Community Calendar

The Baby Steps 5k, an event to bring awareness to pregnancy and infant loss, is returning to Spring Valley Park in Kalamazoo for the fourth year running on September 26, 2026. October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

This event creates a space for families across West Michigan to honor their children who have died, hear their names read aloud at a memorial ceremony, and find community support and resources to help them grieve and remember in a healthy and supported way.

Proceeds from this year's race will be donated to Star Legacy Foundation, Amos' Anchors, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and the TEARS Foundation. All organizations providing resources and support to families throughout West Michigan.

The Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance is proud to present our annual Shake Your Teal Feathers awareness event!

Join us at The Meadows at Millennium Park on Sunday, September 27, 2026, for a family-friendly community picnic and casual 1-mile walk/run.

Bring family and friends, wear your teal, and enjoy an ice cream treat while connecting with others and browsing our silent auction. It’s a fun and meaningful way to raise awareness of ovarian cancer and come together as a community.

Counter-Culture, Change, and Community Action
Explore the evolution from 1950 to the present.

When: Sunday, September 27th | 1:00 PM

Where: Meet at Southeast Career Pathways (1250 Sigsbee Street SE)

Focus: Learn how Eastown transitioned from an upper-middle-class suburb into a diverse, counter-cultural, and sometimes overlooked neighborhood, leading to the organization of the Eastown Community Association (ECA).

Cost: $25/person

The annual Franciscan Rhythms 5K Trail Run & Walk benefiting the Franciscan Life Process Center’s music therapy program and land restoration efforts will take place Saturday, Oct. 3.

The all-ages and all-fitness levels 5K will give participants an opportunity to “Run with Nuns” and experience a variety of restorative projects on a scenic path through our Lowell campus, 11650 Downes St. NE.

As race participants enjoy the course, they will be surrounded by deciduous woodland, pine forest and a restored prairie that contains all native plants. Visitors have spotted many beautiful birds, insects and woodland animals on the land – even an adventurous beaver!

A variety of live music stations featuring Irish, rock and folk music will be spread out along the trail route to motivate and inspire participants.

Learn more at https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Lowell/FranciscanRhythmsTrail5KRunWalk.

Dabin Ryu, piano
Matt Penmen, bass
Johnathan Blake, drums

Award-winning jazz pianist and composer Dabin Ryu brings a distinctive voice shaped by her roots in Seoul and her career in New York City. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and The Juilliard School, Ryu has performed with acclaimed artists including David Virelles, Randy Brecker, Anat Cohen, and Billy Harper.

Winner of the 15th UNISA International Piano Competition and the 2025 Jazz Gallery Residency Commission, Ryu has earned praise for performances that combine “fierce chops and control” with crisp, authoritative ideas. The NYC Jazz Record has called her “a force,” citing her bright energy, deep awareness of jazz history, and extraordinary command at the piano.

Ryu balances an active performing career with teaching as an associate professor at Berklee College of Music, continuing to shape the next generation of jazz musicians while pursuing her own work as a compelling artist “to keenly watch.”

Dabin Ryu, piano
Matt Penmen, bass
Johnathan Blake, drums

Award-winning jazz pianist and composer Dabin Ryu brings a distinctive voice shaped by her roots in Seoul and her career in New York City. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and The Juilliard School, Ryu has performed with acclaimed artists including David Virelles, Randy Brecker, Anat Cohen, and Billy Harper.

Winner of the 15th UNISA International Piano Competition and the 2025 Jazz Gallery Residency Commission, Ryu has earned praise for performances that combine “fierce chops and control” with crisp, authoritative ideas. The NYC Jazz Record has called her “a force,” citing her bright energy, deep awareness of jazz history, and extraordinary command at the piano.

Ryu balances an active performing career with teaching as an associate professor at Berklee College of Music, continuing to shape the next generation of jazz musicians while pursuing her own work as a compelling artist “to keenly watch.”

Join us for an evening of exceptional food, community, and purpose. Enjoy a strolling tasting featuring signature creations from 10 of West Michigan’s finest chefs, an open bar, and a seated program with dessert, a live auction, and a celebration of event honoree Mark Secchia, our local culinary community, and the impact of Meals on Wheels Western Michigan.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Broken People Hosts Fund & Friend Raiser Dessert Event to Support Mental Health Peer Support in Grand Rapids
Evening of Stories, Hope, and Purpose Set for October 14, 2026, at Bissell Tree House
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – August 15, 2026 – Broken People Peer Support, a Grand Rapids-based nonprofit dedicated to mental health peer support, will host its Fund & Friend Raiser, a dessert event, on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at the Bissell Tree House, 1300 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids, MI 49504.
Tickets are $50 per person. All proceeds will support mental health peer support services that help people share their experiences, find community, and discover that tomorrow is worth living.
The evening begins with trolley service from the parking lot starting at 6:00 p.m. Guests are encouraged to arrive early. The program runs from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and will feature stories of hope and purpose as the community celebrates Broken People’s work and invests in its future. Complimentary desserts and beverages will be served. Free parking is available with trolley service to the venue. Business casual attire is requested.
“You’re invited to an evening of stories, hope, and purpose as we gather to celebrate the work of Broken People and invest in a future where more people discover that tomorrow is worth living.” The event’s message is simple and powerful: “Tomorrow needs you.”
Broken People’s mission is to create a space for people to share their brokenness, to encourage and equip the hurting, to build community, and to search for meaning. As a 501(c)(3) peer support organization (EIN 92-0829586), it focuses on ending suicide, guiding those experiencing suicidal ideation toward hope, comforting those who are challenged while challenging the comfortable, and fostering collaboration among mental health organizations.
“Broken People is a group where people can go to know they belong. It’s a space for people to share their brokenness, encourage the hurting, build community, and search for meaning. If you are struggling with mental wellness, this space is for you.”
Tickets and more information are available at https://www.broken-people.org/tickets or by visiting https://www.broken-people.org/.
The Bissell Tree House, located at John Ball Zoo, offers a unique setting with sweeping views, making it an inspiring backdrop for this night of inspiration, community, and impact.
About Broken People
Broken People is a nonprofit mental health peer support organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It provides a welcoming community for those navigating mental wellness challenges, emphasizing connection, encouragement, and hope. For more information, visit https://www.broken-people.org/.
Media Contact
Broken People Peer Support
https://www.broken-people.org/
(For additional details or interview requests, please contact Joseph Reid by email or phone.)
Contact Information:
joe@broken-people.org
1(616) 916-0456

Practice your cackle because the Zoo is brewing up a ghoulishly good time. We put a spell on Zoo! Collect heaps of sweets at twisted treat stations nestled between spooktacular decorations and otherworldly entertainment including magicians, fire dancers, villains, and more!
Don’t miss this wickedly fun family tradition.

Thirteen twisted treat stations will be scattered throughout the zoo featuring a variety of Halloween treats. Trick-or-Treaters are encouraged to bring a bag for candy. Allergy-friendly options will also be available, just look for booths with teal pumpkins and ask for a special token. Tokens can be redeemed for allergy-friendly options at a specialty booth.

Get in the Halloween spirit, we want to see your best costumes. Dressing up isn’t just for the kids, costumes for all are encouraged! Don’t have a costume? No problem! Choose from a variety of festive face painting designs.

Practice your cackle because the Zoo is brewing up a ghoulishly good time. We put a spell on Zoo! Collect heaps of sweets at twisted treat stations nestled between spooktacular decorations and otherworldly entertainment including magicians, fire dancers, villains, and more!
Don’t miss this wickedly fun family tradition.

Thirteen twisted treat stations will be scattered throughout the zoo featuring a variety of Halloween treats. Trick-or-Treaters are encouraged to bring a bag for candy. Allergy-friendly options will also be available, just look for booths with teal pumpkins and ask for a special token. Tokens can be redeemed for allergy-friendly options at a specialty booth.

Get in the Halloween spirit, we want to see your best costumes. Dressing up isn’t just for the kids, costumes for all are encouraged! Don’t have a costume? No problem! Choose from a variety of festive face painting designs.