Troy Times | Published December 8, 2023
Troy High class raises money for nonprofit
TROY — The Troy High personal communications class recently held its annual dodgeball tournament for charity supporting Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard’s Police Athletic League program, which builds positive relationships through recreation, mentoring and sports.
Competition was fierce, with the senior team declaring victory, and the event raised $14,500 for the kids at PAL.
“Sports helps with competition, etiquette, confidence, teamwork, and gives them an opportunity to come here and just be kids and play,” Bouchard said in a press release. “The volunteers at PAL deeply believe that opportunities for relationship-building and high-quality sports should be available to everyone. No fine print, no asterisk, no exceptions; that’s what they stand by, and that’s why Troy High School’s Personal Communications class chose them this year as the recipient.”
PAL’s goals are to provide more opportunities for young women in sports, to double the number of children served, to develop young athletes so they develop a lifelong love of being active, and to be sure every child has access to a caring coach, and the chance to belong.
Michigan organ donations break yearly record
TROY — Gift of Life Michigan announced Nov. 20 that it broke its record for lifesaving organ donations in a single year after the 500th organ was donated through Gift of Life.
Donors in 2023 have so far resulted in more than 1,200 organs transplanted, saving the lives of hundreds of critically ill patients in Michigan and beyond. Gift of Life Michigan helped a record 463 organ donors and their families give their final gifts in 2022. In 2021, the number stood at 429.
“Michigan’s latest milestone is incredibly meaningful. I’m in awe of those 500 donors and their families who decided that helping others was important to them,” Dorrie Dils, the president and CEO of Gift of Life, said in a press release. “They have given their recipients the best gift — new life. As we approach Thanksgiving, we know how grateful they must be.”
Gift of Life is the country’s 11th-largest federally designated organ procurement organization.
Those saved by a donated organ included Sherry Johnson, of Farmington, who received a heart and kidney transplant at Michigan Medicine in late October. She went home this month after 96 days waiting for and recovering from her double transplant from a single donor.
“I am home,” she said. “I am healthy and happy, and there won’t be an empty seat at my family’s Thanksgiving dinner table this week,” she said in a press release. “I’m thinking about and thanking my donor, my unknown hero. How does one honor someone who would do that for me? Together, we will do great things.”
More than 4.5 million adults in this state have joined the Michigan Organ Donor Registry and have a red heart on their driver’s license or state ID, indicating their decision to donate organs and tissue.
To register as an organ donor, visit a Secretary of State branch office or go to golm.org/register.
Pontiac opens new skatepark
PONTIAC — Skateboarders and other extreme sports fans are invited to try out Pontiac’s new skatepark.
The new skatepark is located in Oakland Park, 500 E. Montcalm St. A grand opening ceremony is expected to take place in May 2024. The new facility was born of a collaboration between the city of Pontiac, the Pontiac Skatepark Project, local activists and skate enthusiasts, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, the Oakland County Commission, and The Skatepark Project — formerly known as the Tony Hawk Foundation.
Through this collaborative funding partnership, $568,000 was established in support of this project. Pontiac’s newly constructed skatepark is an estimated 10,000 square feet and features several ramps of various sizes, handrails, flat rails, ledges and other amenities to accommodate skaters of all skill levels.
Skatepark hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 16-March 14, 2024; and 7 a.m.-8 p.m. March 15, 2024, to Nov. 14, 2024.
No motorized or electric vehicles are allowed on the skatepark, skaters must wear protective equipment, and there is no skating during inclement weather such as snow, rain or fog.
Macomb sheriff to offer boat safety classes
MOUNT CLEMENS — The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office is offering a free boat safety course for those wishing to hit the water next spring.
The two-day class begins at 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 11, and Tuesday, Dec. 12. Classes are located at the Macomb County Sheriff’s main office at 43565 Elizabeth Road in Mount Clemens. Attendees must attend both sessions and pass a final test with a score of 75% or higher to receive a boater safety card.
Organizers said the main purpose of the boater safety education course is to ensure attendees become knowledgeable, safe and responsible boaters. Topics covered include general boating and water safety, navigational rules, causes and prevention of crashes, operation and fueling techniques, environmental concerns, and reporting responsibility.
Any motorized boat operator born after June 30, 1996, is required by law to pass an approved boater safety course and to carry a boater safety certificate. Michigan’s boater education course is taught by a dedicated core of certified volunteer instructors, sheriff’s deputies and Michigan conservation officers.
The class will take place in person in a traditional classroom setting. The Sheriff’s Office will supply pens, pencils, highlighters and course books. There is no minimum age requirement; however, students under 10 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, a legal guardian or another adult approved by their parent or legal guardian.
To register, go to michigan.storefront.kalkomey.com/em/events/5827.