Metro

AROUND TOWN

Party All Together

Hundreds join forces to support children with special needs.

Heather and Mike Beals with Liz Stanley, all of Farmington Hills

I

t was only the first week of March, but there was plenty of summer daydreaming going
on as hundreds of people gathered for two separate events to support Camp Kids All
Together. The inclusive annual summer program at the Jewish Community Center in
West Bloomfield gives children with special needs the opportunity to attend camp with
everyone else. About 50 children participate in each of two four-week sessions. The pro-
gram, now in its fifth year, is already full for this summer.
"It's one of the only camps in the area that mainstreams
children with special needs into the camp:' said Lea Narens of
Bloomfield Hills, who chaired one of the fundraising events.
"The kids are just like all the other kids; they just have a spe-
cial helper and the campers look at that as something cool and
neat
About 125 people gathered March 4 at Via Nove in Ferndale
for an evening of cocktails, dinner and dancing called "Party
All Together for Kids All Together" (PAT4KAT). A few days later,
another crowd of more than 400 flocked to the West Bloomfield
JCC March 7 for a day of family fun. There was a huge carnival
with games, a rock-climbing wall, sports, slot car racing, arts and

Michael and Jaime Ben of West

Stacy Van Patten of Novi and Erin

Kersanty of Birmingham

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March 18 • 2010

Jay Cardew, Jim Klunk and Allen Quail, all of Huntington Woods

crafts, pizza and more.
The children even had their own fundraising committee headed by Madison Narens,
9, and her sister, McKenzie, 6. They sent e-mail messages to their friends asking them
to collect spare change. They raised about $800 and the two events together brought
in more than $110,000, enough to fund this summer's camp session and other special
needs programming.
"We had a really strong fundraising team and we were able to secure most of our return-
ing sponsorships and add a few new ones',' said Narens. "Our families also gave a little extra
this year. There's just such a need for this. We're very thankful for the community's support."
Spotted in the crowd were: PAT4KAT co-chairs Margot Narens of West Bloomfield,
Stacey Block of Birmingham and Sue Klunk of Huntington Woods; Forest Levy and
Jeremy Wolfe, both of Royal Oak; Marty Katz of Oak Park; Scott Kaufman, Todd
Sachse, Ellyn and Jon Davidson, all of Huntington Woods; and Barbara and Douglas
Bloom, and Lisa and Mark Menuck and family, all of Birmingham.

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For more information about the JCC's programs, including special needs
programming, go to www.jccdet.org .

Tal Seigman with his wife, Lisa Soble
Seigman, of Oak Park

Lyle Wolberg and Scott Kaufman, both

of Huntington Woods