Agenda Departments

Agenda

Walk for Love Walkathon and Barbecue

Sept. 12: Come celebrate the 90th anniversary of Shriners Hospitals for Children in Springfield at the sixth annual Walk for Love Walkathon and Barbecue. This easy, three-mile walk begins at the hospital and continues through Van Horn Park and back to the hospital for a barbecue. The day of family fun includes Shrine clowns, Zoo on the Go, K-9s for Kids, face painting, a photo booth, music, food, and more. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the walk begins at 10 a.m.The barbecue and entertainment run from 11 a.m. to 1:30 
p.m. The event will be held rain or shine. Registration fee for walkers and non-walkers alike is $25 per person,
$5 for children 12 and under, and $40 per family. A waiver must be signed to participate in the walkathon. No pets are allowed, except for service animals. Free parking will be available at the Boys and Girls Club located directly across from Shriners Hospital on Carew Street. All proceeds from this event benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children in Springfield. Register online at www.walkforlove.org. Forms will also be available on the day of the walk. For additional information, contact Lee Roberts, the hospital’s public relations specialist, at (413) 755-2307 or [email protected].

Dinner Forum on Business Decision Making

Sept. 16: The UMass Amherst Family Business Center will present a dinner forum from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Northampton. The program is called “Effective Business Decision Making in the Fast-changing Environment of the 21st Century.” How many decisions do you make in the course of each business day? How often are they based on a gut feeling, versus measurable, relevant data? How accurate is your gut, and how well can you really tune into it? And how do you know which data is accurate, not to mention relevant? How can you be sure you’re considering all the consequences? Are you reaching for solutions that worked before, not sure they’re what is needed for more complex dilemmas? Are you influenced by biases you’re not even aware of? This presentation could help you, by exploring the practical aspects of the latest research on effective decision making and how family and closely held businesses are using it to create success. Presenters include Vana Nespor, chief learning officer and dean of Online and Adult Studies at Bay Path University, and Tom Loper, associate provost and dean of Bay Path’s graduate Business program. Call Ira Bryck, Family Business Center director, at (413) 545-4545 for more information.

‘Fall Back in Time’ at Holyoke Merry-Go-Round

Sept. 18: The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, the prized carousel with a storied history that dates back to the early 1900s, announced a “Fall Back in Time” fund-raiser to remember the magic of Mountain Park, to be held at the carousel site, 221 Appleton St., from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for the event, which will support the ongoing maintenance and operation of the ride. The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round — also known as Holyoke’s Happiness Machine — has delighted children and families since the 1920s, when it was featured at Mountain Park, an amusement park on the side of Mount Tom. “The merry-go-round plays a vital role in the history of Holyoke, and our residents should be proud of their efforts to preserve it,” said Angela Wright, executive director. “The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round is a nonprofit that is totally self-supporting and does not receive city, state, or federal funding to maintain its operation. We rely on our annual preservation fund, donations, and various fund-raising events to keep the carousel spinning.” The fund-raiser will feature food and a cash bar prepared by the Log Cabin; live music including sax player Tom Tisdell, his musicians, and a banjo player; train rides to the mall and back provided by the Pioneer Valley Railroad; and carousel rides. Tickets are $45 per person or $400 for a table of 10. A grand raffle will also be held, with $8,000 in prizes: $5,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place, and $1,000 for third place. Raffle tickets are $100 each. Event and raffle tickets are available now at the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round concession or by calling Meghan O’Connor at (413) 427-7629 or Susan Leary at (413) 592-7573. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (413) 538-9838 or visit holyokemerrygoround.org.

Mutts & Mimosas

Sept. 20: Dakin Humane Society has been awarded a $7,500 grant from the Petco Foundation as the Top Dog sponsor of Dakin’s annual fund-raiser, Mutts & Mimosas. The brunch event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Quonquont Farm & Orchard in Whately, rain or shine. Guests, who are encouraged to bring their dogs, can enjoy a make-your-own mimosa bar, live traditional Irish music, a raffle and silent auction, apple-picking, dog-walking trails, and other fun activities. The food will be catered by Seth Mias, and an optional dog meal is available for $10. Event attendees are asked to bring dry or canned cat food to support Dakin’s Pet Food Bank program. Tickets are $50 per person and can be ordered online at www.dakinhumane.org or by calling event manager Gina Ciprari at (413) 781-4000, ext. 136. According to Dakin Executive Director Leslie Harris, “this generous grant from Petco Foundation will help us to produce an effective — and memorable — fund-raiser. Mutts & Mimosas has become a tradition among Dakin supporters and dog enthusiasts around the region, and we’re happy to know that they look forward to coming to this event with their dogs each year. With Petco Foundation’s support, we will be able to leverage other donations to Mutts & Mimosas and extend our services to more animals and their people.” The Petco Foundation has served as a voice for companion animals across the country since 1999. Today, with more than 8,000 local animal welfare partners across the country, the foundation donates approximately $15 million a year to make a difference in the lives of millions of animals. Money raised helps fund animal-welfare organizations, spay-and-neuter efforts, animal-assisted therapy programs, and humane education. The majority of the funds raised remain in the communities where they were raised, as well as benefiting animal-welfare efforts nationwide. Other sponsors for Mutts & Mimosas include Gage-Wiley & Co. Inc., Walter’s Propane, Sarah’s Pet Services, Rice Family Foundation, Five Star Building Corp., WHMP, WMAS, Western Mass News, MassLive.com, and Quonquont Farm & Orchard.

Get On Board!

Oct. 8: OnBoard, a Springfield-based nonprofit organization that matches qualified individuals and area boards of directors, is inviting local organizations and businesses to participate or become a sponsor in the “Get On Board!” event in October. The event, to be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, will connect local organizations with individuals looking to increase their community involvement. OnBoard was founded in the mid-’90s by attorney Ellen Freyman of Shatz, Schwartz & Fentin, P.C. The group’s mission is to help organizations expand their governance diversity by enlisting women, people of color, and other under-represented populations to their boards of directors/trustees, committees, and advisory groups. OnBoard has been connecting qualified people in the Greater Springfield area with organizations seeking leadership that reflects the diversity of the region. “Our goal with ‘Get On Board!’ is to facilitate an introduction of new talent and organizations around Greater Springfield,” said Freyman. “Diversifying your board of directors by recruiting members of under-represented populations can provide you with insight into different ways to engage with the community at large. Our goal is to create new relationships for both the individuals and the organizations who will benefit from each other’s resources and experience.” The cost for organizations to register to participate in the event is $100 before Aug. 31 and $125 if submitted after Aug. 31. As a nonprofit organization itself, OnBoard relies on the support of local businesses in order to hold ‘Get On Board.’ A number of funding options are available to local businesses who are interested in contributing to the event, including a $500 community-partner sponsorship and a $1,000 general-sponsorship opportunity. To register or become a business sponsor, visit www.diversityonboard.org.

Williamstown Film Festival Presents Wind-Up Fest

Oct. 15-18: The annual Williamstown Film Festival (WFF), now in its 17th year, welcomes big changes with new faces, a new name, and new programming focus. Slated for Oct. 15-18, WFF Presents: Wind-Up Fest is a nonfiction festival with documentary film as its backbone. Other forms of nonfiction will be in conversation with documentaries, including long-form journalism, radio podcasts, photography, and social-practice art. The event’s new artistic director, Paul Sturtz, is also the co-director at the True/False Film Fest in Columbia, Mo., and its new managing director, Sandra Thomas, is the former executive director of Images Cinema in Williamstown. “Our aim is to provide a unique, distinctive event for North Adams and Williamstown while serving as a destination festival for lovers of nonfiction. We are living in a time when nonfiction storytelling is offering one of the most vital, urgent ways forward,” Sturtz said. The festival will be curated by Sturtz, who was selected (along with his True/False co-director David Wilson) as one of 40 people in the inaugural Indiewire Influencers list, described as “visionaries that are changing the course of film.” “I’m excited to work with Paul to make his creative vision a reality,” said Thomas. “Working in partnership with the community, engaging a broad audience, and strengthening the festival’s presence are all important elements of the fest.” With the addition of Sturtz and return of Thomas, the board of directors announced the retirement of festival Executive Director Steve Lawson. “It’s been an exhilarating ride, but after 15 seasons as executive director, I felt it was time to pass the torch,” said Lawson. The festival has offices in North Adams and Williamstown and can reached at [email protected] or (413) 458-9700.

Noble Ball

Oct. 17: Baystate Noble Hospital is preparing for the 51st Anniversary Noble Ball co-chaired by the Queenin family: Kevin, Barbara, Jay, Janine, Jon and Lisa. “Magic of Motown – Motor City Review” will take place the MassMutual Center in Springfield. More than 800 guests are expected to attend the black-tie event, which will feature live entertainment, silent and live auctions, formal dinner, cocktails, dancing, and more. Since the first ball in 1959, the Hospital has used this signature event to raise money for operating funds, building improvements, equipment purchases, and more. Proceeds from this year’s ball will be added to last year’s funds and used to enhance Baystate Noble’s entrance and reception area to provide updated ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) access. “Our goal is to make Baystate Noble easily accessible for all,” said Allison Gearing-Kalill, vice president of Community Development. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.baystatenoblehospital.org/ball or e-mail [email protected].

Western Mass. Business Expo

Nov. 4: Comcast Business will present the fifth annual Western Mass. Business Expo at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield, produced by BusinessWest and the Healthcare News in partnership with Go Graphix and Rider Productions. The business-to-business show will feature more than 100 booths, seminars and Show Floor Theater presentations, breakfast and lunch programs (the former featuring Harpoon Brewery CEO Dan Kenary as keynote speaker), and a day-capping Expo Social. Current sponsors include Comcast Business, presenting sponsor; Health New England, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, MGM Springfield, and Wild Apple Design, director-level sponsors; the Isenberg School of Business at UMass Amherst, education sponsor; Elms College, information-center sponsor; and 94.7 WMAS, media sponsor. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Exhibitor spaces are also available; booth prices start at $750. For more information on sponsorships or booth purchase, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100.