Some big cats will be out on the links on Monday, June 8, to “roar” their support for the 16th annual Critter Invitational golf outing that benefits the Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter.

Detroit Lions quarterback Drew Stanton, a longtime ambassador of the Friends, will be teeing up and possibly bringing some of his Lions teammates.

For the past six years the Detroit Lions Foundation and Detroit Lions players have been advocates for the Dearborn Animal Shelter. Players and their four-legged family members are featured in the annual Detroit Lions Pet Calendar with all proceeds benefiting the Friends. In addition, players such as George Foster, Ernie Sims, Don Muhlbach, and Stanton attend Friends fund-raisers throughout the year.

“We consider the players and the entire Detroit Lions organization to be part of our extended family,” explains Kelle Sisung, Friends Development Director. “They are always there when we need them. And, considering June is Adopt a Cat Month, it’s terrific that we have some big cats on our team.”

The Critter Invitational will feature several live auction items donated by the Detroit Lions. The first is a VIP package with 4 club tickets to the Lions vs. Washington Redskins game on September 27, 2009, at Ford Field and 4 passes to go down on the field and watch pre-game warm-ups on the Lions’ sideline. The second item is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the Lions vs. St. Louis Rams game on November 1, 2009, in the radio broadcast booth with play-by-play announcer Dan Miller and color analyst Jim Brandstatter.

A very special addition to Critter Invitational 2009 is a chance to have your pet featured on the cover of the 2010 Detroit Lions Pet Calendar. Plus, the winner gets the opportunity to rub elbows with Lions players at the official photo shoot at either Ford Field or the Allen Park training facility. Only 100 tickets will be sold prior to, and at the golf outing. The winner will be announced after the live auction on June 9.

Tickets are $50 and may be purchased by calling the Dearborn Animal Shelter at (313) 943-2697 or visiting the Web site at www.DearbornAnimals.org . The $50 donation is tax deductible.

For the third year, the Critter Invitational is sponsored by Norma Wallis, CEO of Livernois Vehicle Development. And, since 2005, the event has been emceed by WJBK Fox 2 sports director Dan Miller, who also serves as honorary chair.

“The Critter Invitational gets better every year,” says Wallis. “On June 8, we’ll have yoga stretching thanks to Sattva Yoga Center and some pretty unique animal-themed golfer challenges, like the Furball Contest! At the end of day, however, it’s all about helping animals who need us.”

The 16th annual Critter Invitational will be held on Monday, June 8, at the Dearborn Country Club, located at 800 N. Military St. in Dearborn, Michigan. Tickets are $225 each and include a round of scramble format golf, golfer’s doggie bag, continental breakfast with a Bloody Mary bar, open beverage cart on the course, drinks, hors d’oeuvres, entertainment on the patio before dinner, and a sumptuous dinner buffet with two-hour open bar.

For non-golfers or folks who who are a bit rusty at golf (think us here) you still can support the homeless animals by purchasing tickets to the dinner for $75 each. Both ticket packages include admittance to the silent and live auctions. We have done that a number of times here and it’s a great evening and the food is always great at the Country Club.

The Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter is 501C3 non-profit organization. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Friends’ web site at www.DearbornAnimals.org call (313) 943-2697 or drop a note to Kelle Sisung, Friends Development Director at ksisung@aol.com. You may also stop by the Dearborn Animal Shelter, located at 2661 Greenfield Road in Dearborn. It’s a good way to meet some of the volunteers and pet a few of our furry four-legged friends, too.

We realize Dearborn’s Memorial Day parade has now come and gone but two Dearborn High School graduates sent on to us some photographs and video that captured the parade so we wanted to share them with you here again.

Thanks Raad and Mike for capturing for all of us here a look back at Dearborn’s 85th annual Memorial Day Parade.

For a slide show of the parade, please click HERE.

The video is posted below.

Oxford Lanes and NetworkDearborn.com are proud to invite folks in Dearborn to play the Oxford Lanes Online Open.

Another in an ongoing series of addictive Flash games that raise awareness about local business, this all-new interactive game has a terrific grand prize for the highest score during the month of June: A Bowling Party for the winner and 25 friends!

Please visit http://www.networkdearborn.com/bowling/bowling.html  to play, and to find out more details! Play as often as you want, and spread the word to your Dearborn friends and family!

Mark your calendar for June 2. That’s when the Dearborn Historic Aviation Property Owners’ Association and the City of Dearborn will hold a rededication ceremony of Basse Park at 6:30 p.m.

The park, located north of Warren Avenue, between Miller and Manor Roads, was originally dedicated in 1998 in memory of Arthur Basse, a longtime resident and active community leader of Dearborn.

Anne Basse, Arthur’s wife, donated swing sets and a merry-go-round as well as other pieces of equipment when the City dedicated the park in honor of her husband.

At the age of 91, Anne continues to participate in organizations that she and her late husband supported and remains an involved City resident.

Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. will preside at the rededication and a new sign will be installed. Following the rededication, the Aviation Property Owners’ Association will hold a neighborhood meeting at Esper Library, 12929 W. Warren Avenue

Those of you who have lived in Dearborn for sometime will have some great memories of the landmark Dearborn eatery known as the Chambertin.

The restaurant was located on Michigan Avenue in the area now occupied by Kroger (formerly Farmer Jack) at Nowlin, along with a Holiday Inn. We were unable to find any photos of the Chambertin to share here but if you come accross any we’d be happy to post them here for all to see.

At its peak, the restaurant employed some 100 people, which was popular in the 1970s and 1980s.

We mention the Chambertin because its founder, Constantine “Gus” Kokas, died Thursday, May 21, 2009. He was 83. His funeral was held Wednesday in Westland and he was buried at the Great Lakes National Cemetery for veterans.

For his full obituary, please click HERE.

Dearborn Memorial Day parade-watchers.

On this Memorial Day, let’s all fly our flags and keep alive the spirit of American patriotism that is burning bright in all of us today. We thankfully remember those who have fought, who are fighting, and who will continue to fight to preserve our liberty and the right of all people to live in freedom.

As we pause to give thanks on this holiday, let’s also take the time to reflect on what Harold Ickes, Secretary of the Interior of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, said in a speech on May 18, 1941 during the heated debate that occurred over the United States open support of the Allies before entering World War II.

” . . . What constitutes an American? Not color nor race nor religion. Not the pedigree of his family nor the place of his birth. Not the coincidence of his citizenship. Not his social status nor his bank account. Not his trade nor his profession.

“An America is one who loves justice and believes in the dignity of man. An American is one who will fight for his freedom and that of his neighbor. An American is one who will sacrifice property, ease and security in order that he and his children may retain the right of free men . . . ”

It’s not often you can find a way to successfully turn a love for a sport into a profession but Ray Vipond appears to have done just that at his store at 23920 Carlysle in Dearborn.

Edsel Ford graduate Ray Vipond opened The Fight Shop in January.

The 29-year-old Dearborn resident opened The Fight Shop in January and has been going strong since. Now, truth be told, it’s not a store for the average Joe.

 But if you are an amateur boxer in Metro Detroit looking for equipment or a fan of boxing or amateur mixed martial arts, this is your dream come true. You’ll find every imaginable boxing brand in Vipond’s store, along with the staples of boxing: shoes, handwraps, mouth guards, gloves and heavy bags. Later this summer, the store will be adding a line of karate clothing. He also carries a huge line of T-Shirts for those who love boxing and mixed martial arts.

A 1997 Edsel Ford High School graduate, Vipond is no stranger to boxing as his grandfather was a golden glove champion in Michigan. But he didn’t actually get into the ring as an amateur until 2004. As amateur boxers aren’t allowed to be paid, Vipond worked a 40 hour work week and then went to the Dynamic Boxing Club in Garden City to train.

He fought for three years until in 2007 he realized he was “too old” to be an amateur boxer. Most enter the profession between 16 and 18 years of age. But during his time at the various gyms around Metro Detroit, he did learn a lot about what the sport lacks in Michigan — a dedicated store for boxers to shop.

And so The Fight Shop was born. After months of research and trying to find a location, Vipond went from the ring to behind the register.

“A lot of this came from my experience as an amateur boxer,” Vipond said. “There was no store to visit to try on shoes or gloves so you were mail ordering and it was hit or miss.” So instead of  ordering the wrong size boxing shoe or improperly fitting gloves out of a catalog, fighters will now have an alternative way of getting the items they need, he says.

Vipond admits his store serves a narrow band of customers but what he does have is the right product for a group that currently isn’t being served with USA Boxing and AIBA-approved equipment.

Why does Vipond love a sport that seems so violent? He had this to say about that topic in a posting on his blog earlier this year.

“Boxing fans are a different breed, cut from a different cloth. When all is said and done, it’s legalized violence. It requires us to enjoy something most people strive to avoid, hand-to-hand combat. Boxing challenges us to face the natural instinct of fight or flight  . . .  But why do we love it so much? I for one love the individuality. You have no teammates to turn to, no timeouts, no one coming off the bench. It’s you versus him. Who’s better? Who trained harder? Who wants it more? I like that one punch can change an entire fight. Where a man can be out-boxed for 12 rounds and at the very end, land that one home-run punch . . .”

Vipond appears to be landing the right punches now, doing all the right things to get his store on the radar of the 25 boxing and another 25 mixed martial arts gyms in southeast Michigan. The fact he was once an amateur boxer himself has given him access to many of these gyms. So Vipond and his store are now well known in these circles as the place to go for equipment and to meet with someone who actually understands the sport.  In addition, he is a sponsor at nearly every amateur boxing event and gives out plenty of T-shirts with his store’s name.

His hard work appears to be paying off for him.

The Fight Shop is located at 23920 Carlysle (at Telegraph, between Michigan Avenue and Van Born Road) in Dearborn. Contact the store at (313) 278-5770 or visit online by clicking HERE

CANCELLED: July 30th Music Under the Stars at the Dearborn Hills Golf Course.

Free ice cream courtesy of the Dearborn Hills Civic Association.

Livernois Vehicle Development & Livernois Motorsports
present:

It’s all “fore” the animals!

Monday, June 8, 2009 Dearborn Country Club
800 N. Military, Dearborn, Michigan

10:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
Noon Shotgun Start
Scramble Format

5:30 p.m. Dinner
Silent & Live Auctions

Yoga stretching provided by Sattva Yoga

New! Animal-themed golfer challenges (like fur-ball contest) and post-golf entertainment on the patio

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!
$225 per person for golf and dinner
$75 per person for dinner only

Call the shelter at 313-943-2697 or
go to www.DearbornAnimals.org

Sponsorships still available.

Shelter “stimulus perk!”

Sponsor Critter and receive recognition at Friends Black Tie & Tails (October 16, 2009), plus discounts on Black Tie tickets. Now, that’s a Mulligan you don’t want to miss.

To sponsor, click here, e-mail kelle@DearbornAnimals.org or call (313) 724-0675.

Livernois Vehicle Development
www.livernoisvehicle.com

Livernois Motorsports
www.livernoismotorsports.com

Sattva Yoga Center, LLC
www.sattva-yoga-center.com

Poker enthusiasts are invited to take part in a special charity “Texas Hold ‘Em” tournament to benefit Dearborn students that’s happening Sunday, June 7, at The Fairlane Club.

All proceeds benefit The Dearborn Public Schools Education Foundation. The Education Foundation is a private, non-profit organization not affiliated with the school district. It has raised more than $1 million to fund technology and innovative programs in Dearborn Public Schools classrooms.

The tournament will be conducted by a professional casino gaming firm. Doors open at 5 p.m. The evening includes food, refreshments, one drink ticket, side games and buy-ins, other table games, beer station and a cash bar (ages 21 years and older).

The cost is $75 per person, with all proceeds going to The Education Foundation. Space is limited and it suggested that players reserve their places as soon as possible.

To make reservations, contact Robert at dearbornedfoundation@comcast.net or Education Foundation President Brian Mosallam at 313.712.5300.

“It’s going to be a wonderful evening as we all have some fun while doing something to help students in the community,” said Mosallam. “We’d also like to thank The Fairlane Club for its continued strong support of the Education Foundation and the young people we serve.”

The Fairlane Club is located at 5000 Fairlane Woods Drive. For a tour or more information, call Christine Bane at 313.336.4400. You can visit their website at www.FairlaneClub.com