Arc GLOW

If you're in the market for a smart bandana for Bowser or a nifty cap napper for Fifi, the Genesee County ARC has some doggone good pet products that you can buy to support a great cause.

The pet line began a year ago in May. It helps ARC employ people with different types of disabilities, giving them a sense of pride and accomplishment. ARC also makes boxes for jewelry, filters and for Yancy's Fancy cheese.

Paul Saskowski, ARC's marketing manager, came up with the idea for pet products when he noticed that even during a recession, people spend money on their pets. Pets are treated like members of the family and they have their own special needs.

He did extensive research on the types of materials used in making pet products, such as the dog beds, and the prices stores charged. He wanted high-quality products that were durable and competitively priced.

These include: beds, cat nappers, dog bandanas, dog jackets and soon they hope to bring back their toothsome "Bark Bones."

The popular pet beds range from $25 to $75. They are very tough and will take even the most destructive pet awhile to tear it apart.

"We are nearing our 100th bed sold,” said Saskowski.

A heavy, water-resistant canvas is used for the bottom of the pet beds. The bed can easily be wiped down if it gets wet. There are four colors to choose from -- brown, khaki, black and tan. The top is made from a soft fleece and there are six colors/patterns to choose from: camel, rifle green, dog bones, white paws, red paws, and "bow-wow."

The stuffing is made from a cotton blend. To help with recycling and cut down on the amount of unused material, excess padding from ARC's manufacturing of jewelry boxes is included in the stuffing. This also helps make the beds softer. The beds are machine washable. Just throw the bed in the washing machine and follow the care instructions.

They come in small, medium and large. There is also the option of fiberfill or a pillow-top orthopedic, depending on how soft you want the bedding.

"All orders are custom made," he said, this way, customers can choose their own color/pattern and add the pet's name.

One person sews the pet products and she can make two to three beds per day. Once the order is ready, either the customer will pick up the product or Saskowski will drop it off. On rare occasions, an order comes from out of state and the product is packaged and mailed. Most of the orders come from within the area; the farthest one shipped went to Florida.

The cat nappers are $10, made from cozy fleece and have a touch of irresistable catnip sewed into them. They come in a variety of colors. The dog bandanas cost $2 to $4 are also made from fleece with many prints to choose from, including seasonal holiday ones.

The dog jackets also come in a variety of colors and sizes range from x-small, small and medium. Prices are $10-15. Each item can be personalized with your pet's name for only $5 more.

The Bark Bones are an all-natural, oven-baked dog treat. Currently, the ARC kitchen is undergoing renovations and as soon as they are completed, production of the treats will start once again. These have been a big hit. Dogs find them quite tasty.

Currently the pet product line gets all of its business through fliers in various animal hospitals and shelters, at fairs and local markets, and by word-of-mouth.

"We have fliers in the State Street Animal Hospital and in Mount Morris."

ARC anticipates getting a website to sell the pet line soon, making the products easier to order for a greater number of customers. Several organizations are said to be waiting for the website to launch and plan to post a link to it.

All money made from the pet line stays with the Genesee County ARC.

Its mission statement is "...to support people with disabilities in partnership with their families and the community. We embrace the individuals and nurture their social, spiritual, physical and emotional growth."

To order products or find out more, contact Paul Saskowski at (585) 343-1123, ext. 258 or via e-mail at <www.pasaskowski@rochester.rr.com>.

Two Genesee ARC Staff Members took the afternoon off Wednesday for a cause.  Claudia Nigro and Eileen Corcoran went to Total Image Hair Salon, Batavia, to donate their hair to Locks of Love. Locks of Love is a Florida-based non profit organization that makes hair pieces for financially disadvantaged children suffering from a long term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.  The two creative, long-time ARC employees also used this opportunity to raise   money for the Genesee ARC People Realizing Potential Capital Campaign.

Eileen, a veteran Locks of Love donor recruited Claudia months ago.  Then when ARC’s Capital Campaign was announced, the two “put their heads together” and decided to use the occasion to also raise money to benefit the campaign underway to renovate and refurbish the Genesee ARC Community Center (former St. Mary’s School, Woodrow Road, Batavia

We asked our friends and family to make pledges,” Eileen said.  Claudia added, “Everyone was so generous!”  When all of their pledges are collected, their final tally will exceed $700.00!

Genesee ARC Director of Development, Shelley Falitico praised her colleagues for coming up with this unique idea. “It benefits not one, but two organizations,” she said.  Regarding the capital campaign, Shelley added. “Genesee ARC Staff have been very generous.  With Eileen’s and Claudia’s pledges, gifts from Staff will exceed an impressive $25,000!”

To date, $702,000 has been raised in the $750,000 campaign.  Community Members can make a donation on-line at www.peoplerealizingpotential.com or by calling the Genesee ARC Development & Community Relations Department at 343-1123.  

About the donors: Both are Genesee County residents. Eileen is a Counselor in Genesee ARC’s Vocational Services Department and has been employed by the local disability service provider since 1997. Claudia is a member of the Community Relations Team and is marking her 20 year employment anniversary with Genesee ARC in 2010.

Local business leaders during a tour of the Genesee ARC Community Center.  Pictured from left to right are: Rick Mancuso, Eva Bohn, Skip Charvella, Colleen Odessa and Steve Mullen. The group is part of a larger contingent helping to raise funds to support a new Culinary Arts Training Program for people with disabilities. 

Batavia – Members of the local restaurant industry have joined in the fundraising efforts to help renovate the Genesee ARC Community Center. Eleven area businesses are participating in a promotion that will give a percentage of proceeds to the Genesee ARC Capital Campaign underway to complete work at the agency’s Woodrow Road site, the former St. Mary’s Elementary School.

The promotion runs Sundays through Wednesdays from April 11 - June 9.  Genesee ARC will receive a donation equal to 10% of each purchase when the customer presents a promo card or ad at the following participating businesses: Alabama Hotel, Alex’s Place, Batavia Restaurant Supply, Bohn’s, Clor’s, D & R Depot, Delavan’s, Larry’s Steakhouse, Sport of Kings, TF Browns and Terry Hills.

The promotion excludes Mother’s Day or any other promotions or discounts.  Anyone with questions may contact Genesee ARC Director of Development Shelley Falitico at 343-1123, ext. 231 or sfalitico@rochester.rr.com.

Genesee ARC introduced its new Community Center tonight in a special program that included an art exhibit by ARC clients and a presentation on the organizations fundraising campaign.

Genesee ARC acquired the former St. Mary's School at 38 Woodrow Road, Batavia, two years ago and is in the process of completely remodeling the facility to meet the needs of clients and families.

The project will cost more than $1.4 million, with $750,000 of the funds necessary for the project coming from private donations. So far, 59 percent of the total has been raised, and Genesee ARC is looking for other community members to step forward and help with the fundraising drive.

Tom Houseknecht and his wife Lynn are co-chairs of the campaign. The Houseknecht family has been involved with Genesee ARC from its earliest days. Tom's parents, Ralph and Agnes, lost a developmentally disabled child who was 3 years old and realized the need to support families with developmentally disabled children. The entire Houseknecht family has been involved in supporting Genesee ARC for nearly 35 years.

"We have received much more than we have given, as we have all experienced the special gifts of these individuals and the families that ARC serves," Tom Houseknecht said.

The new facility will offer a culinary arts program, a creative arts room, family support services, recreation and physical fitness and a resource center.

Tonight's program included a showing of art work by several Genesee ARC clients. The featured artist was Henry James Stratton II (pictured below), also known as "Hank," or, in Challenger Baseball season, "Hammerin' Hank."  Hank likes to paint super heroes and villains, but his 11-piece exhibit included a sunset, a zoom mobile and a birthday bonanza.

Several of the artists wanted to have their pictures taken tonight. Please take a moment to click the "read more" link below to see the pictures of these artists and their works.

Joe Gear and his piece, "America."

John Brown with "Train Going Into Station" and "Train With Smoke." John made the wooden frames.

Mary Abella with her son Vincenzo Falcone and his piece, "John 3:16."

Kathy Gartz with "Butterlies."

Genesee ARC Executive Director Donna Saskowski was named Social Worker of the Year by the Western Division of the New York State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

She was selected for her service to people with developmental disabilities, her leadership skills and commitment to community development. Her award nomination was submitted by Barbara Demerest, of Amherst, a former aide to New York State Senator Mary Lou Rath.

“Community leaders and families served by ARC continually note the major positive impact that Donna’s leadership has on the lives of the individuals and families her agency serves, and on the larger community," Demerest said.

During the awards presentation, Demerest said, “Donna particularly has forged partnerships and collaborations, not only strengthening services but integrating persons with disabilities into their communities and maximizing their opportunities for full participation.

"Among the many initiatives she has led are a recreational partnership with the YMCA and a major fundraising effort for the Genesee ARC Community Center (formerly St. Mary’s School).”

Saskowski, a lifelong resident of the town of Darien, received her bachelor's and master's degrees in Social Work from the University of Buffalo School of Social Work and has been on staff at Genesee ARC since 1989 and Executive Director since 2004.

In addition to her affiliation with NASW, Saskowski is a member of the Batavia Rotary Club and the Genesee County United Way Board of Directors. She is president of the Finger Lakes Collaborative, and belongs to NYSARC’s Executive Directors’ Association and Developmental Disabilities Alliance of Western New York. In 2006, she was a member of the Community Health Foundation Leadership Fellows and she is a member of Leadership Genesee’s Class of 2005.

Members of Genesee ARC's Challenger program had a chance to ride snowmobiles and all-terrain winter vehicles today, courtesy the Genesee Sno-Packers snowmobile club.  The annual event was held at the Sno-Packers facility on Pearl Street Road in Oakfield.

More pictures after the jump:

Carl Jeering connects with a pitch that will sail over the right-center field fence for the first-ever over-the-fence home run in Challenger Baseball history.

The sports program gives children and young people ages 5 to 21 with special needs a chance to play ball. It's a joint effort of the YMCA, Genesee ARC and a group of dedicated volunteers.

More than 60 athletes are in the league, which now has six teams. Games are played at the Batavia Minor League fields at MacArthur Park.

After the game, Batavia Minor League manager Paul Sputore was honored for his support of Challenger Baseball. Shelley Falitico, director of development for Genesee ARC, said "Challenger Baseball wouldn't be possible without Paul."

Jeering, above, is 18 and graduates from Batavia High School this week.