Community Corner
Community Dinner to Continue Contributions to Dearborn Family
A March 6 fundraiser will help raise funds for the Cannizzaro children, who lost both of their parents in 2012.
An upcoming dinner will continue the outpouring of support for a Dearborn family facing tremendous hardship.
The Dearborn Community Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser, set for March 6, will raise funds for the Cannizzaro family. The event will take place from 4-8 p.m. at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, located at 15801 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn.
In December 2012, Nikki Cannizzaro lost her battle with cancer. About a month later, on Jan. 20, the three Cannizzaro children lost their father, Ray, to a pulmonary embolism. Now, their grandmother, Shirley Sironen, has stepped up to raise the three children—Michael, Chastity and Drako.
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“I don’t need anything, I have all I need," commented Sironen. "I just want to be able to provide the food, clothes and other items that my grandchildren need now and in the future."
The fundraiser comes after more than a month of support for the family from every angle: Dearborn business Yogurtown held a fundraiser on Jan. 29, raising $1,200 for the family. Community donations brought in at least $1,000 more. Several schools—including River Oaks and Henry Ford Elementary—held fundraisers for the family, raising hundreds of dollars at each school.
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The upcoming community fundraiser will also feature a tin can raffle, music and face painting for kids. Donated desserts will be available for an additional cost.
Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for children (age 2 and under free).
The event is sponsored by the City of Dearborn, Dearborn Public Schools, Dearborn Firefighters Burn Drive, Gary Kuhlmann from Park Place Banquet Hall and Catering, adult and student community service groups, and a slew of individuals.
There will also be an adults-only afterglow with a cash bar at The Biergarten, located at 22184 Michigan Ave., starting at 8 p.m. The afterglow will feature karaoke and guest bartenders from the Dearborn Firefighters Burn Drive and other local "celebrities."
