On the Calendar

RVCC Golf Tournament

Sept. 13: River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC), a multi-faceted mental-health agency, will hold its fourth annual golf tournament fundraiser at 10:30 a.m. at East Mountain Country Club in Westfield. The event is presented by Action Ambulance Services.

The cost per golfer is $100 and includes greens fees, a golf cart, gift bag, lunch, and dinner. Golfers will also be able to participate in a raffle and silent auction. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a 10:30 a.m. shotgun start. There will also be contests on the course, with prizes donated by Marcotte Ford and Teddy Bear Pools. Other tournament sponsors include HCN, Unidine, PeoplesBank, CINTAS, Goss & McLain Insurance, Marsh & McLennan Agency, BMC HealthNet Plan, and Jefferson Radiology.

For more information on registration, contact Angela Callahan, RVCC’s Marketing and Development specialist, at (413) 841-3546 or callahan_angela@holyokehealth.com. Information is also available at www.rvcc-inc.org or by visiting River Valley Counseling Center’s Facebook page.

United Arc Gala and Auction

Sept. 14: The United Arc will host its annual gala and auction from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St., Hadley. The evening will feature a cocktail hour with open bar and hors d’ouevres, silent and live auctions, live music by Chris Eriquezzo, and dinner and program. Included once again in the raffles will be the ‘mystery box,’ valued at $400.

Tickets cost $70 each. Proceeds support for the work of the United Arc, helping people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities to achieve the universal goals of inclusion, choice, and independence. Tickets may be purchased online at theunitedarc.org/auction.

‘Important Documents for Estate Planning’

Sept. 18: Kimball Farms Life Care will host a presentation on “The Big Five: Important Documents for Estate Planning” from 2 to 3 p.m. at Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center, 40 Sunset Ave., Lenox.

The presentations will be conducted by attorney James Sisto of the Berkshire Elder Law Center. Attendees will learn what documentation and plans they should have in place to protect their life savings and future. Those interested may RSVP to (413) 637-7002 or www.kimballfarms.org.

Children’s Study Home Art Show and Sale

Sept. 19: The Children’s Study Home welcomes all to an art show and sale from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Carriage House at the Barney Estate in Forest Park, Springfield.

Artwork from all mediums, including acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, chalk, and sculptures, from the students of Mill Pond School in Springfield and Curtis Blake Day School will be shown, as well as artwork from the children of the Children’s Study Home’s residential programs and local area artisans. The art will be displayed for the evening and sold to raise money for the Children’s Study Home’s art and cultural programs. The event will include light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

RSVP to Colleen at ccallan@studyhome.org or (413) 739-5626, ext. 232.

Cruise for Critters Car Show

Sept. 21: Second Chance Animal Services is gearing up for its seventh annual Cruise for Critters Car Show at a brand-new venue: Westview Farms Creamery in Monson. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The move to Westview Farms will add plenty of food and several fun activities for families to enjoy, including a corn maze and pumpkin picking. It offers 30 handmade flavors of ice cream, a restaurant, a petting zoo, and a playground. The car show will also feature a vendor fair, raffles, a dog boutique, a K-9 demo, Fidelco guide dogs and handlers, and music by Witch Doctors.

Visitors can feel free to bring their dogs as long as they are leashed. If the event is rained out, it will take place on Sunday, Sept. 29. The car-show entry fee is $20, and all spectators enter for free. Vendor spots are filling up quickly. Visit the event page at secondchanceanimals.org for more information.

Motorcycle Poker Run

Sept. 21: Harmony House of Western Massachusetts will be the beneficiary of the third annual Poker Run, hosted by the Pioneer Valley Harley Owners Group (HOG). The event will begin at Harley-Davidson of Southampton, and riders will travel through Holyoke, Granby, Belchertown, and South Hadley, ending at the American Legion Post 275 at 41 Robbins Road in Chicopee.

Participants can pre-register by calling Denis Martel at (413) 530-1490. The cost is $20 per rider and $15 per passenger or non-rider. Registration is also available on the day of the event for $25 per rider and $20 per passenger or non-rider. Those who don’t ride are also invited to attend the after-party at the American Legion with a donation of $20 at the door. This event will be held rain or shine.

The after-party will include lunch, live music by Night Watch, and a chance to win one of dozens of prizes. Raffle prizes include a $500 lottery tree, a lottery/liquor basket, a dine-out gift-card tree, a trip for four to J.R. Cigar in New Jersey, a homemade Harley Davidson quilt, and plenty of gift baskets. There will be a separate raffle available for a huge ‘barrel of booze.’

All proceeds from this event will be donated to Harmony House of Western Massachusetts, a home for the terminally ill located in Chicopee. Last year’s event raised well over $16,000.

Discussion of Trauma in Athletic Communities

Sept. 24: Springfield College will welcome William Parham, the inaugural director of the National Basketball Players Assoc. Mental Health and Wellness Program and professor in the Counseling program at Loyola Marymount University, to the campus at 7:30 p.m. in the Fuller Arts Center. Parham’s presentation, titled “The Ink Used to Indelibly Etch Lasting Impressions: Invisible Tattoos of Trauma within Athletic Communities,” is part of the 2019-20 Humanics Triathlon project led by Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics Judy Van Raalte.

Parham has consulted with the National Football League, Major League Baseball, United States Olympic Committee, United States Tennis Assoc., and Major League Soccer. He has worked with athletes across many sports (basketball, football, gymnastics, softball, baseball, track and field, tennis, golf, swimming, volleyball, and figure skating) and across all levels (professional, elite, amateur, collegiate, and youth). He is widely known through his scholarship and conversations with domestic and international audiences for his work on the interplay between sport psychology, multiculturalism and diversity, and health psychology.

JGS Lifecare Annual Meeting

Sept. 26: JGS Lifecare will hold its annual meeting at the Leavitt Family Jewish Home at 770 Converse St. A cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception will be offered at 5:30 p.m. in Michael’s Café followed by the annual meeting at 6 p.m. in the Gloth Family Auditorium at the Leavitt Home. This event is free and open to the community.

Leadership from JGS Lifecare and Chelsea Jewish Lifecare will be presenting about the organization’s progress and plans for the future. Guest speaker Elissa Sherman, president of LeadingAge Massachusetts, will offer insights to developments in the senior aging field.

To register, call Susan Kimball Halpern at (413) 567-3949, ext. 1612, or e-mail shalpern@jgslifecare.org.

Mini-Medical School

Sept. 26 to Nov. 14: Baystate Medical Center’s Mini-Medical School will give area residents an inside look at the expanding field of medicine. The program is an eight-week health-education series featuring a different aspect of medicine each week.

Classes this fall will include sessions on various medical topics such as surgery, emergency medicine, genetics, pharmacy, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology, and pathology. Classes are taught by medical-center faculty on Thursdays at 6 p.m. and run until 8 or 9 p.m., depending on the topic.

Tuition is $95 per person and $80 for Senior Class and Baystate Health Every Woman members, as well as Baystate Health employees. Visit www.baystatehealth.org/minimed for a list of topics and speakers and to register. Students may also register by calling (413) 794-2413.

Golf Tournament to Fight Childhood Hunger

Sept. 30: Feed the Kids will hold its second annual charity golf tournament to benefit No Kid Hungry and the HPS Weekend Backpack Program at Springfield Country Club, 1375 Elm St., West Springfield.

No Kid Hungry is a national organization that raises funds to support school breakfast programs, summer meals, afterschool meals, and more for children throughout the country. The HPS Weekend Backpack Program distributes bags of nutritious and easy-to-prepare meals to children at the end of each week that they can enjoy over the weekend. Feed the Kids is currently seeking donations for the tournament’s silent auction, individual and corporate sponsors, and, of course, golfers.

Check-in for the scramble-format tournament will begin at 10 a.m., with a shotgun start at noon. The fee is $160 per golfer, which includes greens fees, driving range, cart use, lunch, cocktail hour, dinner, and a gift bag. There will also be prizes, a raffle, and an auction. To make a cash donation, donate an item for the raffle or auction, learn more about sponsorship opportunities, or register to golf or for the dinner, visit feedthekidsgolf.com.

Healthcare Heroes Gala

Oct. 17: The third annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Sheraton Springfield from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched in 2017 by HCN and BusinessWest.

The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care. The class of 2019 is profiled in this issue and at healthcarenews.com. Tickets cost $90 or $900 for a table of 10. To reserve a spot, visit www.businesswest.com/healthcare-heroes-2 or e-mail peters@businesswest.com.

Healthcare Heroes is sponsored by American International College and Baystate Health/Health New England (presenting sponsors), Behavioral Health Network, Comcast Business, and Development Associates (partner sponsors), and Bulkley Richardson, Design to Finish, Elms College, and Keiter Builders (supporting sponsors).

BFAIR Masquerade Gala

Oct. 25: Berkshire Family and Individual Resources (BFAIR) is celebrating 25 years of success with a Masquerade Gala at the Proprietor’s Lodge, sponsored by Adams Community Bank.

The fundraiser will include a VIP hour, live auction, music, food, special guests, and handmade masquerade masks crafted by individuals receiving BFAIR services. The event has a business-casual dress code with a black-and-silver theme (masks are optional). Adams Community Bank is the underwriter for the event.

To register for the event or sponsor, visit www.bfair.org/25gala or call Katrina Cardillo, director of Marketing, at (413) 464-7232, ext. 317.