Put down your book and run for a cause! The Lemon Run to benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation

This isn't a book-related event per se, but it is a great event for a very worthy cause. (You could always bring a book to read before or after ... ) Consider supporting Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation at this Nov. 11 Philly event. You don't even have to be a runner (there's a 5K Walk as well). Below is a press release I received from the foundation.

The Lemon Run Philadelphia, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s 5K Run/Walk & Kids’ Dash, Returns for 4^th Annual Event, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012

Wynnewood, PA  – Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is pleased to announce the return of the Foundation’s 5K Run/Walk and Kids’ Dash, The Lemon Run Philadelphia, presented by Volvo, on Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 8:30am. The event, in its fourth year, will once again return to Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park to bring athletes of all calibers together to support the battle against childhood cancer. Participants are encouraged to register in advance to receive the reduced rate of $30 per person and $15 per child (ages 10 and under), but can also register on the day of the event.  

Running enthusiasts and all supporters of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation are invited to participate or attend the event. In addition to the 3.1 mile course, which participants can run or walk, The Lemon Run is a family friendly event, which includes a kids’ dash and includes the participation of several childhood cancer heroes and their families. Winners in each age group will be recognized as part of an awards ceremony at the end of the race along with top fundraising teams.

A family participates in last year's event
(Photo courtesy of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation)

As in previous years, participants are encouraged to form a team, bringing together friends and family members to challenge themselves to both the athletic feat and raising additional funds toward curing kids’ cancer. Several teams honoring hero families are among the early registrants including Team Smiley Riley, honoring childhood cancer survivor Riley McComb; Team Dave-O, honoring the memory of David Theobald who succumbed to childhood cancer in 1982 at the age of 8; and Austin’s  Avengers, honoring the memory of Austin Burke who passed away after his battle with medulloblastoma in 2012.

“The Lemon Run has truly become one of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s signature events,” said Jay Scott, father of Foundation creator Alexandra “Alex” Scott. “This athletic fundraising event brings out runners, walkers and supporters of the battle against childhood cancer. The morning of the Lemon Run has proven to be one of my favorites as the entire childhood cancer community comes to run for a cure, some even donning lemon costumes.” 

The day’s festivities will also include various forms of entertainment, music and guest speakers. Awards will be given to the fastest male and female runners in the following categories:  kids’ dash-10 years and under, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 and 50+. Additionally, prizes will be awarded to the top individual and team fundraisers. 

Check in the day of the event begins at 7am; the kids’ dash will start at 8am. The 5K Run/Walk will begin at 8:30am. For more information on the event, to volunteer, register or become a sponsor, visit TheLemonRun.org. Questions may be directed to Addie Spector at (866) 333-1213 or Addie@AlexsLemonade.org.

The start of last year's run. (Photo courtesy
of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation)

In addition to The Lemon Run Philadelphia, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation added to its repertoire of athletic events earlier this year with its first bicycle tour, The Lemon Ride, in July of 2012. The event is slated to return in the summer of 2013. For more information, visit TheLemonRide.org. Additionally, the Foundation’s national athletic program, Team Lemon, continues to thrive with athletes across the country participating in endurance events on behalf of the Foundation. Each race Team Lemon participants run, walk, bike or swim raises funds for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. To learn more about the program and access to sold out races, visit TeamLemon.org.

About Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $55 million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 250 research projects nationally.

Signing of 'The World Atlas of Beer' slated Thursday at Monk's Cafe

Ever been to Monk's Cafe at 16th & Spruce in Philly? It's a rather famous pub that's well stocked with amazing Belgian beers and the kind of hearty good food that goes well with such brews, including several types of mussels - one of Monk's signature dishes. 

Below is a press release I recently received from Monk's highlighting a booksigning the business is hosting on Thursday with the authors of "The World Atlas of Beer: The Essential Guide to the Beers of the World" (Tim Webb and Stephen Beaumont, Sterling Epicure, Oct. 2, 2012, 256 pp.)

The authors will also make a presentation at a special, one-seating dinner after the booksigning. See menu and ticket information below. Sounds like a great excuse for a bibliophile to get some delicious food and beer AND rub elbows with author types.

Thursday night, October 4th.

 Renowned beer writers Stephen Beaumont & Tim Webb have collaborated on, no - not a beer, rather a book on beer.  World Atlas of Beer is a 256 page tome on beer styles from around the world.  It includes the history of the styles along with specific beer descriptions.  All this info, plus photos that will have you salivating.  Be careful to not drool on the pages.  This book should be on your shelf next to Michael Jackson’s 1977 ground breaking New World Guide to Beer.

BOOK SIGNING AT MONK’S  from 5-6PM

  Books will be available to purchase and both Stephen and Tim will be on hand to personalize your copy(ies).  This will make a great holiday gift for that special beer lover in your life.  Pretty efn’ cool that both writers will be here to sign.

BEER DINNER AT THE BELGIAN CAFE @ 7PM

 We selected an interesting mix of world-sourced beers for this dinner.  Both Tim & Stephen will speak about the beers.  This is a single seating event, so call for your tickets today (215) 235-3500.  Stephen's dinners at Monk's Café always proved to be a highlight of the year.  You really don’t want to miss this dinner and talk.  

Here’s the menu:

Tilquin Oude Gueuze (Belgium)

AMUSE BOUCHE

fluke cruda with spicy watermelon salsa

Timothy Taylor Landlord Ale (England)

SPRING ROLL

smoked turkey and mushroom w/cranberry dip

Leipziget Gose (Germany)

ARUGULA SALAD

poached pear stuffed with aged Wilde Weide gouda & crispy lardons

Bear Republic Racer 5 (California) and Westoek X (Belgium)

DUCK TWO WAYS

Seared Duck Breast w/maple scented, mashed sweet potatoes & sage sauce

Duck Confit with butternut squash risotto

Dieu de Ciel Routes des Epices (Canada)

CHOCOLATE FIG POT AU CREME

with sugar cookie

Win it: 'Rittenhouse Square Rebels' by Philly author Lorie Maher

Reviewed: "Rittenhouse Square Rebels," by Lorie Maher (Abbott Press, 2012, $17.99, 240 pp.)

Philadelphia teacher and author Lorie Maher recently published her debut novel, "Rittenhouse Square Rebels," which she calls a "fairytale for adults and young adults alike." Below is a review published by Joe Infantino, an intern with some of The Mercury's sister papers, The Delaware County News Network, on August 29. Click here to see that article on the Delaware county News Network site.

I'm republishing the article here because Maher has graciously provided to me a review copy of her book that I'd like to pass along to a reader.

To win it, email me with your mailing address at mkaras@pottsmerc.com
 
Upper Darby High School graduate
writes her first novel

By Joe Infantino
News Intern

The desires to fit in and to find love are two aspirations not unknown to Lorie Maher, first-time author of “Rittenhouse Square Rebels.”

The novel, which Maher spent nearly four years writing, stars a young and troubled eighth-grade girl, Christina Jackman. Her father, a stereotypical capitalist and local advertising guru raises her with the help of a cruel and impatient housekeeper, whom together, stunt her childhood, so much so, she is repeatedly kicked out of school. Alone in the world and in a quest to find her mother, Jackman learns about falling in love and rebelling against the status quo.

Maher grew up in Drexel Hill and is a graduate of Upper Darby High School. Her mother, who once owned a children’s clothes store in the Pilgrim Garden Shopping Center in Drexel Hill, was Maher’s greatest inspiration as a child. Today, Maher teaches English to seventh and eighth-grade students at Kirkbride Elementary School in Philadelphia.

Over the years, Maher has written short unpublished pieces, shown only to her family, some friends and childhood classmates. Through reading, she grew to love writing and pursued creative fiction writing at the University of Pittsburgh. Maher said she was drawn to fiction because of the freedom to create characters and enthralling stories.

The narrator, loosely based off of Maher as a child, shares a love for animals with Maher’s younger self. Her familiarity with Rittenhouse Square Park in her hometown, Philadelphia, sets the stage for what Maher calls a “funny spoof” of one social class pinned against the other. On one side of the park are the fancy dogs that walk there everyday and on the other side sit the ordinary dogs.

Although characters in the novel were based off of Maher’s former classmates, she spun their specific traits into unique characters, unrecognizable to the untrained eye.

“I doubt it would be that clear because they are fictional,” she said referring to her characters. “I used specific personalities that I have encountered in my life but then I changed things enough so that they would be entirely different people.”

In a race against the clock, the narrator has only her summer vacation to find her mother and to learn what is not taught in school: love and rebellion. One day she spots a curiously intriguing man in the Rittenhouse Square Park. She imagines many scenarios with him, but before she can muster the courage to act, summer ends and it is too late to do anything about it.

“A lot of people look back on things and think ‘why didn’t it happen like this?’ “ Maher said. “In my story, time becomes a dark shadow on Christina Jackman.”

Capitalism is another theme in the novel, but rather than using her writing to take a stance on the issue, Maher simply wanted to remind readers of the omnipresence of greed.

“I wanted to paint an entertaining, vivid portrait of people’s lives in my novel,” Maher said. “Christina Jackman’s uncle and father are ‘off the wall’ money hungry and narcissistic and some might think they’re fools, but I definitely wanted to affect readers’ emotions so that they have their own opinions about these people.”

At the end of each journey is a reward and while the book is newly on the market, Maher hopes to gain a strong readership and ultimately wants critiques so she can improve her writing. Maher recently received a good luck e-mail from Danielle Steel, an author that she followed as a student and someone that she frequently found herself looking up to.

“I feel like my life has change because I have gotten involved with going to these writers events,” Maher said. “It’s been great being able to meet other writers and to learn from them.”

Book summary (from the author):

Christina Jackman was a spoiled, rich girl who lives in the richest part of Philadelphia, Rittenhouse Square. Because of her family, no one likes her at school. In fact, Christina gets into a lot of trouble at school-so much that she has been repeatedly kicked out! Now she's finally about to finish eighth grade.

She lives with her father - a local king of advertising - and a housekeeper, Ingrid Zeimer. Mrs. Zeimer is terrible; cruel, mean, and impatient. Christina's Uncle Harry was no better. She suspects he didn't even like her-which is okay, since she doesn't like him either. Christina is all alone in the world with no one to turn to and no one to love-until one day when she begins to ask questions about her mother.

LORIE MAHER

What happened to her mother? Why did her mother leave her father? Where is her mother now? Christina's father doesn't respond so Christina decides to seek top-secret information herself. With the help of her detective friend, Brian Parks, Christina sets out to find her long-lost mom. Along the way, she learns about falling in love, and risking everything to be a rebel!

Download/purchase the e-book of "Rittenhouse Square Rebels" here. 

About the author:

Maher grew up in Drexel Hill and attended Upper Darby High School. She resides in Philadelphia.