Organizations

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

Contact Info

A nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. For cancer information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit their web site at www.cancer.org. Your local representative is Rachael Stern, 129 Jefferson, Grand Rapids, MI  49503. Rachael can also be reached at 616-551-4036 or 616-364-6121 or rachael.stern@cancer.org.

Relay for Life for 2008 is June 6 & 7, 2008, 3:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Nickels Intermediate School, 8638 Byron Center Ave. SW, Byron Center. To volunteer or participate call 364-6121.

BCTV

BCTV - Byron Center's educational access television station which airs on AT&T Cable Channel 25. The station's goal is to provide educational programming that supports and promotes the values of Byron Township. BCTV is located in Byron Center's public high school. The majority of programs that air on BCTV are locally produced through Byron Center's public and parochial school districts. For more information please call 878-6860.

BYRON COMMUNITY MINISTRIES

"Byron Community Ministries is an outreach of nineteen sponsoring and supporting Byron area churches. It is committed to serving the needs of disadvantaged, lower economic, in-need, at-risk and senior persons in the wider Byron area, with out preference, in the name of Jesus Christ."- mission statement.

Services include food and clothing distribution, senior meals to the homebound as well as senior congregate meals, counseling, blood drives, flu shot clinic and financial counseling. For more information please call 878-6000. Director-Steve Gibson.

BYRON AREA MUSEUM AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The Byron Center Historical Society preserves the history of Byron Township by accumulating and assembling historical information. Open 12-3, M & W and the last Saturday of the month, the museum is located at 2506 Prescott St., Byron Center. Please contact Elaine Snyder at 878-0888 for more information.

BYRON CENTER ROTARY

Promotes the ideal of service as a basis for worthy enterprise.  For more information please contact Pete Quakkelaar @ 616.583.8300 or visit their website.

BYRON TOWNSHIP LIBRARY

Library service has been available since the mid 1870's for the residents of Byron Township. In 1887, the township clerk was paid $27.50 from Kent County to operate the Byron Library out of his office. In the 1930's, the WPA organized a collection of 300 books in the Township Hall. Hours were Wednesday and Saturday evenings. Since that modest beginning, the Byron Township library has developed a current collection of 46,000 items, is serviced by a staff of 10 and are now open 52 hours when they moved to their new location, 8191 Byron Center Ave. SW, in late December of 2003. This 13,600 sq ft building is open Mondays and Thursdays 12-8, Tuesdays 9:30-8:00 and Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays 9:30-5:00 starting December 22nd of 2003.

Please call 647-3830 (branch manager, Marie VanFleet) or visit the Kent District Libraries web site at www.kdl.org for more information.

BYRON TOWNSHIP PARKS AND RECREATION

Director- Carrie Klingelsmith, CPRP @ 878-1998
Byron Township

Byron Township Recreation
The Byron Township Recreation Department is committed to offering quality recreation programs to the Byron Center community. There are a variety of programs for youth, adult and seniors. Some of the youth programs include basketball, football, baseball, softball, enrichment classes and summer activities. The adult programs include league sports such as slow pitch softball, fast pitch softball, volleyball and basketball. The senior programs include luncheons, trips and special events on a monthly basis. The Recreation Department is expanding it's offerings as much as possible to accommodate the growing community.

For more information about new and existing programs that are offered please feel free to contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 878-1998 or check us out at www.byrontownship.org, under the Parks and Recreation link.

Byron Township Parks

Bicentennial Park
8085 Byron Center Avenue SW
Open daily (7am-10pm)
(Closed to vehicular traffic November -March)
Facilities - restrooms, tennis courts, basketball courts, shuffleboard courts, softball and baseball diamonds, wooded trail and playground equipment.

Cutler Park
6751 Buchanan Avenue SW
Open daily (7am-10pm)
(Closed to vehicular traffic November -March)
Facilities - softball and baseball diamonds, tennis courts, shuffleboard courts and playground equipment.

Whistlestop Park
2120 - 76th Street SW
Open daily (7am-10pm)
(Closed to vehicular traffic November -March)
Facilities - 2 restroom buildings with concession stands, 4 adult softball diamonds, 4 youth softball/baseball diamonds, soccer fields, youth football fields, playground equipment, catch and release fishing pond, pavilion, picnic areas, and walking paths.

Kent County Parks
Douglas Walker Park (Kent County)
1191- 84th St. SW
Open daily - 7:00 a.m. until dark
(Closed to vehicular traffic November through March)
Reservations/information - Kent County Parks and Recreation (336-3697)
Facilities- restrooms, softball/baseball diamonds, soccer field(s), picnic tables and a pavilion (by reservation only)

Kent Trails (Johnson Park, John Ball Park, Douglas Walker Park)
Information- Kent County Parks Department (336-3697)
Permitted uses-walking, hiking, running, biking, rollerblading and cross country skiing (non-motorized vehicles only)

COMMUNITY WELLNESS CONNECTION

The Community Wellness Connection of Kent County is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a safe, healthy, caring and exciting community. "Community" is broadly defined as, but not limited to our schools, government units, service agencies, religious institutions and businesses that are part the Byron Center area. Members include police officers, school personnel and administrators, health officials, business people and parents. For more information please contact John Belaski at 364-5535.

MICHIGAN COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTER-Grand Valley

Michigan Community Blood Centers-Grand Valley is a nonprofit organization that provides 100% of the blood supply for all hospitals in Kent County. Any healthy person 17 or older who weighs 110 pounds or more may be eligible to give blood every 56 days. Volunteer blood donors are needed year-round. For more information on sponsoring a blood drive, contact GVMOBILE@miblood.org. It's About Life!

VAN SINGEL FINE ARTS CENTER

The Van Singel Fine Arts Center is a multi-faceted arts facility in Byron Center, Michigan at the Byron Center High School, 8500 Byron Center Ave., near the intersection of 84th St. SW and Burlingame Ave.

Located between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, it offers performing arts enthusiasts a prime venue featuring many popular off Broadway touring productions, as well as elaborate high school productions and corporate satellite conferences, focusing on providing family friendly entertainment in this state of the art theatre.

In partnership with Kent Career Technical Center, it offers educational opportunities to students throughout Kent County by providing the only Theatre Arts Technology Program that serves both public and private high schools.

The Gainey Gallery, an integral component of this diverse facility, is an art gallery featuring a different artist or art group each month from September through May. It is open and free to the public Monday through Friday, 12 noon to 5 p.m.

The Van Singel Fine Arts Center is also available for rent as it is a popular facility used by many area corporations for company meetings and gatherings.

Spartan Stores YMCA

Putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body; membership open to all. Now open in the Metro Health Village in Wyoming.  Please contact Nicole Pratt @ 616.855.5504 for more information or visit their website.