29 Jul 2009

Army Corps of Engineers to waive recreation fees August 1-9

By Ron Fournier

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (July 29, 2009) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is waving day use fees Aug. 1-9 at its more than 2,400 Corps-operated recreation sites nationwide. This waiver includes sites within the Rock Island District.

The waiver applies to day use fees collected at boat launches and swimming beach facilities. Fees for camping and camping related services and specialized facilities or special events will not be waived.

Day Use Fees are being waived at the following Rock Island District boat ramps on the Mississippi River: Grant River, Blanding Landing, Pleasant Creek, Big Slough, Thomson Causeway, Lock and Dam 13, Cattail Slough, Clarks Ferry, and Shady Creek. Day use fees are waived at beaches and boat ramps in Iowa at Coralville Lake (Iowa City), Lake Red Rock (Pella), and Saylorville Lake (Des Moines).

"The Corps is waiving day use fees to highlight recreational opportunities available to the public," said Susan Clevenstine, Rock Island District Outdoor Recreation Planner. "We want people to take advantage of their public lands by using our beaches and boat ramps free of charge for the week."

State and local agencies and private partners who manage recreation facilities on Corps lands are encouraged but not required to comply with the fee waiver.

The Corps is the nation's largest federal provider of outdoor and water-based recreation, hosting more than 350 million visitors per year at more than 400 lakes and river projects. Many of these sites are located close to major metropolitan areas and provide 4,500 miles of trails, 90,000 campsites, and 33 percent of all U.S. freshwater fishing.

To find the nearest Corps of Engineers recreation site, please visit www.CorpsLakes.us.

-end-

27 Jul 2009

Rockin' Saturday Concert/Jimmy Buffett Night/Bobble Parrot Giveaway/Jersey Auction

By Rascal
The first 2,000 fans through the gates at Modern Woodmen Park, 209 S Gaines St, Davenport, will receive a Bobble Parrot on Jimmy Buffett Night!  Also, stick around after the game for a lively post-game concert with the Fry Daddies!
03 Jun 2009

2009 QC Kids Triathlon

By Kathy Horrell

WHO: Hy-Vee Food Stores, Hormel and the Scott County Family Y

WHAT: 2009 Kids Triathlon

WHEN: Saturday, June 6. Opening Ceremonies - 8am. Race Starts - 9am. Post-Race Party and Closing Ceremonies after the last event.

WHERE: North Family YMCA, 624 West 53rd Street, Davenport, IA. (563.391.7771)

WHY: The Scott County Family Y is please to be the host the 2nd Annual Hy-Vee/Hormel Kids Triathlon. This USA Triathlon sanctioned event is geared towards supporting the next generation of Olympic and features swimming, biking and running competitions for children between the ages of 7 and 14. This event is expected to draw more than 200 children from across Iowa and Illinois and is the largest venue in the region. Hy-Vee/Hormel Kids Triathlons have taken place or will be happening in Omaha, Kansas City, Sioux City and Rochester. Proceeds from the Quad Cities event will benefit the Quad Cities YMCAs.

U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team member - Jarrod Shoemaker will be attending this year's event. Jarrod is currently ranked 1st in the United States and 9th in World. He recently finished 12 in the 2009 Dextro Energy Triathlon - ITU World Championship Series Madrid on May 31.

19 May 2009

Walmart BFL All-American Set To Converge on Quad Cities

By Jeff McCoy

DAVENPORT, Iowa (May 19, 2009) - The Walmart Bass Fishing League All-American presented by Chevy is set to take place on the Mississippi River May 28-30. This prestigious championship, hosted by the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, annually shines an international media spotlight on the nation's best weekend anglers.

 

"The Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy is a championship event unlike any other," said Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors. "This championship gives the best weekend anglers from all across this great country the chance to compete on one of the best fisheries, the Mississippi River, and ultimately vie for the chance to qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup, the crown jewel of bass fishing."

 

In addition to incredible fishing, the All-American will feature a Free Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show with children's rod and reel giveaways courtesy of Cumulus Quad Cities and a home entertainment package giveaway on the final day of competition. For full details, visit www.flwoutdoors.com/allamerican.

 

The three-day show will be held at the RiverCenter located at 136 E. 3rd St. in Davenport, Iowa. The Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show will open at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 28 and Friday, May 29. On Saturday, May 30, the show will open at noon. Daily takeoffs will be conducted at 7 a.m. from Sunset Park Marina in Rock Island, Ill., and weigh-ins each day will be held at the RiverCenter at 4 p.m. The home entertainment package winner will be drawn from the crowd during the final weigh-in. Admission and all activities are free.

 

Prior to the event, Team Chevy will be in town for Chevy Pro Night at Lujack Chevrolet, located at 3700 N. Harrison St. in Davenport, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27. The team, consisting of Jimmy Houston, Larry Nixon, Luke Clausen, Kim Stricker, Dion Hibdon, Anthony Gagliaradi and Jay Yelas, has accumulated seven tour-level victories in FLW Outdoors competition alone. This team also boasts combined FLW Outdoors earnings of more than $4.5 million. Hibdon and Clausen also are two of only five anglers in the history of the sport to have won both the Forrest Wood Cup and the Bassmaster Classic.

The first 100 fans attending Chevy Pro Night will receive a free FLW Outdoors hat. Additionally, fans can register to win fishing rods, fishing tackle, a die cast Ranger boat and children 14 and under can register to win youth rod and reels.

In BFL competition, boaters and non-boaters are randomly paired each day, with boaters supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other boaters. Non-boaters fish from the back deck against other non-boaters. The full field competes in the two-day opening round for one of 10 slots in Saturday's competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. The top 10 boaters and non-boaters continue competition Saturday, with the winner from each determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all three days.  

Coverage of the BFL All-American will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS, the network which brings anglers the best fishing programming on television featuring the most-trusted authorities on the water. The Emmy-nominated "FLW Outdoors," will air Aug. 23 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. "FLW Outdoors," hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide, including internationally through agreements with WFN (World Fishing Network) and Matchroom Sport making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world.

 

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors also has taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player's Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player's Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

15 May 2009

QUAD CITIES YMCAS PROVIDES SUPPORT TO MILITARY FAMILIES AS PART OF NEW $31-MILLION INITIATIVE

By Kathy Horrell
Armed Services YMCA and Department of Defense partnership gives military families access to youth development, family strengthening, and health and well-being programs

Davenport, IA & Moline, IL - May 15, 2009 – As part of the new Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) and Department of Defense (DoD) Outreach Initiative, The Scott County Family Y and the Two Rivers YMCA also known as the Quad Cities YMCAs, are providing military families with access to youth development, family strengthening, and health and well-being programs at community YMCAs nationwide. Membership fees will be underwritten by the DoD and administered through Military OneSource, an information and referral service for military families. YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for America's 2,686 YMCAs, will help launch the initiative at participating YMCAs across the country.

"The Quad Cities YMCAs are happy to help meet the critical needs facing families of deployed military service members," said Tony Calabrese, Chief Operating Officer for the Scott County Family Y. "Families are the most affected when a loved one gets deployed, so we are deeply committed to providing them with the support they need."

The ASYMCA-DoD Outreach Initiative responds to a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan to support military family readiness and to ensure that military family readiness programs and activities are available to all military families, including those of the National Guard and Military Reservists.

Eligible military families participating in the initiative are eligible for YMCA memberships based on participation requirements. Those eligible to participate in the new initiative include :

  • All interested families of joint deployed National Guard and Reserves of all military branches;

  • Families living in newly established Joint Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) bases;

  • Active Duty Independent Duty station personnel and their families; and

  • Relocated spouses and family members of deployed Active Duty personnel.

"The YMCA has a long history of supporting military service members and their families - since the Civil War - so it was natural for us to join this initiative," said Mike Wennekamp, Associate Executive Director of the Two Rivers YMCA. "During this time of conflict, it is more important than ever that we continue providing services and support to these families in the absence of a deployed spouse."

More information about the ASYMCA-DoD Outreach Initiative can be found by visiting www.asymca.org. For information about participating YMCAs, please visit www.ScottCountyFamilyY.org or www.TwoRiversYMCA.org or www.ymca.net.

24 Apr 2009

Rivermont Collegiate Names Dave Wessel as head Basketball Coach

By Brittany Marietta

Rivermont Collegiate enthusiastically announces that Dave Wessel will take over as head boys' basketball coach, following one year as a volunteer assistant.

Wessel has 409 wins in his high school coaching career, which has spanned 49 years, 38 of which were as head coach.  His Davenport West teams won state championships in 1971 and 1994.

Wessel was inducted into the Coe College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995, the Iowa High School Athletics Association Hall of Fame in 2004, and will be inducted into the Quad City Sports Hall of Fame on April 29th of this year.

14 Apr 2009

2nd Annual Derby Day

By Jared Johnson
Davenport, IA - Volunteers for Symphony is proud to announce its 2nd annual Derby Day, an evening of fun, food, and horse racing benefiting youth music education in the Quad Cities, on Saturday, May 2, at 4 PM. Derby Day is at the Rock Island Arsenal Golf Club and feels like it's at Churchill Downs. The party includes horse races, authentic Derby Cuisine, a Kentucky Bourbon tasting, live auction, generous raffles, and live music. All attending will take home a commemorative mint julep glass created especially for this year's event. Derby attire is optional and the afternoon's festivities include a hat contest.

This year's auction items include a trip to the 2010 Kentucky Derby, a little black dress designed by emeDesigns, exclusive lodging at condos near Estes Park in Colorado and along the beach in California, a titanium drusy necklace from Doland Jewelers, an authentic northern Italian meal for 8 prepared by Maestro Mark Russell Smith, a wine tasting party for twelve, a four-day get away for two, and many more. For more details on all the auction items and raffle prizes, visit www.QCSymphony.com.

Derby Day is presented by Volunteers for Symphony and supports the nationally-recognized music education programs of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Association, which reach more than 30,000 Quad City area students each year. Our VfS members contribute their time, talents, and resources year-round to support the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's missions. Proceeds from VfS fundraising projects such as Derby Day and the upcoming Second Fiddle Sale are directly invested in the operation of the Youth Ensembles and other music education programs.

Derby Day is just $75 and reservations can be made at 563-322-QCSO or online at www.QCSymphony.com.

###
10 Apr 2009

Quad City Families Invited to Fun, Free Day of Active Play and Resources for Healthier Living

By Kathy Horrell

Scott County Family Y Celebrates YMCA Healthy Kids® Day on April 18

DAVENPORT, IA - April 10, 2009 - On Saturday, April 18, the Scott County Family Y invites the Quad Cities to participate in YMCA Healthy Kids® Day, the nation's largest health day for children and families. YMCA Healthy Kids Day includes fun, engaging and creative activities for children and families and promotes year-long wellness and healthy living. YMCA Healthy Kids Day events are free and open to all.

"As families struggle to balance life's daily demands and persevere during an economic downturn, it is important that we reach beyond our YMCA facility to the entire community," says Deb Gustafson, Executive Director of YMCA Child Care and Family Services. "We've been doing this with the annual YMCA Healthy Kids Day event for more than 5 years. Through this event, the Scott County Family Y and our community partners have given our neighbors the opportunity to take their minds off daily stresses, and instead have fun and focus on positive sustainable healthy lifestyle changes together, as a family."

This year's event is from 8:30am-1pm, at the West Family YMCA, 3603 West Locust Street Davenport. It will feature a highly interactive concert with nationally recognized children's performer CJ. His children's music has been described as the "Wiggles meets "Justin Timberlake" and is designed for children in kindergarten through third grade. He will be performing from 11am to Noon and is being sponsored by the Davenport Community School District. Other activities taking place at the 2009 Healthy Kids Day event include : Family Body Vive; cheerleading clinic; youth obstacle course, family Zumba; healthy sneak creation and appearances by area mascots - Quad City Riverbandits Rascal, Scrubby Bear from the American Red Cross, Happy the Dog from Happy Joes and many more. Community agencies also participating in YMCA Healthy Kids Day are Medic EMS, Davenport Fire Department, Scott County Health Department, I Smile Program and many more.

For the past 150 years, the Scott County Family Y has supported families and individuals in good times and bad. During this period of uncertainty, the YMCA mission of providing opportunities for healthy spirit, mind and body for all, is more important than ever. "In tough economic times, it is imperative to keep focus on the important areas of our lives - the areas in which we have the power to make a positive difference?health and well-being, family and community," added Gustafson.

YMCA Healthy Kids Day will be celebrated across the country at more than 1,700 YMCAs. Last year, more than 700,000 attendees participated in YMCA Healthy Kids Day events nationwide.

YMCA Healthy Kids Day is supported by the following national donors: Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney, Eli Lilly and Company, Huggies Little Swimmers Brand, Northwestern Mutual Foundation and Tropicana. YMCA Healthy Kids Day is also supported by the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.

For more information about YMCA Healthy Kids Day, call the West Family YMCA at (563) 386-4414 or visit: www.ScottCountyFamilyY.org.

###

02 Apr 2009

3rd Annual Trivia Night at the QCSC

By Jared Johnson
The Quad City Sports Center is excited to be hosting its 3rd Annual Trivia Night. The event will take place on Saturday, April 18th at 6pm. You can register now by calling the Quad City Sports Center or stopping by to pick up a registration form. Day of registration will start at 5pm on April 18th. Cost is $10 per person or $100 for a table of 10. Mr. Trivia will be here and it's sure to be lots of fun! There will be prizes for the winning team, raffles and much more!! Drink will be available for purchase, and you are welcome to bring your own snacks or grab something from our concession stand. All proceeds from this event go to assist with the further development of our One Goal and Learn to Skate programs. For more information or to register call 563-322-5220.

A full schedule of events can be found online at www.qcscskate.com or by calling 563-322-5220.

###

31 Mar 2009

Easter Bunny to visit the QCSC

By Collin Shutt

The Quad City Sports Center is excited to have the Easter Bunny appearing on Sunday, April 5th. The Easter Bunny will be skating off and on from 2-4pm. Come see him before he is off to deliver Easter baskets! The Figure Skating Club of the Quad Cities will also have skaters out on the ice helping out new skaters. At 4pm we will have an on ice 'egg hunt' for kids who attended the session. This event is just one of a number of events the Quad City Sports Center hosts each year. Other upcoming promotions include a Mothers Day Skate, Fathers Day Skate, and more Skate the Day Away promotions! For more information call the Quad City Sports Center at 563-322-5220.

A full schedule of events and programs can be found online at www.qcscskate.com or by calling 563-322-5220

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