This weekend, students and families from Milwaukee Public Schools’ Townsend Street School will team with Milwaukee Kitchen Cabinet to host the Sherman Park Revival Celebration.
The event, held Sunday, Aug. 12 from 1 to 4 p.m., will include games, bouncy houses, free food, Bucks and Brewers tickets, school supplies, an appearance by the Racing Sausage, a performance by the Riverside Alumni Band, a trackless train and free school supplies.
Funky Fresh Egg, Point Burger Bar, The Juice Kitchen and SURG Restaurants will serve food, as will Washington High School’s ProStart Culinary Program, using supplies donated by Marcus Hotels.
"Last year, the event was such a huge success, so we brought it back and expanded to serve a larger student population," said Milwaukee Kitchen Cabinet Board Chairman and SURG Restaurant Group President Omar Shaikh. "We think it’s important for our restaurateurs to be involved in all areas of the city, and to be a part of the great work being done to rehabilitate this area."
In 2017, the Kitchen Cabinet restaurant advocacy group donated school supplies and food to about about 200 students and families, focusing on Townsend Street School in the Sherman Park neighborhood.
Last year, Townsend Street School had an enrollment of 326 students in pre-K through eighth grade, according to GreatSchools.org.
"The rehabilitation of the Sherman Park area compliments our mission of revitalizing neighborhoods and increasing economic opportunities," said Frank Crivello, chairman and founder of presenting sponsor, Phoenix Investors.
"We think especially in the city of Milwaukee it’s important to continue to shed light on positive events like the program we’re partnering with the Kitchen Cabinet on."
A press conference with state and municipal legislators, including Sen. LaTonya Johnson, Rep. Evan Goyke, Mayor Tom Barrett, Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton, Ald. Khalif Rainey and Ald. Russell Stamper will precede the event at 12:30 p.m.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
