Thursday, April 25, 2013
Jamie Jackson of Brookline, a volunteer soccer coach and Christianpalooza organizer, is one of 12 winners of the Jefferson Award for Public Service from Highmark, Inc.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Erin Faulk
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Thursday, April 25
Jamie Jackson is amazing, according to her friend and fellow volunteer Maria Vondas. Vondas said she was excited—but not surprised—to hear that Jackson is one of 12 recipients of the Jefferson Award for Public Service, presented by Highmark, Inc. to employees who show exceptional volunteerism. "If you ever need anything, she's your go-to person," Vondas said. Jackson is a volunteer coach with Brookline Youth Soccer Association, who also is involved with Boy Scouts of America, as well as a number of church and school groups. She was the first soccer coach Vondas's oldest son Christian ever had, and months before Christian died of an illness at age 9, Jackson organized the first Christianpalooza event to honor him. "She managed to get a …
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Here's the Week in Review, April 1 to April 5.
Busy week? No downtime? Missed the news? Don't sweat it. Here's a list of this week's top stories from Dormont-Brookline Patch, so you can catch up on the goods. This week on Dormont-Brookline Patch: KO Grad Takes Over Former ‘Charm’ Salon Vondas Wins $1,125 for Christianpalooza, Make-a-Wish Foundation Shovlin Dancers Place Ninth at World Championship Award-Winning 'Beach Treats' Store Comes to Brookline Boulevard Drugs, $13K in Cash Found During Beechview Traffic Stop Got your own news to share? Add your organization's events to our Event Calendar. Share your wedding, baby or graduation news in our Announcements section and, while you're at it, upload your photos to our Neighborhood Gallery. We'd love to hear from you! Follow Dormont-…
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Maria Vondas didn't win the title of Citizen of the Year, but she still walked away with a sizable donation for Christianpalooza, a charity she created to support the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Maria Vondas might not have won Direct Energy’s Citizen of the Year Award, but she still walked away from the award ceremony with a sizable donation for the Make-a-Wish Foundation in the name of Christianpalooza. The Brookline native was a finalist for the Citizen of the Year Award for her work with Christianpalooza, an annual festival she created in memory of her son, Christian, to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Although she did not win the top award, Vondas still earned $1,125 for being a finalist. She said the money will be donated directly to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, under the Christianpalooza name. "I didn't win, but I met some remarkable people," Vondas said in an email to Dormont-Brookline Patch. "I'm so excited." …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Maria Vondas, of Brookline, is a finalist for Direct Energy’s Citizen of the Year award for her work with Christianpalooza, which honors her son.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Erin Faulk
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Wednesday, March 13
A Brookline woman’s efforts to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation are being recognized in a big way. Maria Vondas is a finalist for Direct Energy’s Citizen of the Year Award. Her friends nominated her because of her work with Christianpalooza, an annual festival she created in memory of her son, Christian, to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Vondas said she didn’t know anything about the nomination until she got a call from the organization notifying her she is one of five finalists. “I was in shock. I had no idea,” she said. “I was just amazed that my friends were so kind to nominate me, and even more surprised that I was one of the five finalists.” She won’t know if she won until March 30, the night of a recognition …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
An event held each year in memory of a local boy will fund three Make-A-Wish trips.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Erin Faulk
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Thursday, January 3
Maria Vondas and her family have a goal each year they hold Christianpalooza in Brookline: raise enough money to fund Make-A-Wish Foundation dreams for two children. This year, they raised $11,746—almost $4,000 more than the goal they set for this year, and enough to fund Make-A-Wish dreams for three children. Christianpalooza started as a way for the Brookline family to celebrate and honor their oldest son, Christian Connelly, who died in 2011 at age 9. The third annual event was held at Resurrection Church in Brookline in November, and the family presented the funds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation just before Christmas. Each Make-A-Wish dream, on average, costs $3,900. To read more about Christianpalooza and the family's work with the Make…
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Miss something? No sweat. Here's the Week in Review, Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.
Busy week? No downtime? Missed the news? Don't sweat it. Here's a list of this week's top stories from Dormont-Brookline Patch, so you can catch up on the goods. Got your own news to share? Add your organization's events to our Event Calendar. Share your wedding, baby or graduation news in our Announcements section and, while you're at it, upload your photos to our Pics & Clips Gallery. We'd love to hear from you! This week on Dormont-Brookline Patch: The Patch week started with complete coverage of Hurricane Sandy. To read articles about the hurricane, see the Hurricane Sandy Topic Page on Dormont-Brookline Patch. Brookline Pub Re-opens Two Arrested in Beechview Drug Bust Beechview Man Arrested for Exposing Himself Gallon-Size Bag of …
Friday, November 2, 2012
Dormont-Brookline Patch readers added some weekend events to the event calendar. See what they added.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Erin Faulk
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Friday, November 2, 2012
What are you doing this weekend? Church outing? Festival? Car wash fundraiser? If it's open to the public, you can add it to the Dormont-Brookline Patch calendar—for free. Some readers already are using this feature. Check out what's happing this weekend, courtesy of our readers: Check out the Event Calendar for lots of other local events. Post your own—and after the event, don't forget to post your photos in our Pics & Clips Gallery! Questions? Email local editor Erin Faulk at erin.faulk@patch.com. Follow Dormont-Brookline Patch on Facebook and Twitter. For more news, sign up for our email Newsletter.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Christianpalooza is this Saturday, Nov. 3, at Resurrection Church in Brookline.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Erin Faulk
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Thursday, November 1, 2012
On Christian Connelly’s ninth birthday, he and his family went to Disney World. With Universal Studios, Magic Kingdom, Epcot and more at his finger tips, it was a week his mother, Maria Vondas, called “perfect.” The Brookline family took the trip, funded by the Make-a-Wish Foundation, one year after Christian was diagnosed with brain cancer. Vondas thinks about the trip all the time, especially during Christianpalooza, an annual event her family holds to raise money for other families to have their own Make-a-Wish experience. This year, Christianpalooza is Saturday, Nov. 3 at Resurrection Church in Brookline. “Even if it was just that one week, we got to go away and forget about the doctors, forget about the diagnosis," said Vondas. "It …
Maria Vondas Connelly
11:45 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Denise, Thank you so much for your kind words! Congratulations on all of your amazing success - 1800 wishes, wow! May David's memory be eternal through all of your incredible work also. How did you find this story? I am honored that you took the time to read it and comment on it. Knowing that I have international support means so much to me. Thank you for everything, especially for helping … more ›