Agenda

Agenda

SSO Percussion Trio

Aug. 30: As part of its 75th-anniversary season, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is scheduling a series of free chamber-music concerts throughout the Pioneer Valley. The first, slated for 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Springfield Armory, will debut a percussion trio. Guests are invited to arrive early to enjoy canapes and a cash bar before the concert begins promptly at 6:15 p.m. The SSO percussion trio will feature SSO principal percussionist Nathan Lassell, principal timpanist Marty Kluger, and percussionist Doug Perry. The trio will present a mixed program featuring snare drumming, marimba music, and multi-percussion pieces with humorous musical commentary thrown in. Guests are also invited to stay after the concert for a wrap-up cocktail hour to socialize with SSO musicians and further peruse the Springfield Armory National Historic Site collection.

Walk for Love

Sept. 8: Are you ready to walk for love? Join the fun at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield for the eighth annual Walk for Love Walkathon and Barbecue. The Walkathon begins at the hospital and continues through Van Horn Park and back to the hospital for a barbecue. It is an easy, three-mile walk and will be held rain or shine. Registration begins at 9 a.m., followed by the walk at 10 a.m., and the barbecue from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The $25 cost ($5 for children 10 and under, and $40 for families) benefits Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield. Register online by visiting lovetotherescue.org/events/walk-for-love-springfield-ma, or register the day of the walk.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sept. 13: The abundance of recent high-profile sexual-harassment complaints has completely changed the public perception of this persistent problem. Sexual harassment is no longer a silent epidemic which is by and large being ignored. Posts stating the phrase ‘#metoo’ have created camaraderie among individuals who are choosing to speak up and stand up. However, despite the nation’s growing awareness about the prevalence of sexual harassment, as business owners and human-resources professionals, the problem probably isn’t all that surprising. Clearly, the perfunctory sexual-harassment policies and bland pro forma sexual-harassment trainings are not working. It’s no longer adequate to take the same tired approach. As business leaders, we need to approach sexual harassment in the workplace from a new perspective. You’re invited to join a roundtable discussion on how we can profoundly change our approach to sexual harassment in the workplace. Discussion topics will answer questions like, if we’re already training employees, why does sexual harassment keep happening? How do we change workplace cultures that are conducive to prevalent sexual harassment? How do we deal with essential employees who engage in sexual harassment? Why aren’t our current efforts effective? And what do we do now? The event will take place from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Royal, P.C., 270 Pleasant St., Northampton. Advance registration is required, and seating will be limited. The cost is $30 per person. Mail your payment and make your check payable to Royal, P.C., 270 Pleasant St., Northampton, MA 01060. 
E-mail Heather Loges at [email protected] to register or if you have any questions about this workshop.

River Valley Counseling Center Golf Tournament

Sept. 14: River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC) will hold its third annual golf tournament fundraiser at East Mountain Country Club in Westfield. The funds raised will help RVCC to continue providing mental health and other supportive services to thousands of individuals, families, and groups throughout the Pioneer Valley. 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 9 a.m. with a 10:30 a.m. shotgun start. There will also be contests on the course which include prizes donated by Marcotte Ford and Teddy Bear Pools. For more information on sponsorships, donations, and registration, contact Angela Callahan, RVCC’s Marketing and Development specialist, at (413) 841-3546 or [email protected]. Information is also available at www.rvcc-inc.org or by visiting River Valley Counseling Center’s Facebook page.

United Arc Gala & Auction

Sept. 15: The United Arc 2018 Annual Gala & Auction, to be held at Hadley Farms Meeting House in Hadley, will offer collections of packages from local businesses and individuals that support the United Arc’s mission. The Priceless Collection showcases the works of local artists, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through being featured at past auctions, some of these artists are increasingly finding opportunities to share their artistic talents. Leading up to the event throughout the summer, select packages are up for bid online in a web-based catalog. Hosted at www.theunitedarc.org/auction, this catalog also provides previews of raffle prizes and packages for the silent and live auctions available at the gala. The online auction will run Monday, Sept. 3. Tickets are on sale now. Additional package donations and sponsorships are welcome. To become a sponsor or donate an auction package, contact Development Coordinator Saera Hanlon at (413) 774-5558, ext. 1058, or [email protected]. All proceeds go to support the United Arc’s programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization provides services to individuals and their families in Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, and Worcester counties.

No Kid Hungry Golf Tournament

Sept. 17: The sad reality is that one in six kids in the U.S. goes hungry every day. No Kid Hungry is a national nonprofit organization created to alter that reality. Through its fundraising efforts, No Kid Hungry supports school breakfast programs, after-school meal programs, summer meal programs, and food-skills education programs to help parents sustain nutrition efforts. Each dollar raised by No Kid Hungry provides 10 meals to at-risk children and supports education programs for parents. No Kid Hungry Golf, a local affiliate, will sponsor a golf tournament at Longmeadow Country Club to raise money to help feed these hungry kids. A number of businesses and organizations have already joined the effort as sponsors. Participants can register to golf, be a sponsor or donor, or come to the cocktail hour/dinner and auction. For more information or to register, visit www.nokidhungrygolf.com or contact Dr. Fred Kadushin at [email protected] or (413) 893-9677.

Future Tense Lecture

Sept. 20: The third installment of the BusinessWest lecture series Future Tense, titled “Change Considerations: An Examination of Lean Process, Market Disruption, and the Future of Your Business,” will take place on Thursday, Sept. 20 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Tech Foundry, 1391 Main St., ninth floor, Springfield. The lecture, open exclusively to CEOs and business owners, will be delivered by Mark Borsari, president of Sanderson MacLeod. The cost is a $25 donation to Tech Foundry. Event sponsors include Paragus IT, the Jamrog Group, and Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. With increasingly automated business processes, AI, and machine manufacturing, lean concepts are becoming more important than ever in terms of staying competitive. Borsari will discuss change and innovation through lean concepts and focus on resulting cultural considerations. The presentation will also address already-active market disrupters that will affect business processes in various industries. Metered street parking is available near the venue, and there are several parking-garage options nearby as well. To register, visit BusinessWest.com/lecture-series.

Source to Sea Cleanup

Sept. 28-29: Registration is now open for the Connecticut River Conservancy’s (CRC) Source to Sea Cleanup. This annual event, now in its 22nd year, has grown into New England’s largest river cleanup, winning an American Rivers award for most miles cleaned in 2017. There are three ways for volunteers to get involved in the Source to Sea Cleanup this year: report a trash site in need of cleaning, find a cleanup group near you to join, or organize and register your own local cleanup group. For more information or to register for the event, visit www.ctriver.org/cleanup. The annual Source to Sea Cleanup is a two-day river cleanup coordinated by CRC in all four states of the 410-mile Connecticut River basin. Each fall, thousands of volunteers of all ages and abilities clean the Connecticut River and its tributaries on foot or by boat. Volunteers remove trash along rivers, streams, parks, boat launches, trails, and more. In 2017, more than 2,500 volunteers hauled more than 46 tons of trash from riverbanks and waterways in the four river states. Volunteers remove everything from recyclables, fishing equipment, and food waste to tires, televisions, and refrigerators. To date, volunteers have removed more than 1,043 tons of trash from our rivers. If your group wants to get involved but needs a cleanup site, if you have questions, or if you know of a trash site in need of cleaning, contact CRC Cleanup Coordinator Stacey Lennard at [email protected]. Learn more about the event at www.ctriver.org/cleanup.

Drone Pilot Certification

Sept. 29 to Oct. 20: Holyoke Community College (HCC) will again offer a hands-on program for individuals who want to become FAA-licensed drone pilots. “Flying Drones for Profit, Public Safety, and Commercial Applications” will run on four consecutive Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the main campus of HCC, 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke. The course will prepare individuals to take the Federal Aviation Administration Remote Pilot in Charge exam, which they must pass to become licensed drone operators. All classes will be taught by Larry Harmon, co-director of the GeoGraphics Laboratory at Bridgewater State University and an industry consultant on small, unmanned aircraft systems. The lecture portion of the course will meet in the HCC Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on the main campus. Students will fly drones outside on the college sports fields. The course focuses on all content required to pass the FAA test, including regulations, national airspace system rules, weather, aircraft loading, aircraft performance, and flight operations. The cost for the four-week, non-credit course is $315. Space is limited. Drones will be provided for use in class. Participants can bring their own, but that is not necessary.

Healthcare Heroes

Oct. 25: The second annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden. Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring 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. Individuals and organizations were nominated in categories including ‘Lifetime Achievement,’ ‘Emerging Leader,’ ‘Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider,’ ‘Innovation in Health/Wellness,’ ‘Health/Wellness Administrator,’ and ‘Collaboration in Healthcare.’ They will be profiled in both magazines in September and feted at the Oct. 25 gala. Healthcare Heroes sponsors include American International College (presenting sponsor), National Grid (partner), and supporting sponsors Renew.Calm, the Elms College MBA program, and Mercy Medical Center and Trinity Health Of New England.