Brooksie Way Minigrants to Help Fire & Ice Festival, Senior Olympics

Families from all over Oakland County will come to Rochester's Fire & Ice Festival this weekend for ice skating, snow snoeing, and more — made possible in part by The Brooksie Way Minigrant program.

The Rochester Downtown Development Authority, which operates the festival, is among seven Oakland County entities to receive over $8,000 in funds, county officials announced on Thursday in Waterford. Minigrant funds will be used to promote the lineup of activities, which also include tube sledding, broom ball, dog sled rides, and cross-country skiing.

For more about the festival, visit our special section on Rochester Patch.

Another Rochester-based organization involved in promoting a healthy, active lifestyle, the Michigan Senior Olympics, were also among the recipients. Their funds will go towards the purchase of new equipment at the 2013 Summer Games, including table tennis balls, archery targets, and badminton shuttlecocks.

The other awards went to the Royal Oak Community Coalition, the Judson Center of Royal Oak, the City of Auburn Hills, McLaren Oakland, and Oakland Schools.

County Executive L. Brooks Patterson created the minigrant program to use proceeds from The Brooksie Way Half Marathon to support wellness programs in Oakland County. The maximum award is $2,000, and the awards are reviewed and distributed three times a year.