ON THE CALENDAR – April 2018

‘Successful Aging Summit’

April 17: Linda Manor Assisted Living in Leeds will host the third “Successful Aging Summit” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The day’s events are free and begin with a continental breakfast at 9 a.m. at Linda Manor Assisted Living, 345 Haydenville Road in Leeds, followed by a keynote address at 10 a.m. by Heather Jagodowski, program coordinator with the Alzheimer’s Assoc. of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Morning sessions beginning at 11:15 a.m. include presentations on “Tai Chi for Health and Relaxation” with Denise Barry, RMP; “Healthy Aging for Men” with Bob Uguccioni, CPT; “Medicare 101” with Lorraine York-Edberg, SHINE counselor; and “Medication Matters: Commons Interactions and Myths” with Kathie Arvo-MacKenzie, consultant pharmacist.

Following lunch, afternoon sessions starting at 1:45 p.m. include “Six Steps to a Successful Move” with Mark Liberatore of Caring Transitions; “Non-Opiate Pain Management” with Aedan Ford, DPT, Caretenders Home Health; “Enjoy the Beauty of Nature” by Lois Kirarly; and “Grief and Growing Older: Finding Our Inner Wisdom” presented by Hospice of Franklin County.

Afternoon sessions beginning at 3 p.m. include “Brain Fitness” with Paul McCloskey of Caretenders Home Health; “The Big Five Essential Legal Documents” with attorney Karent Jackson of Jackson Law; and “Six Exercises to Improve Bone Density” with Shelley Uguccioni, CPT.

 

‘Protecting Your Assets’

April 18: Springfield Partners for Community Action Inc. will host “Protecting Your Assets Part III” starting at 6 p.m. at Springfield Central Library, 220 State St. The event is in recognition of National Financial Literacy Month and is free and open to the public. Call (413) 263-6500 to reserve a seat.

This year’s panelists include Julius Lewis of the Metrocom Group and the Lewis and Marrow Financial Hour, which airs Wednesdays on STCC radio; and attorney Sara Miller, who specializes in elder law and estate planning. New this year is attorney Martin O’Connor, an authority on tax issues and who helps low-income, non-English-speaking taxpayers understand their rights and responsibilities as taxpayers.

 

Free Pancake Breakfast

April 19: North Adams Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center will host a free pancake breakfast from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Those wishing to attend are asked to reserve a seat by calling Kira Breard at (413) 662-4403 by Monday, April 16.

The breakfast is free, but seating is limited. Dinner will include pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee, and tea. Guests can enter a raffle to win prizes and take a tour of the newly remodeled skilled-nursing community.

North Adams Commons is located at 175 Franklin St. in North Adams. Parking is available. Enter through either the main entrance on Franklin Street or the Wells Avenue entrance.

 

Babysitters Academy

April 21: Baystate Mary Lane will sponsor a Babysitters Academy to ready area youth for spring and summer babysitting responsibilities. The one-day program will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Main Conference Room located on the second floor.

The Babysitters Academy is a certified babysitter program for young adults ages 11½ to 16. The Saturday session offers potential babysitters instruction in baby care, first aid, CPR, fire safety, home security, child behavior, and accident prevention. Participants are given a course booklet containing helpful tips and other information, and will receive a graduation certificate upon completion of the course.

The program is offered by the Parenting program at Baystate Medical Center. There is a $75 fee per student, then $30 for each additional family or group member. Space is limited. For more information or to register, visit baystatehealth.org/parented and click on ‘Infant and Child Care,’ or call (413) 794-5515.

 

Caritas Gala

April 21: Mercy Medical Center’s second annual Caritas Gala, to be held at the MassMutual Center in Springfield with the Motown-inspired theme “Reach Out,” will raise funds to support Mercy Behavioral Health Care and the Mercy Emergency Department’s Opioid Community Outreach for education, intervention, and treatment.

Dr. Mohamed and Kimberly Hamdani, along with Paul and Anna Mancinone, are honorary chairpersons for the Caritas Gala. Longtime supporters of Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Hamdani has served as chairman of Surgery, chairman of Credentials, and president of the medical staff at Mercy, and Paul Mancinone serves on the board for Trinity Health Of New England.

Sister Caritas Awards will be presented to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker for his vision and leadership around prevention and treatment efforts for those suffering from substance-use disorder and his support of individuals and families in recovery; and to Daniel Keenan, vice president of Advocacy and Government Relations, Trinity Health Of New England, for his advocacy efforts on behalf of patients at Mercy Medical Center and Providence Behavioral Health Hospital.

The Caritas Gala will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, live entertainment from the band Motor City Magic, and a silent auction. Dinner will be served at 8 p.m., following by a live auction and dancing until midnight with music from the band Radiance. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.mercycares.com/caritas-gala.

 

Service of Remembrance

April 23: Baystate Children’s Hospital will hold its annual Service of Remembrance for all area families who have experienced the death of a child over the past year. All family members and friends are invited to attend the event, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Baystate Medical Center’s Chestnut Conference Center on 759 Chestnut St., Springfield. It is also open to families with losses prior to 2017.

Baystate Children’s Hospital staff will be in attendance at the event to remember and pay tribute to the children and families who were under their care. The Service of Remembrance will include readings, music, and a ceremony of light. Families are invited to share a photograph or other memento of their child on a ‘table of memories’ at the event.

All families planning on attending are asked to respond by Friday, April 13 with their child’s name and if they would like to have his or her name read aloud during the memorial service, regardless of whether they can attend the event, as well as the number of adults and children planning to attend. Families with earlier losses are asked to simply call and register. To respond, call Marianne MacCullagh at (413) 794-1450.

As part of the service, families will be given a piece of fabric which they can personalize in memory of their child before it is added, along with others, to create a memory quilt. Some of the quilts created in previous years will also be on display at the event, replacing the annual fall Memorial Quilt Exhibit held at Baystate Medical Center. All families are encouraged to attend this separate event, also located in the Chestnut Building. No registration is needed.

 

‘Adult Immunizations: What You Need to Know’

April 25: Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center in Lenox will host a talk on immunizations from 5 to 6 p.m. Dr. Thomas Consolati will discuss “Adult Immunizations: What You Need to Know.” The talk will focus on the importance of immunizations and local resources available.

Consolati is board-certified in internal medicine. He earned his medical degree from UMass Medical School and completed his residency at the University of North Carolina, serving as chief resident in Internal Medicine.

The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Seating is limited, and those interested in attending are asked to RSVP to (413) 637-5011. Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center is located at 40 Sunset Ave. in Lenox.

 

BFAIR Annual Meeting

April 27: Berkshire Family & Individual Resources Inc. (BFAIR) will host its annual meeting at Berkshire Hills Country Club, 500 Benedict Road, Pittsfield.

The breakfast, set to begin at 7:30 a.m., will include the presentation of several awards for employee recognition, as well as the recognition of the community partner of the year, Richard Alcombright, former mayor of North Adams, longtime advocate for people with disabilities, and currently serving as vice president, Local Business & Customer Relations manager at MountainOne. Additionally, the chairman of the board will offer remarks on the organization’s continued expansion throughout the Berkshires and into Hampden and Hampshire counties.

This year’s keynote address will be delivered by Chris May, advocate and photographer. A young man living with Down syndrome, May has worked hard to advocate for himself and others at the State House and in Washington. His love of photography has flourished into an impressive hobby and job. With a vast amount of dedication and volunteer effort, May offers a positive outlook on life, in spite of any perceived barriers.

This event is sponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union. The cost is $10 per person. To attend the annual meeting, RSVP by Friday, April 20 to Carol Fox at (413) 664-9382, ext. 40, or cfox@bfair.org, or online at www.bfair.org.

 

Lift for Life and 5K Walk/Run Road Race

April 29: D & D Fitness Factory, a co-ed training facility in Ware, invites the community to its annual Lift for Life and 5K Walk/Run Road Race in memory of family member Donna Goudreau. The proceeds will benefit the 13th annual Walk of Champions, supporting the Baystate Regional Cancer Program at Baystate Mary Lane in Ware. The 2018 Walk of Champions held annually at the Quabbin Reservoir is set for Sunday, May 6.

The co-ed lifting competition has five men’s weight classes and two women’s classes, which include a bench press, axle bar lift, and truck pull. The 5K Road Race features four co-ed age groups: students age 19 and under, ages 20-35, ages 36-50, and ages 51 and up, and prizes are awarded to the top finishers in each category. 

The morning-long event includes raffles and refreshments. For more information or to participate in the Lift for Life and 5K Road Race, call D & D Fitness Factory, located at 40 East Main St., Ware, at (413) 967-6018. For more information about the Walk of Champions, visit www.baystatehealth.org/woc.

 

Mother’s Day Half Marathon

May 13: Hundreds of runners will toe the starting line in Whately at the eighth annual Western Mass. Mother’s Day Half Marathon, each with their own individual goal. Some will be aiming for a personal best, others will be focused on honoring a loved one, and some of them will have already reached their goal.

Proceeds from the race benefit Northampton-based Cancer Connection, a nonprofit agency that offers programs and services, free of charge, to those living with cancer and to their families and caregivers. Runners can pay an entry fee for the race, or they can opt for the fund-raising option: raise $300 for the cause and receive a free entry to the race. There is a nine-mile course for walkers with the same pricing format.

For more information and to register, visit racewmass.com.

 

40 Under Forty Gala

June 21: The 12th annual 40 Under Forty Gala is BusinessWest’s annual celebration of 40 young business and civic leaders in Western Mass. The lavish cocktail party, to be held starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, will feature butlered hors d’oeuvres, food stations, entertainment — and, of course, the presentation of the class of 2018. Also, the fourth annual Continued Excellence Award honoree will be announced.

Event sponsors include PeoplesBank (presenting sponsor), Northwestern Mutual (presenting sponsor), Isenberg School of Management, the MP Group, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, Health New England, Renew.Calm, and YPS of Greater Springfield (partner).

The winners will be announced and profiled in the April 30 issue of BusinessWest. Tickets will go on sale soon at $75 per person (tables of 10 available), and the event tends to sell out quickly. For more information, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or e-mail peters@businesswest.com.