The annual Grosse Pointe War Memorial Summer Music Festival resumes July 14 and will continue on Wednesday evenings through Aug. 11.

DeSERANNO Wealth Planning is a sponsor of the event, and representatives of the firm will be available at a tent during the festival to answer questions about DeSERANNO’S services.

Featured entertainment during the festival will include:

• July 14, Devin Scillian & Arizona Son, country and folk
• July 21, The Beat Club, a Beatles tribute band
• July 28, The Sun Messengers, classic rock ’n’ roll
• Aug. 4, Air Margaritaville, a tribute to Jimmy Buffett
• Aug. 11, Darrin Hagel, a tribute to Elvis Presley.

The concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. on the grounds of the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, which will open at 6 p.m. Patrons traditionally bring picnic baskets, blankets and lawn chairs to the festival, known as one of the best lakeside music venues in Michigan. Burgers, brats, hot dogs, pop and water also can be purchased at the festival. In the event of rain, the shows will be moved indoors at the Fries Building, which features a 450-seat auditorium.

The admission fee is $8 per person. Admission is free for a child 10 and under accompanied by a paying adult; the fee is $4 for each additional child. To register for the festival, call 313-881-7511, fax a request to 313-884-6638, or register in person from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 32 Lakeshore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., 48236. For more information about the festival, visit
http://www.warmemorial.org.

Kids on the Go, a non-profit program that provides physical, occupational and speech therapy for special-needs children during the summer, will begin its 12th year July 9 with a kickoff event at Assumption Cultural Center, 21800 Marter Road, St. Clair Shores, Mich.

The mission of Kids on the Go is to address special-needs children’s individualized education plan goals established at the end of the school year and to maintain their current skills during the summer.

Affiliated with St. John Community Health, the program serves the metropolitan Detroit area, providing therapy up to two times a week at no cost to the families of children in the program.

A program such as Kids on the Go is rarely a covered medical benefit and often is too costly ($90 for every 15 minutes of therapy) for private payment. The support of private donors, charitable organizations, and local businesses, including DeSERANNO Wealth Planning, makes Kids on the Go possible.

A light continental breakfast and refreshments will be served at the July 9 kickoff event, and local media has been invited. For the program’s sponsors, “this is a wonderful opportunity for you to meet the children you have sponsored and see the difference you are making in their lives this summer,” says Kristy Piana Schena, Executive Director/Founder of Kids on the Go.

To learn more about Kids on the Go,
click here.

The Grosse Pointe Farms Boat Club is hosting its Annual Regatta over the July 4th weekend, with a wide array of fun-filled family activities on the schedule.

DeSERANNO Wealth Planning again is a sponsor of the event, which is expected to draw more than 2,000 people to Grosse Pointe Farms Pier Park.

The Regatta kicks off at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 1, with the final sailing race of the club’s June series. Guests can watch the boats cross the starting line while enjoying some small snacks. After the race, the sailors and their crews will be recognized during a cookout in the picnic pavilion.

Children of all ages can participate in the Regatta’s Art in the Park Contest, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 2, at the community center building. Each child will be assigned a section of sidewalk to decorate with chalk, and judges later will select the best artistic creations.

A full day of activities begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 3, with a bicycle decorating contest for kids. Other activities will include a pie-eating contest, inflatable boat races, a rubber duckie race, a boat decorating contest, a sand castle contest, face painting, children’s games, a pie-baking contest and a table decorating contest. Live music and fireworks will follow in the evening.

The Regatta concludes with a pet parade that will begin at 1 p.m., Sunday, July 4, at the tennis courts.
For more information about the Regatta, visit www.grossepointefarmsboatclub.com.

DeSERANNO Wealth Planning recently sponsored two major events celebrating the 100th anniversary of The Historic Alger House at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.

The first event was the “Come Fly with Me!” Gala on April 17, 2010, and the second was Community Celebration Day on May 23, 2010.

During the gala, The Historic Alger House was decorated in 1910 fashion, and Alger artifacts on loan from the Detroit Historical Museum were displayed. Entertainment was provided by the Rhythm Society Orchestra and the Satin Dolls. All proceeds from the gala will help to support the preservation of The Historic Alger House, and will fund the newly created Patriots Scholarship Fund.

Families and other guests enjoyed a variety of activities at Community Celebration Day, which featured live music, food, tours of The Historic Alger House, games, exhibits of military vehicles and antique cars, a sea plane landing and a Coast Guard rescue demonstration.

The Historic Alger House is the former home of the Russell Alger family. Built in 1910 in the Italian Renaissance style, it originally was known as “The Moorings.”

Shortly after Russell Alger’s death in 1930, the Moorings became a branch of the Detroit Institute of Arts. In 1949, it was donated to the community to serve as a perpetual memorial to veterans and as a center for educational and charitable activities. The name became The Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association. The original home, now known as The Historic Alger House, is designated as a state and national historic site.

Supporters of the Grosse Pointe War Memorial are encouraged to purchase Arcadia Books’ new photo book on the Grosse Point War Memorial and The Historic Alger House. The book is available for $20 at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.