Parents Who Rock

The Bloomingfields Party for a Cause, This Saturday, March 13

Parents Who Rock's The Bloomingfields will perform along with Tip Canary and Mingle this Saturday in a benefit being held by Team In Training—Triatheletes for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The show, at Tierney's Tavern, 136-138 Valley Road, in Montclair, starts at 8 p.m. The event will feature food and raffles in addition to great live music.

PWR Bands to Heat Up Hillside/Nishuane Fireball

Three Parents Who Rock bands have signed on to play at the Nishuane-Hilside Fireball, set for Friday, March 26. The No-Rehearsals, Doghouse and the Bloomingfields will be featured at this special adults-only fundraiser jointly hosted by the Nishuane and Hillside PTAs. The event will feature live and silent auctions boasting great prizes including charming classroom art projects, and special opportunities to spend time with beloved teachers, as well as good food, beer and wine, and incredible live entertainment.

Mark your calendars now and check back for more details as we get them.

Red Cross Honors PWR Founder Alma Schneider

In February, the local chapter of the Red Cross recognized Parents Who Rock's Alma Schneider for her volunteer and humanitarian efforts. Read about it from the Montclair Times here:

Red Cross to honor 10 at its gala
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Montclair Times

Photo: Front row—Anthony Iannarone, Jim Bowers, Alma Schneider, Jane Marcus, Linda Bowers; back row—Peter Giuffra, Doris Burns, Peter Hughes, Bonnie Carter. Photo by Corinna Sager.

The Montclair-Glen Ridge-Nutley Chapter of the American Red Cross, based in Montclair at 63 Park St., will hold its 13th annual awards gala on Saturday, Feb. 27.

The event will honor 10 people for their contributions to the quality of life through volunteer and humanitarian efforts in their respective towns.

The evening's honorary chair will be Gretchen Prater of Essex Fells. The gala will be held at Mayfair Farms, West Orange, with cocktails at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 8.

The black-tie-optional evening includes a raffle and live and silent auctions. Auction prizes include vacation homes in Vermont, spa packages, an in-home catered dinner, tickets to television show tapings including the finale of "The Apprentice' in New York City with an overnight stay package, sporting events, sports memorabilia, jewelry, fine arts and dozens more.
This year's honorees from Montclair are Linda Bowers, Jack Bowers, Peter Giuffra, Jane Marcus, and Alma Schneider.

Other honorees are Doris Burn of Cedar Grove, longtime director of the chapter's transportation program; Bonnie Carter of West Orange, Mayor Peter Hughes of Glen Ridge, and Anthony Iannorone of Nutley.

Tickets for the gala can be reserved by calling Michelle Esposito, executive director, at 973-746-1800.

The Montclair honorees:
Linda Bowers is a graduate of Princeton University. She is treasurer and volunteer coordinator of Montclair Schools Rock! and has served as board member, treasurer and president of the Field Center for Children's Integrated Development.

She is also active in youth hockey and lacrosse, and the Boy Scouts. Her children, Tate, 14 and Brock, 11, attend Glenfield Middle School.

Jack Bowers (no relation to Linda) received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and an MBA from Tulane University in New Orleans.

Since retiring from a 20-year career on Wall Street, Bowers has managed a Montclair-based business and financial consulting practice.

He has been a consultant for the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity since 2005, and assisted several families who relocated to Montclair after Hurricane Katrina.

Bowers is a trustee and past president of HOMECorp, and a member of the Community Advisory Board at Montclair State University.

He has served as coach, league commissioner and coordinator for Montclair Parks & Recreation.

Peter Giuffra was born in Montclair, and is known to many as "Elvis" in the town's annual 4th of July parade.

His dedication to Montclair schools began in the 1980s when he served as the PTSO representative at Montclair High School.
He attends and raises funds for MHS Project Graduation, and can be seen around town gardening in Montclair's parks and schoolyards.

Giuffra recently celebrated his 43rd wedding anniversary to his sweetheart, Alica.

Jane Marcus has lived in Montclair since 2002, with her husband, Johnson Tyler.

She is the founder of the earth-friendly Community Wide Swap, which since 2006 has turned people's cast-offs into other people's treasure. She also co-created a box exchange program to get cartons from people who have moved to those who are in the process of moving.

Marcus is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School.

Alma Schneider is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison, and earned her master's degree in social work from Hunter College. She has been a resident of Montclair since 2002.

She has served as Hillside School PTA's Health and Wellness liaison to the school district.

Schneider founded Parents Who Rock in 2005. PWR has raised more than $200,000 for causes such as All Children's Playground at Edgemont Park, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, Covenant House, and Family Service League's rape crisis center.

TONIGHT!! Sock Monster, El Kabong! Play Benefit to Help Poz Family Pay Medical Bills

Parents Who Rock's Sock Monster and El Kabong! will be playing a benefit concert, with singer James Galione (visit him on MySpace) this Sunday, March 7, to help raise money to offset medical bills for Ben and Cherie Posluszny and family. Ben's mother, Chris, is a teacher at the Montclair Cooperative School.

Ryan, the Posluszny's oldest son, 13, has been hospitalized for a rare, aggressive skin-eating infection in his leg. After 9 operations, Ryan is finally doing better, although he faces months of skin grafts, reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation. His mother, Cherie, however, is currently recovering from an emergency appendectomy she suffered after collapsing at the hospital where Ryan was in the ICU. (Click on flyer, left, to read more.)

The show will take place at Just Jakes, 30 Park Street, Montclair, from 7-10 p.m.

Besides live music, the evening will also feature amazing raffle prizes, including one-week accomodations in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; a one-year membership at the Montclair Art Museum, a Flip video camera, original artwork, gift certificates, business consulting packages and much more. Check back for more information throughout the week.

If you would like to make a donation, you can send a check made out to Chris Posluszny, care of Montclair Cooperative School, 65 Chestnut St., Montclair, NJ 07042.

Rock Your Ice Off With Chronic Pain This Saturday Night at Fitzgerald's

The Chronic Pain Band, with PWR's Ellen Paretti and Tim O'Connor, will be bringing their distinctive roadhouse rock 'n' roll to Fitzgerald's 1928 in Glen Ridge on March 6, 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Think of it as a warm up for St. Patty's day. Fitzgerald's is located at 13 Herman Street, Glen Ridge. Check out Chronic Pain on Facebook.

Family Circle Magazine Lauds PWR and Its Founder for "Good Works"

Parents Who Rock got some great national publicity recently when the December 2009 issue of Family Circle magazine featured PWR founder Alma Schneider in its “Good Works” section. Click on the photo to read the whole article.

Little Kids Rock Featured on Dr. Phil Show

Little Kids Rock, the organization which Parents Who Rock raised funds for last year, got some great exposure on the "Dr. Phil Show." Check it out here.