On the Calendar
Willie Ross School for the Deaf Annual Gala
Oct. 14: Willie Ross School for the Deaf (WRSD) will hold its annual gala on Thursday, Oct. 14 as a hybrid in-person and livestreamed event, with the in-person event taking place at Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow. The event will begin at 6 p.m. Gala honorees include Barbara Garvey, John Gallup (posthumously), and John Ernst, founder and president of Ernst Financial Group. Garvey currently serves on the WRSD board of trustees and has been involved with the school for more than 35 years, also having served as vice chair of the executive committee. Gallup was a longtime board member and supporter of the school. He passed away this past March. Ernst has also been a longtime supporter of the school. WRSD is holding an online auction as part of its annual gala event. Bidding is live until Wednesday, Oct. 13, and the auction can be found at events.readysetauction.com/willierossschoolfordeafinc/gala2021. Winners will be announced at the gala. To register or become a sponsor for the gala, visit www.wrsdeaf.org/annual-gala. All virtual registrants will receive a streaming link and digital program on Oct. 14. Registrants for the in-person event must be fully vaccinated in order to attend. According to Bert Carter, president and CEO of WRSD, “our annual gala allows our community to come together and celebrate those who have played a critical role in the success of the Willie Ross School. Barbara Garvey, the late John Gallup, and John Ernst are considered giants in terms of assuring the school’s success. We look forward to celebrating them and to bringing our school and our supporters together in this special in-person and virtual hybrid event.” WRSD recently completed a $2.5 million renovation of the school’s Sidney Cooley Administration building, which accommodates its growing needs and programming. The renovation and expansion took two years to complete and added a second story to its administration building that features new space for interpreters, an updated audiology center, a redesigned main entrance, improved wheelchair access, new space for the school’s Work Study Program, and upgraded administrative technology.
Michael J. Dias Foundation Fundraising Golf Tournament
Oct. 18: The Michael J. Dias Foundation, an agency that offers sober housing to those in recovery in the Pioneer Valley, will present its eighth annual golf tournament fundraiser at Ludlow Country Club. The event, sponsored by Luso Federal Credit Union, will begin with registration at 9 a.m. and a shotgun start at 10 a.m. The cost per golfer is $125, which includes greens fees, cart, lunch, and dinner. Visit www.mdiasfoundation.org for more information. Any questions may be directed to Isabel Martins at imartins@mdiasfoundation.org or (617) 429-0541.
‘Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know’
Oct. 18, 25: Attorney Karen Jackson, an elder-law and estate-planning attorney at Jackson Law, will teach a two-part class highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning at Holyoke Community College (HCC). The four-hour course, called “Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know,” will be presented in a pair of two-hour sessions, from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $99. “The course will explain the basic building blocks of an estate plan,” Jackson said. “From that foundation, we will also consider the various specialized trust documents that support this planning. I will clarify the probate court process and what it means to probate a will. And I will explore current MassHealth issues in the event of a nursing-home stay.” In the first session, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan — the will, power of attorney, healthcare proxy, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) release, and advance directive. She will discuss the problems that can occur when proper documents are not prepared before a loss of mental capacity or physical health or before sudden loss of life. In the first session, she will also cover the different types of trusts — the revocable trust, irrevocable trust, and special-needs trust — and the reasons for creating each kind of trust. During the second session, Jackson will explain the various tools and techniques to save the home and other assets from the nursing home bill: gifting, the Medicaid qualified annuity, pooled trusts, caregiver child exception, and Medicaid qualified trusts. For participants who may be able to attend only one session, the full course fee is still required. To register, call HCC at (413) 552-2500 or register online at www.hcc.edu/bce.
Healthcare Heroes
Oct. 21: HCN and BusinessWest will honor its Healthcare Heroes class of 2021 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The Healthcare Heroes, profiled in this issue, include James Goodwin, president and CEO of the Center for Human Development (Lifetime Achievement); Dr. Sarah Haessler, hospital epidemiologist at Baystate Medical Center and vice chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Medicine at Baystate Health (Emerging Leader); Beth Cardillo, executive director of Armbrook Village (Community Health); Richard Johnson, Counseling and Testing Prevention and Education Program director at New North Citizens Council Inc. (Community Health); Dr. Louis J. DeCaro, podiatrist and owner of DeCaro Total Foot Care Center (Provider); Dr. Alicia Ross, medical director of Holyoke VNA Hospice Life Care (Administrator); J. Aleah Nesteby, former director of LGBTQ Services at Cooley Dickinson Hospital (Innovation); and Doorway to an Accessible, Safe and Healthy Home (Collaboration). A very limited number of tickets are available. For information, call Gina Lovotti at (413) 781-8600, ext. 100. The Healthcare Heroes program is being sponsored by presenting sponsors Elms College and Baystate Health/Health New England, and partner sponsor Trinity Health Of New England/Mercy Medical Center.
Rays of Hope Hybrid Challenge
Oct. 24: This year’s Rays of Hope Walk & Run Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer will once again shift from an in-person event to a hybrid event in order to protect the health and safety of the community in light of the fourth wave of COVID-19. The event will welcome participants in their cars at Temple Beth El on Dickinson Street in Springfield as part of a Pink Parade of Hope as they show support for the hundreds of individuals locally living with breast cancer and those who will be newly diagnosed. In addition to the parade, there will also be a virtual program open to all, especially those who cannot attend the Pink Parade of Hope. Rays of Hope began as a grassroots effort 27 years ago to raise money to support local women and men while investing in meaningful research, and its mission is more important than ever today. Last year, the community raised more than $300,000 in support of breast-cancer patients and its research. However, that represented only about half of a traditional Rays of Hope event total, resulting in fewer resources for breast-cancer patients and their families. “Rays of Hope supports people we know personally, both directly and through services funded by Rays of Hope in the region. Without the community’s generous contributions, we cannot fund important research and support women and men along their journey with everything from prosthetics to therapies,” said Kathy Tobin, director of Annual Giving and Events at the Baystate Health Foundation. “We are counting on the generosity and resilience of our participants, volunteers, and friends to help embrace the power of pink and raise even more money this year.” More details will be forthcoming as plans are finalized. For the latest updates, visit baystatehealth.org/raysofhope.
Communication, Apology, and Resolution Forum
Oct. 26: The ninth annual Communication, Apology, and Resolution Forum, hosted by the Massachusetts Alliance for Communication and Resolution following Medical Injury (MACRMI), will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Massachusetts Medical Society, 860 Winter St., Waltham. A virtual option will be offered as well. The free event will featuring keynote speaker Dr. Alice Coombs, former president of the Massachusetts Medical Society and current interim chair of the department of Anesthesia at Virginia Commonwealth University, as well as discussion panels and a resolution simulation. For more information, visit www.macrmi.info.
‘Rewire: Finding Purpose and Fulfillment After Retirement’
Oct. 27: Many pre-retirees focus solely on their 401(k) and pension when deciding when to retire, but neglect to consider how they will find purpose and fulfillment in the next chapter of their lives. A person who retires at age 65 will be active for 20 years or more after leaving their full-time job. How will they fill those 2,000-plus hours they have previously devoted to their career? Holyoke Community College (HCC) is offering a workshop that will address this major life transition. “Rewire: Finding Purpose and Fulfillment After Retirement” will meet in person from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on HCC’s main campus, 303 Homestead Ave. The workshop will be facilitated by former career counselor Barbara Foster. “Retirement is a transition not unlike a career transition where people need to reflect on their interests, preferred skills, and values to determine a new direction in their lives,” Foster said. “Today’s retirees are finding new interests and hobbies, volunteering, establishing new businesses, and pursuing new learning in this third chapter of their lives.” The workshop will offer a series of exercises and self-assessments, as well as time to reflect, brainstorm with others, and develop goals and a vision for this new chapter of life. Participants will also leave with an extensive list of resources to explore. To maintain safe social distancing, space is limited, so advance registration is required. To register, visit hcc.edu/rewire, or call (413) 552-2500 for more information. Masks are required in all HCC campus buildings regardless of vaccination status.
