time: Pending

How to Join?

Contact The Mindspring Center to schedule your child’s assessment: call 912-748-6463 or email jennifer@mindspringcenter.com .
Insurance reimbursement may be available. The office can check your benefits.
 

Save 50%

Schedule your child’s assessment on or before June 9 and recieve 50% off of the cost of an assessment. Regular rate: $70. An individualized assessment is required for participation in any social skills group therapy. Offer Expires: June 9, 2011

The MindSpring Center, 1147 West Highway 80, Pooler, GA, 31322, www.facebook.com/themindspringcenter The Mindspring Center is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.