We published hundreds of articles on the ValpoLife Community Section this past year. Massive community gatherings, veteran stories, and much more was fair game for sharing! With so many notable events in Northwest Indiana, it’s no wonder we had so many stories to choose from!
Have a good story to share? It is still as easy as ever to share your story with us! Just send an email to share@valpolife.com and we’ll be on it!
Without further ado (and in no particular order), here are the Top 10 Community articles from ValpoLife in 2017!
Lit’l Kernel Puff Race Comes Full Circle
The Valpo Parks Popcorn Panic and Lit’l Kernel Puff Race are both highly anticipated events at the Popcorn Festival each year. A fun, local tradition that gets many out of the house, into the community, and moving through the streets, it’s been a long-standing event to which Valparaiso residents look forward. For many, the Lit’l Kernel Puff race is a fun novelty that they get to participate in each year. For others, though, the races have become something even more. The Lit’l Kernel Puff Race was something fun and exciting for Lisa Baisden, Youth Recreation Director for Valpo Parks, as a child, and now she’s directing it and helping others make those same memories.
Valpo Parks Foundation Party in the Park Fundraiser Focuses on Family Fun for Good Cause
Welcoming in the first flurries of the season, the Valparaiso Parks Foundation Party in the Park Fundraiser lit up the evening with winter festivities and fun-filled activities centered around the William E. Urschel Pavilion Ice Rink, with all funds going towards keeping Valparaiso’s parks vibrant and growing.
How a Valpo Teen and Friends Spontaneously Became Part of a 'Magical' Proposal at Valparaiso's Central Park Plaza
On Saturday night, November 11th, Isabel Blaney of Valparaiso and three of her friends had a sleepover and decided to go downtown and grab a snack in Valparaiso.
Dogs of all Sizes Strutted out to Lakeshore PAWS 2017 Pup Crawl
Each year the Valparaiso community and its four-legged friends look forward to the annual Lakeshore Paws Pup Crawl. The 2017 event was hosted at Central Park Plaza in downtown Valparaiso on Saturday and featured something for everyone. Families with dogs, supporters, and dogs in need of adoption gathered to support Lakeshore Paws and the animals it helps to find homes.
Valpo Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs Partner to Put on One-of-a-Kind Celebration for NWI Veterans
The Valparaiso Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs held their first Veterans Day Observance Dinner Program on Wednesday. The banquet honored those who have served to show appreciation for local veterans. The dinner sold out a week in advance with more than 400 attendees.
Culver’s of Valparaiso Hosts Welcome Home Celebration for Retiring Air National Guard Member
Retirement is always cause for celebration and a great reason for a party. Pair that retirement with a long-awaited homecoming from Afghanistan though, and there’s even more reason to celebrate. On Saturday, Culver’s of Valparaiso hosted a welcome home and retirement party for Master Sargent George Rebus of the Michigan Air National Guard, whom returned home on July 29th.
Memorial Elementary Students Meet VHS Football Pen Pals
Normally, when you’re an adult walking the halls of an elementary school, you are quite literally head and shoulders (and then some) above most of the students. However, today the halls of Memorial Elementary school had the entire Valparaiso High school football team streaming down in a river of white and green. Today was the day that the kids at Memorial got to meet their high school pen pals for the first time.
Washington Township School Student Gets Surprised by Deployed Mom
When Washington Township School 6th grader Madison Tsotigh sat down for her study hall class on Thursday, she had no idea a very special person was going to give her a big surprise. As she looked down at her homework, Tsotigh felt a hand on her back. When she turned around, she saw her mother for the first time in seven months.
Albert’s Diamond Jewelers Presents 220K Check to National MS Society for Vital Research
Albert’s Diamond Jewelers presented a $220, 557.60 check to the National MS Society this Tuesday morning in Schererville as a donation to support its mission to end multiple sclerosis. Father and son store owners of Albert’s, Frederick and Joshua Halpert, have been choosing to fundraise for the MS Society at their Annual MS Auction for 15 years now.
500 Turkeys Kicks Off Two Day Event, Feeds Hundreds of Families
Nine years ago, Jenni Bolton opened an envelope that would change her life forever and Thanksgiving for hundreds of families cross Northwest Indiana. The message in the envelope said, “Feed 500 families, Food and Faith.”