Did you know this is the 18th year for the Festival of Lights Wine and Beer Tasting, Silent Auction and Golf Tournament on June 1 at the Foothills Golf Club?

Joining the ranks of other popular summer camps at the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA, a program set out to train young lifeguards is making a debut at the Y this summer.

"Impactful, rowdy and rewarding” (and maybe a little tiring) is how I would describe the experience I had last year serving as a team captain for the 2012 Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA “Frames for Families” initiative. That’s a fancy way of saying “fundraising event,” which translates to “bowl-a-thon!” I was so impressed by the event and the result that I agreed to chair the event this year, along with my friend and fellow YMCA board member, Jim Hunt, local Farmers Insurance agent and all around Renaissance Man. In all seriousness, I am passionate about it because I have seen and heard the testimonials of families, kids and seniors in this community who have benefitted from the proceeds of this event.

The Valley of the Sun YMCA has just completed a record year of participants in its winter sports program. This stellar year comes after the recent addition of the YMCA Adult Basketball League (YABL), and the expansion of youth sports programs late last year.

The Ahwatukee East chapter of MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club is hosting a Preschool and Summer Camp open house on Wednesday, March 6 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Ahwatukee Foothills Family YMCA, 1030 E. Liberty Lane.

In two and a half years and after helping form art and craft fairs, rummage sales, community partnerships, and new classes at the Pecos Senior Center, Terri Roza said all she did for the senior center was help the seniors see that they are in control.

Please join us in welcoming our newest chamber members:

In the state Legislature, Sen. John McComish said the bills he usually works to pass are big-picture items that affect Arizona residents in indirect ways. So it was a nice change of pace he said to work on a bill that would have an immediate impact on a nonprofit that does a great service for the Ahwatukee Foothills community.

Now sanctioned and being distributed to senior communities around Ahwatukee Foothills, MedStats has proven its benefits to local firefighter officials.

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce appointed Beth Amoroso, Jim Hunt, Kent Johnson, Larry North, Bruce Peterson, Liane Rouzaud and Janet Schwab to its 2013 Board of Directors.

Joseph Ortiz of Edward Jones

Legend Cleaners

I’ll admit it. It’s hard to stick to a New Year’s resolution of getting into shape. At this point in the new year, some of us have given up, some of us are dropping off our new workout commitments.

With a simple “recipe” of a low-calorie diet and an hour of exercise everyday, one Ahwatukee Foothills couple lost more than 130 pounds combined in a year’s time.

January is National Mentoring Month, and all around the country organizations and churches are hungry for adults to begin investing in the lives of youth. Being in full-time youth ministry, I’m an obvious supporter of mentoring.