On October 17^th Richardson High School kicks off the new season with a celebration. Join us from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm with Food Trucks and entertainment prior to the opening night of Henrik Ibsen and Arthur Miller’s ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. 

This evening’s celebration includes the unveiling of the rebrand of RHS Theatre, now The Theatre Collective at Richardson High School. At short ceremony will begin at 7:30 pm immediately followed by the opening night of ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.

Dr. Stockmann attempts to expose a water pollution scandal in his hometown, which is about to establish itself as a spa. When his brother, the mayor, conspires with local politicians and the newspaper to suppress the story, Stockmann appeals to the public meeting—only to be shouted down and reviled as ‘an enemy of the people’. Ibsen’s explosive play reveals his distrust of politicians and the blindly held prejudices of the ‘solid majority’. ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE runs Thursday, October 17 to Monday, October 21^st in the Blackbox at Richardson High School located at 1250 W. Beltline Road.  For more information on show times and tickets please visit rhscollective.org.

Since 1963, the Richardson Family YMCA has been listening and responding to our City’s most critical social needs, serving more than 13,000 children annually. Whether teaching lifesaving skills to children through swim lessons, developing leadership skills in teens, providing a safe place for children after school, or energizing healthier lifestyles for all, the Y has remained dedicated to empowering those in the community to be healthy, confident and connected.

The Richardson Y is proud to report that with the support of 405 donors, its 2018 Annual Campaign surpassed this year’s donation goal with contributions exceeding $107,000 to support the children and families in our community. Julius Odom, Owner of MIH Elite Consulting, led this year’s successful campaign as Chairman, with an additional 39 volunteers contributing their time and energy to driving the campaign’s success.

“The Y’s promise to the Richardson community is that no child, family or adult will ever be turned away. We recognize that for the community to succeed, everyone must be given an opportunity to not only participate but to grow and reach their full potential,” said Nick Echtenkamp, Executive Director of the Richardson Family YMCA.

At a Celebration Dinner at Ten50 BBQ in April, the YMCA leadership and volunteers recognized the outstanding work achieved during the campaign.  Joining in this celebration were City of Richardson City Council Members Mark Solomon, Scott Dunn, Marta Gomez Frey, and Bob Dubey.

Corporate donors generously giving at the Chairman’s Round Table level this year include:

$5,000 and up: Methodist Richardson Medical Center, Friends of Rob Foundation and N the Zone Photography                                                                                          

$2,000 to $5000: Rockwell Collins, and Trinity Sunday School Class of First United Methodist Church

$1,000-2,000: Atmos Energy, Game On Uniforms, Pavillion Bank,  Bry-Jo Roofing & Remodeling                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Efforts for the 2019 Annual Campaign are already in full swing with Troy Ashby, Recruiting Partner at Benchmark Search Group, assuming the role of Chairman. Adam Keller, Financial Advisor at Atlas Wealth Management, will take on Ashby’s prior role of Vice Chairman.

Information about the Richardson Y and how the Annual Campaign supports its ongoing programs can be found at www.richardsonymca.org.

RHS Theatre presents THE ADDAMS FAMILY,  an original story, and it’s every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. A man her parents have never met. And if that weren’t upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before — keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

Come meet the family. We'll leave the lights off for you..

 Performances:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Thursday, February  1st 7:30pm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Friday,  February 2^nd 7:30  pm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Saturday, February 3^rd 7:30 pm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Sunday, February 4^th at 2:00 pm

Tickets:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Reserved seating:  Adults $12, Seniors  $10, Students $10  Children $5

General Seating near stage:  Adults $10, Seniors $8, Students $8

General Admission $5 for all

All performances are at the Richardson High School Auditorium located at 1250 Beltline Road, Richardson 75080.

For more information or to get tickets go to www.rhstheatre.org

Destination ImagiNation’s 2017-18 season has officially begun! Children are invited to start a team in Destination ImagiNation today and become a part of the world’s premier creativity, teamwork and problem-solving program. To date, Destination ImagiNation has engaged more than 3 million participants worldwide. From engineering to service learning to improvisation, this season’s new and unique Challenges are sure to stretch your imagination even further and take you on a journey of a lifetime—all while helping you learn and improve on your interpersonal and management skills, celebrate your creativity, persevere from imagination to innovation and, of course, have fun!

Destination ImagiNation (DI) is an innovative organization that teaches creativity, teamwork and problem-solving. In DI, student teams participate in Challenges, exercises that socially and intellectually activate students by prompting them to use creativity and teamwork to solve problems. DI Team Challenges fall into seven categories: technical and mechanical; science and theater arts; theater and fine arts; improvisation and theater arts; structural and architectural design; Rising Stars! for early learners; and projectOUTREACH, DI’s community service challenge.

On Tuesday, September 19 at 7 p.m. the Dal-Rich Region, which serves RISD schools, will host a DI interest session. This meeting is an introduction to the DI program. The meeting will be held at the Richardson Professional Development Center (701 W. Belt Line Road. Richardson, TX 75080).

For more information regarding team registration deadlines, tournament dates and how to start a team, email sgonterman@att.net or Jean.Cieszkowski@risd.org. For more information on Destination ImagiNation® check out idodi.org .

The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas honored 27 area volunteers at its 132nd Annual Meeting held April 13^th at the Fairmont Hotel.  Volunteers were lauded for their continued dedication and generosity to the North Texas community.  YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas President Emeritus Gordon Echtenkamp and Curt Hazelbaker, CEO and President were the evening’s speakers.

 Two individuals received the organization’s prestigious Distinguished YMCA Leadership Award for consistent and extraordinary leadership in community service.

 The Theodore P. Beasley YMCA Distinguished Leadership Award was given to Bruce Leib for his dedication and services to the Dallas community. Folz has served on the Board of Directors for the Dallas YMCA for past 16 years and previously served 11 years on the Town North Y’s Board of Management.  Leib’s dedicated and distinguished leadership embodies the spirit of the Theodore P. Beasley Award. The Theodore P. Beasley Award is given annually in recognition of outstanding service and leadership to the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas.

 The Charles P. Storey Strong Communities Award was given to Marshall Sutton for his dedicated service to the Grand Prairie YMCA. Sutton’s volunteer service more than 40 years.  He has served as a board member, Annual Campaign chair, Major Gifts Chair and Leadership Development Chair for the Grand Prairie YMCA Board of Management.  Marshall’s ability to connect the YMCA and the Grand Prairie community over the last 40 years exemplifies the mission, purpose, and ideals of the YMCA. The Strong Communities Award is given to a YMCA volunteer who has been instrumental in creation and perpetuation of a local YMCA.

Twenty-one volunteers were recognized as the Volunteer of the Year in their community.  Honorees included: Camp Grady Spruce - Bill Hines, Collin County Adventure Camp – Jason Massingill, Coppell YMCA- Don Scott, Cross Timbers YMCA- Ash Carter, Frisco YMCA, Kelley Goebel, Grand Prairie YMCA – Richard Hart, Irving YMCA- Rick Nolly, JER Chilton YMCA – Bill Michalenko, Lake Highland YMCA – John Smiley, Lakewest YMCA – Marvin Jones, McKinney YMCA – Leah Doughit, Moody YMCA – Chris Crocker, Moorland YMCA- Jeanette Guiden, Oak Cliff YMCA- Keith and Kevin Harris, Park South YMCA – Terry Kittleson, Plano YMCA – David Dillard, Richardson YMCA – Jose Estrada, T. Boone Pickens YMCA – Neil Anderson, Town North YMCA- Brooke Villalba

Four teens were honored with the YMCA Youth Character Award who embody the YMCA core values of honesty, respect, responsibility and caring.  Honored were Athena Brusse, a freshman at Ursuline Academy, Christian Gialdor, a senior at Rockwall Heath High School, G’Colby Spivey, an 8^th grader at Bishop Dunne and Nandita Vegesna, a junior at Imagine International Academy of North Texas.

 Sponsors for the evening were:

 $2,500 Silver Sponsor:  The Beck Group, Oncor Delivery and PricewaterhouseCooper

 $1,500 Red Sponsors: Ames Printing, Bank of America, Children’s Health, Ben E. Keith, Haynes and Boone LLP, McQueary Henry Bowles Troy LLP, and Texas Bank Financial