Looking for the perfect place to host your child’s birthday party or family gathering? The Family Activities Club (FAC), at 6202 Trust Dr. in Holland, has something for everyone at their 16,500 square-foot facility. Nine rooms are available for rent, ranging in theme for various occasions. The game room features billiards, shuffleboard, casino games and a juke box, while the Multipurpose Room offers a wood laminate floor (great for dancing!) and space for up to 220 people. Other rooms include a Fitness Room (maximum occupancy 80), Conference Room (25), Art Room (56), Card Room (32), Computer Room (6), Music/Karoake Room (62) and Dining Room (35).
Catering is available for guests to create customized menus, and room prices vary from $50-$100 per hour.
Katie Cannode, Event Coordinator, explains that the FAC began renting these rooms out in September due to their popularity.
Founded by local entrepreneur Sarah J. Bates, the FAC aims to provide a comfortable atmosphere for community social and learning opportunities. The facility is also associated with American Care Givers (a non-medical, in-home care service), and the Norman and Louise Jones Foundation, which provides various community outreach opportunities.

For more information, visit
www.familyactivitiesclub.com.
419-724-0888.

In a constant effort to provide valuable education to children,
Sylvania Franciscan Academy (SFA) is collaborating with Lourdes College’s Early Childhood Department.  This merging allows both institutions to benefit from the resources of the other to improve the education of both student bodies.
In addition to the merge, SFA has also added a KEY program. The KEY program is designed to educate children who just miss the cutoff date for kindergarten, providing them with deeper exploration of various skills.  The KEY program is offered in addition to the regular preschool and gives these children a solid start to their educations. 
SFA is holding an open house to put their pre-school and kindergarten programs on display, on Sunday, January 24, from noon-2 p.m. For more information, visit www.s-f-a.org

Students at Bennett Venture Academy participated in something very few people ever get to experience.  They spoke live with an astronaut in space.  After two years and 500 hours of planning, Robert Michalski, a Canadian astronaut, had a ten-minute window to speak with the students live from the International Space Station.  He fielded questions from students ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. Of the 500 questions submitted by the students, 20 were answered, including what planets Michalski can see from space, what it’s like sleeping in space, and what kind of education is needed to be an astronaut.  When Michalski was asked about recycling, the students were surprised when he told them that he recycled his urine to make drinking water.
“Sometimes you can’t tell if kids are paying attention or zoning out,” teacher and organizer Cindy Zamora said, “But when he answered that question it was obvious that all the kids were listening.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Ohio is gearing up for more trips to the lanes in 2010. The Annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake Event is your chance to have fun, raise money for a great cause, and win fabulous prizes. The grand prize this year is an Ohio Staycation Basket, complete with trips to Seneca Caverns, Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, Hopewell Culture National Historic Park and Raven’s Glenn, aboard a Lakefront Lines charter bus. BBBS aims to form 500 bowling teams for this fundraising event. Bowling games begin Saturday, February 20 at New Glass Bowl Lanes (5133 Telegraph Rd.). To form your team or for more information, visit
www.bbbsnwo.org.