PARSIPPANY — Soccer goalie Rochelle Blair, 22, wishes she was back home in New Jersey, but her parents, both semi-retired educators, and the family dog are sheltering in place in Florida, where they were spending the winter before the world changed due to COVID-19. Blair is in Maryland with a friend, keeping a positive attitude despite not having the graduation she’d hoped for at Howard University.

Rochelle is also a graduate of Parsippany Hills High School Class of 2016.

Her dad coached basketball and football, and Blair credits him for nurturing her love of sports. She first played soccer at age three and her parents appreciated that expended some of her abundant energy. By the time the family settled in New Jersey when she was six, it was her favorite sport.

“I got on a little team that would practice right outside my elementary school,” she said. “I fell in love with it and it grew. I never wanted to stop playing. I started doing indoor things. I joined more teams.”

She also dabbled in basketball, but soccer was her love and she excelled despite having asthma. Although it didn’t determine her focusing on the goalie position, that has been a good choice, and she’s even kept an inhaler by the goalpost, especially on hot days.

Family ties are part of the reason Blair chose to attend Howard. Her mother taught there for more than a decade and most recently taught at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Blair wore the green highlight in her hair in honor of her mother and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. “I’m a legacy because of my mother, but because of soccer, I wasn’t able to pledge,” Blair said. “I was so excited we had pink jerseys my senior year [pink and green are AKA’s colors].”

Her father has attended almost every single one of Blair’s games. Her mother, who still mentors doctoral students, has missed some due to work obligations. Blair is looking into joining AKA as a post-grad. Playing a sport at Howard was fantastic and she treasures having been part of “a team of beautiful girls all different shades of brown,” she said. “I’d never been on a team that looked like that. It was really cool.”

An elementary education major, Blair is hoping to begin teaching in the near future. Soccer is still on her radar and she plans to join an adult team and said it would be fantastic to coach soccer to elementary school kids.

“Since we’ve been under quarantine, I’ve been reading books to kids online and doing mini-lessons,” she said. “Teaching elementary school is where my heart is.”

PARSIPPANY — Classes 4 A Cause (C4C) is excited to launch “Virtual Summer Camp.” Classes begin Monday, July 13. It is a fun-filled half-day virtual camp for children who may not be able to venture out due to the COVID-19 situation. While parents work from home, children will be busy learning new skills or maybe polish what they already know.

Riya Dadheech, founder of Classes 4 A Cause and Purple Paint says, “It is really a win-win-win situation. Parents will be able to focus on their work, children will spend a summer vacation in a constructive way learning new skills and above all 100% proceeds go to support our community.”

Classes 4 A Cause aims to deliver 5000 lbs of food to various food pantries over the summer. Please enroll and support. And most importantly share Classes 4 A Cause Virtual Summer Camp in your network. We all can make a difference.

Classes 4 A Cause – C4C raised $1000 during the first session that ended on May 31. 100% of the proceeds were donated to Parsippany Food Pantry, Parsippany, and Interfaith Food Pantry, Morris Plains. Student volunteers Ria J, Nehal S, Malvika C, Krrish T, Prisha K, Anika A, and Riya D were behind the success of the first session. The second session is currently in progress and will end on July 12.

Classes 4 A Cause – C4C is continuously adding new classes. If you are a high school student or a rising high school student and would like to share your skills with other children, please contact them by sending an email to classes4acause@purpleppaint.org.

Classes 4 A Cause invites all parents to join the movement by enrolling children at classes4acause.purplepaint.org. You can also support by simply making a donation.

PARSIPPANY — Preschool Advantage, a locally-based non-profit organization, helps families pay for preschool at 28 Morris and Somerset County preschools, including All Saints Academy, Children’s Circle and Hearts and Hands in Parsippany.  (Click here for a full list of partner preschools.)

Applications for tuition assistance for the school year beginning in September 2020 are being accepted now. Children must be 3-or 4-years old by October 1, 2020.  You can call the Preschool Advantage office at (973) 532-2501 for an application or download by clicking here.

Preschool Advantage is a non-profit organization whose mission is to give children a fair chance to succeed in life. We raise funds to open the doors of preschool and unlock the possibilities beyond.

PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany President Frank Cahill welcomed new member Bonnie Sturm during a Zoom meeting on Thursday, July 2.

Bonnie recently retired from the Parsippany-Troy Hills School system after teaching for 35 years, her first year at Parsippany High School (85-86) then at Parsippany Hills High School for the last 34 years. She was also the Kiwanis Key Club advisor for the past 22 years.

Due to COVID-19, Cahill met Bonnie earlier in the week to give her the membership card, membership plaque, and her pin, then officially inducted her into the club on Thursday.

Cahill said “Kiwanis is something so good that each of us loves to share it. What better way to show our love for our club and our community than to welcome a new member to our club? Today we’re very pleased to welcome Bonnie Sturm to our club. Although not new to Kiwanis, we welcome Bonnie to our global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. These times of COVID-19, we are forced to do things a little differently. Bonnie will be a great asset to our club with her extensive experience as Key Club advisor.”

In addition, New Jersey District of Kiwanis International Governor Gordon Meth appointed Bonnie as a Key Club Zone Advisor.  The New Jersey District of Key Club is comprised of passionate, hard-working high schoolers dedicated to serving their homes, schools, and communities. We strive to make the world a better place through service and caring. The 2020 District Project this year is “Keeping the Garden State Green”! To learn more about our partners and everything you can do to contribute click here.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany is the largest Kiwanis Club in the State of New Jersey with 77 members. New members are always welcome. (Click here for more information on Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany). Kiwanis members dedicate more than 6 million volunteer hours and invest more than $100 million in service projects that strengthen communities and serve children every year. Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany ensures that all children have the opportunity to lead healthy, successful lives. They believe that by helping one child, you help the world.

If you are interested in learning about our club, we currently meet weekly on Thursday at 7:30 a.m. via Zoom. (Join us by clicking here). For more information click here.