George James

The Minority Philanthropy Initiative Invites You to the 2nd Annual Multicultural Celebration

On October 13th, the Minority Philanthropy Initiative invites you to the 2nd annual MPI Multicultural Celebration at the Blue Water Convention Center.

Be part of an exciting evening featuring a Native American fancy dancer, Tim Seneca, the Nanou Djiapo Drum & Dance group, and Mariachi Jalisco de Detroit. A tasting of foods from around the world will also be part of the evening experience.

Your registration will help award three local nonprofit organizations a grant on event night! You will be able to nominate your favorite local nonprofit when you register, and then during the event 3 nominations will be randomly selected to make a pitch about supporting their nonprofit. Guests will then vote and the nonprofit with the most votes will be awarded the top grant with second and third receiving grants as well. 

Excess funds raised for the event will be put into the Equity & Inclusion Fund at the Community Foundation to help grow the impact of the fund. If you can’t attend the event but would still like to support the event, you can register and select “not attending” to make your gift.

Please register by Monday, Oct. 3rd. 

Tickets are $50 per adult and $10 for youth 18 years and younger.

Register here: https://commfoundation.wufoo.com/forms/zfbjqq51heg9e5/

Evening Program Schedule:

  • 6pm Cocktail hour
  • 6:45p Program kick off
  • Native American Fancy Dancer- Tim Seneca
  • Drawing of 3 organizations to make a pitch
  • Mariachi Jalisco de Detroit
  • 7:15p Nonprofit pitches & voting
  • 7:30p Announce grant winners
  • 7:45p Nanou Djiapo Drum & Dance

Reporting for WGRT – George James

Sarnia’s Mitton Village Sees Community Improvements with New Public Spaces

Work is underway on a project that will see a new, permanent space for the public established in Mitton Village in Sarnia. 

Residents in the area may have noticed features of the pop-up parkette at the 135 Mitton St. South municipal parking lot being removed over the past week as the City prepares to reconstruct the lot and create a permanent parkette at the site.

Mitton Village is one of two Community Improvement Plan (CIP) areas identified for investments under the City of Sarnia’s 2020 plan. It is hoped that City-driven public-realm enhancements will encourage more businesses to invest in Mitton Village.

The parkette will feature tree-shaded areas alongside permanent seating and support infrastructure for active transportation.

The desire for public realm improvements was highlighted by the success of a pop-up parkette installed by the City in June 2022 with support from the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative. The pop-up parkette featured eight picnic tables painted by local artists, minor landscaping, and features such as a community bulletin board and Little Free Library.

Beyond complete reconstruction of the parking lot, the project will include the installation of new lighting, alongside decorative concrete, planters and tree wells for the parkette. Construction is expected to start this week and wrap up in November, with the parkette’s trees, plants, and street furniture to be installed in 2023.

Reporting for WGRT – George James

Henry Ford Health Announces Availability of New Early Detection Cancer Test

Henry Ford Health and GRAIL, LLC, a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early when it can be cured, has announced Henry Ford Health as the first healthcare provider in Michigan to offer Galleri®, GRAIL’s Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) blood test. Henry Ford is among an early group of healthcare providers in the U.S. to offer this MCED test.

The Galleri test is intended for use in those who are at an elevated risk of cancer, such as individuals ages 50 or older. Some younger people may also have an elevated risk of cancer, which is why Henry Ford is making the Galleri test available to patients who are 22 years or older, have no history of cancer or have been cancer-free at least three years, and are not currently pregnant.

Galleri MCED test can detect many cancers that are not commonly screened for today to allow for earlier treatment, and can be incorporated into a routine healthcare visit.

Those who may be interested in the Galleri test should consult with their Henry Ford primary care physician to determine whether the test is appropriate for them.

Because the test is not currently covered by insurance, the Galleri MCED test is an out-of-pocket cost. Patients may be eligible to participate in the interventional PATHFINDER 2 study, which is evaluating the implementation and performance of Galleri in a clinical care setting. The study is currently enrolling individuals who meet the eligibility requirements, which include:

  • 50 years or older and receive care at Henry Ford Health.
  • Have never been diagnosed with cancer or have been cancer-free at least three years.
  • Are not participants in previous or ongoing GRAIL sponsored studies.
  • Henry Ford team members and their dependents who are enrolled in a Health Alliance Plan (HAP) of Michigan insurance plan may be eligible for a test at no cost.

To learn more about the Galleri test at Henry Ford Health, visit henryford.com/cancerbloodtest.

Reporting for WGRT – George James