- By Dan Veaner
- Around Town
Print 
Lansing revellers were rockin' and rollin' at the 'Party For the Park' Friday to raise money to construct a new playground in Myers Park. The Myers Park Playground Project (MP3) steering committee and the Lansing Community Council hosted the event at the Lake Watch Inn rocked to the music of Reporter. The 'Party for the Park' was the third of a series of events planned to raise money for the playground, with the goal of actually building it between June 9th and 13th. The first event was held on February 11th, so with nearly half the money accounted for organizers appear to be right on track. But as summer comes closer they are stepping up efforts to meet monetary and time goals.
A spaghetti dinner on March 20th raised $1,000 for the playground, and another is planned on April 17th at the Lansing Community Center. On May 15th one of Lansing's famous chicken barbecues will be held in front of the Lansing Town Hall. On April 24th a '3-D Event' will be at the Crossroads Restaurant. This event will start with events for kids from 4pm to 6pm, and the restaurant will donate a portion of dinner sales to the playground. Organizers will also hold a silent auction, and a DJ will provide music. A special MP3 drink will be featured, and a raffle will go until 9:30pm.
The 'Party for the Park' was a dress-up affair with a silent auction the centerpiece of the fundraising effort. Items included fitness, hair and spa sessions, jewelry, Thunder Mountain Speedway and Darien Lake and Greek Peak tickets, automobile oil service, a gift certificate for cake, a wall hanging, a photography package, furniture, an autographed Michael Bolton CD, Hangar Theatre and Sciencecenter passes, a golf bag, and an American Idol T-shirt featuring local singer Aaron Kelly, who is currently a contender among the top ten contestants on the popular television singing competition. In all party-goers bid on 84 items. A live auction was also held for a four-burner stainless steel grill.
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Door prizes included a maple syrup basket, a breakfast, a lake cruise, movie tickets, and a stay at the Hilton Garden Hotel along with wine and jewelry.
The dance featured Reporter, a four-piece rock band that include's Lansing's Superintendent of Schools Steve Grimm on bass and vocals.
The event paid off nicely with tickets, auctions, and raffles raising $10,000 for the project. As of this writing $58,250 has been raised by events and mailings, as well as a kick-off effort by the Lansing Tops Market. That represents 45% of the $130,000 goal.
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