On the Calendar – September 16

Walk for Love Walkathon & Barbecue
Sept. 10: Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield will hold its seventh annual Walk for Love Walkathon and Barbecue, rain or shine.
This easy, three-mile walk begins at the hospital on Carew Street and continues through Van Horn Park and back to the hospital for a barbecue. Family fun will include Shrine clowns, Forest Park Zoo on the Go, face painting, music, a teddy-bear clinic, and more.
Registration begins at 9 a.m., the walk kicks off at 10 a.m., followed by the barbecue and entertainment from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Registration for both walkers and non-walkers is $25 per person, $5 for children 12 and under, or $40 per family. Credit-card payments are accepted. A waiver must be signed to participate in the walkathon. No pets are allowed, except for service animals.
To register, visit www.walkforlove.org. Registration forms will also be available on the day of the walk. For more information, e-mail Lee Roberts at leeroberts@shrinenet.org or call (413) 755-2307.

Linda Manor Open House
Sept. 11: Linda Manor Assisted Living in Leeds invites the community to an open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Linda Manor is located at 345 Haydenville Road. Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP to (413) 588-3316.
The open house coincides with the start of National Assisted Living Week. The day will include tours of one of the Northampton area’s newest assisted-living communities and an opportunity to meet with staff. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear first-hand from residents and families how Linda Manor has helped them stay connected to their family, community, and health.

‘Gentle Yoga for Cancer Survivors’
Sept. 14 to Oct. 26: Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s Oncology Department will present two free seven-week yoga classes, “Gentle Yoga for Cancer Survivors,” at the YMCA of Greenfield. The first session will take place Wednesdays, Sept. 14 to Oct. 26, from noon to 1:30 p.m. The second session meets Wednesdays from Nov. 2 to Dec. 21 at the same time.
The course facilitator is Pam Roberts, a certified Kripalu yoga teacher and a breast-cancer survivor for more than 20 years. She is also a certified Yoga of the Heart for Cardiac and Cancer Patients instructor.
The free yoga program has been made possible by Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s Oncology Department and the YMCA in Greenfield. It is funded by BFMC’s annual Wheeling for Healing bike event, which supports oncology patients, programs and services at Baystate Franklin.
For more information or to register, contact Roberts at (413) 625-2402 or pamro@aol.com.

Williamstown Commons Nursing Job Fair
Sept. 15: Willliamstown Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center will host a career fair for nursing positions from 5 to 7 p.m. at 25 Adams Road, Williamstown.
Information will be available on careers for nurses and nursing assistants. Williamstown Commons will offer on-site interviews and applications as well as tours of the facility. Participants may enter to win a raffle for gift cards. Those unable to attend may call (413) 458-2111 or visit www.williamstowncommons.org and click on the ‘Careers’ tab.

Alzheimer’s, Dementia Forum
Sept. 15: The public is invited to attend Landmark at Monastery Heights’ Alzheimer’s & Dementia Forum from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. They will learn from a diverse panel of local professionals and explore how their expertise can assist individuals living with memory loss. Panelists will present on a wide variety of topics, from obtaining a diagnosis to personal-care options and financial possibilities.
Landmark is located at 110 Monastery Ave., West Springfield. The event is free of charge. Contact Michelle Plante at (413) 781-1282 or michelle.plante@landmarkseniorliving.com to reserve a spot.

Course on Living with Diabetes and Pre-diabetes
Sept. 19: If you have been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the Step Up Program can help. Through structured exercise, nutrition and meal planning, behavioral support, and medication management, the Step Up program helps participants gain and maintain healthy lifestyles.
The next series of classes begin Monday, Sept. 19. Sessions are held weekly at 5:30 p.m. at 22 Atwood Dr., Northampton, second floor, at the Cooley Dickinson Medical Group Diabetes Center. Program participants are given tools and resources to help them manage their health for life-long success.
If you are 18 years or older, have type 2 diabetes, or are pre-diabetic and interested in Step Up, call (413) 586-1601 for more information or to register. Space is limited. The cost of the program is $150 for one 12-week session, plus nine monthly follow-up meetings once the session is complete. For more information, visit www.cooley-dickinson.org/main/diabeteseducation.aspx.

Western Mass. Business Expo
Nov. 3: Comcast Business will present the sixth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News. The business-to-business show will feature more than 150 exhibitor booths, educational seminars, breakfast hosted by the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce, lunch hosted by BusinessWest, and a day-capping Expo Social.
Current sponsors include Comcast Business (presenting sponsor), Express Employment Professionals, Health New England, the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $725. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100. For more Expo details as they emerge, visit www.wmbexpo.com.