Agenda

MCLA Constitution and Citizenship Day Lecture

Sept. 17: MCLA will host the annual Constitution and Citizenship Day with a presentation for students and community members at 4 p.m. in Murdock Hall, Room 218. The presentation, “Understanding the Electoral College: Insights into 2024’s Presidential Election,” will be led by MCLA Associate Professor of Political Science Samantha Pettey. The lecture is free and open to the public. Pettey will explore the historical origins and current controversies of the Electoral College, including the disparity between the popular vote and electoral outcomes and the influence of swing states. It will also cover best practices for interpreting polling data to help students and attendees critically analyze ‘hot-take’ headlines. A Q&A session addressing these topics and others will follow the presentation. This lecture is designed to empower students of democracy with the knowledge to understand and influence elections. Pettey has been interested in politics from a young age and has worked in the History and Political Science Department at MCLA since 2016. She teaches a range of courses on American government but is most passionate about teaching and researching Congress, state and local politics, and women in politics. Her current research focuses broadly on female candidates. She is particularly interested in the impact institutional features and demographic characteristics have on state-level candidate emergence and success.

Paragus Firehouse Cook Off

Sept. 17: Polar Park in Worcester will host the third annual Paragus Firehouse Cook Off. Last year, the event, presented by Paragus I.T., drew more than 300 people to Polar Park and raised $20,000 for the Worcester Firefighters 6K charity. This year, the event will also raise funds for DetecTogether, a nonprofit that promotes early cancer detection in young adults, first responders, and workplace employees. For the Paragus Firehouse Cook Off, firehouses from around the city create dishes to be judged by a panel of local business leaders. This year’s judges will be Niche Hospitality President Michael Covino, Worcester Red Sox Coordinator of Public and Community Relations Katie Siegle, Worcester Wares founder Jessica Walsh, and Fontaine Bros. CEO Dave Fontaine. In addition to the Judge’s Prize, there is a People’s Choice Prize based on a vote taken among event attendees. The event will be hosted by Mike Hsu and Radio Worcester’s Hank Stolz. Harpoon Brewery will hold a free beer tasting for attendees. There will also be pies donated by Table Talk and seltzer donated by Polar Beverages. The event begins at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $30 for the general public and $25 for firefighters and their families, with children under 10 admitted free. A ticket entitles entrants to a Harpoon beer tasting, a Table Talk pie, Polar seltzer, and samples of all the dishes. After covering expenses, all funds raised will be donated to the Worcester Firefighters 6K charity and DetecTogether. Tickets are available at firehousecookoff.com.

Amherst BID Block Party

Sept. 19: The Amherst Business Improvement District (BID) announced its 11th annual block party will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. on North Pleasant Street in downtown Amherst. This community event promises an evening of fun, entertainment, and celebration of all things Amherst. The annual block party draws thousands of residents and visitors. This year’s event will feature a lineup of live music and performances, showcasing local talent. Attendees can look forward to aerialists, acrobats, stilt walkers, jugglers, and a variety of street performers that will delight audiences of all ages.

Party for a Purpose

Sept. 19: With the goal of making sure Square One’s children have a new, state-of-the-art, outdoor learning and playspace, Friends on a Mission will host its annual Party for a Purpose to raise funds for the playground project at Square One’s Tommie Johnson Child & Family Center in Springfield. Now in its second year, Friends on a Mission started with a trio of friends — Bob Perry, Walter Tomala, and the late Jenn Schimmel — who set out to spend time together while giving back to the community. Their inaugural event held last fall raised more than $38,000 for Make-A-Wish of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. With early sponsorship support from PeoplesBank and Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C., this year’s Party for a Purpose, featuring cocktails, food, and festivities, will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Delaney House in Holyoke. Interested sponsors should contact Perry at (413) 530-3787. For tickets, visit www.startatsquareone.org.

Free Shred Day

Sept. 21: Westfield Bank announced that it will be holding a free document-shredding event at its 26 Arnold St. branch in Westfield on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon. Sponsored by ProShred Security, the event is free and open to the public. There is a limit of five boxes of documents per person.

OMG Inc. Open House

Sept. 21: OMG Inc., a leading global manufacturer and supplier of specialty fasteners and products for commercial roofing and residential construction applications, is hosting an open house at its Agawam headquarters, located at 153 Bowles Road, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event is open to the public and will include guided riding tours of its manufacturing facility, demonstrations of the company’s innovative products and construction technologies, a job fair with on-the-spot interviews, and a variety of activities for children, including pumpkin decorating, face painting, a bounce house, and a photo booth. Vendors will be onsite offering breakfast and lunch during the event.

Cruise for Critters

Sept. 21: The engines are revving for the much-anticipated Cruise for Critters at Westview Farms Creamery. Now in its 12th year, this car show, presented by Al Widlan, owner of Service Connection, is set to once again make a meaningful impact on the lives of pets in need at Second Chance Animal Services. Widlan has championed this event for over a decade, rallying car enthusiasts and compassionate hearts alike to come together for a worthy cause. This year’s Cruise for Critters promises an array of fall-themed activities for attendees of all ages. A vendor fair will offer unique items of all kinds, and the Halloween Barktacular kids’ games will be back, thanks to dedicated Second Chance volunteers. The festivities are set to kick off at 10 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m., featuring food, ice cream, and an assortment of fall attractions that Westview Farms Creamery is known for, from pumpkin picking to navigating through a corn maze. The event will also include live music by the Barberic Band, a raffle, and more. The event is sponsored in part by Ted and Barbara Hebert of Teddy Bear Pools & Spas and by Joe Campisi, a longtime friend of Second Chance. Organizers extend an invitation to local businesses and vendors to support of pets in need. Information on sponsorship opportunities, item donations, and becoming a vendor can be found at secondchanceanimals.org/events/cruise. The event will welcome spectators free of charge. Car enthusiasts are encouraged to take part in the show by contributing a $20 entry fee per vehicle, with every dollar earmarked for the betterment of pets’ lives. A rain date has been set for Saturday, Sept. 28.

MCLA Athletics Golf Classic

Sept. 23: The 27th annual MCLA Athletics Golf Classic will be held at Wyndhurst Golf & Club in Lenox. The Golf Classic serves as a major fundraiser for the college’s Athletic Department. Over the years, the Classic has netted $25,000 to $40,000 annually to support MCLA’s student athletes. Each year, MCLA recognizes a deserving individual or business that has impacted MCLA Athletics. This year’s honoree is Jason Dohaney ’04, a financial advisor at MountainOne Investments and chair of the MCLA Foundation. This year’s Golf Classic premier sponsor is MountainOne. The format for the event is an 18-hole scramble tournament. The entry cost includes greens fees, golf-cart rental, course snacks, a post-golf dinner, branded gifts, and more. Registration takes place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.; the tournament starts at 11 a.m., and the awards dinner follows at 5 p.m. To sign up for or sponsor the event, visit alumni.mcla.edu/pages/golf-classic-information-23.

Healthcare Heroes

Oct. 17: BusinessWest and the Healthcare News will celebrate the eight annual Healthcare Heroes starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The class of 2024, profiled in this issue and at businesswest.com, includes Dr. Andrew Balder, attending physician, Baystate Mason Square Neighborhood Health Center; Lucinda Canty, associate professor of Nursing and director of the Seedworks Health Equity Program, UMass Amherst; Bernice Drumheller, past president, NAMI Western Massachusetts; Peta-Gaye Johnson, director of Healthcare Workforce Initiatives, MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board; Margaret King, occupational therapist, Baystate Medical Center; Alexa Mignano, director of School-Based Clinical Services, River Valley Counseling Center; Dr. Laki Rousou, chief of Thoracic Surgery, chief of Robotic Surgery, and medical director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program, Mercy Medical Center; and Janet Williams, professor of Biology, Elms College. Tickets cost $95, and tables of 10 are available. To purchase tickets, visit businesswest.com/healthcare-heroes-tickets. Presenting sponsors include Baystate Health/Health New England and Elms College. Partner sponsors include Trinity Health Of New England/Mercy Medical Center and Holyoke Medical Center.

Cancer Connection Harvest Dinner

Oct. 17: Cancer Connection will host its annual Harvest Dinner at Inn on Boltwood in Amherst, featuring a farm-to-table dinner, live jazz, a silent auction. Starting at 6 p.m., this festive evening will bring the community together and raise critical funds to bring Cancer Connection’s support groups, integrative therapies, and educational programs to a larger, more diverse population of cancer patients and their caregivers. Cancer Connection is the only independent cancer support center in the area. Visit www.cancer-connection.org/special-events to purchase tickets. For more information about the event or for sponsorship opportunities, contact Liz Horn at (646) 234-8805 or [email protected].