Agenda

Bountiful Bowls

June 13: Rachel’s Table, a program of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, will hold its biennial fundraiser, Bountiful Bowls, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The evening will celebrate the organization’s 30 years of serving the community; honor its founders, mentors, and supporters, and share information about its launch as a new nonprofit entity. Dave Brinnel, comedian and musician, will emcee the evening and will be joined by honorary chair and former state Sen. Eric Lesser. Among the honorees are the 10 female founders of Rachel’s Table in Springfield: Judy Ingis, Myra Gold, Susanne Osofsky, Liz Kittredge Rome, Patti Weber Weiner, Linda Skole, Ronnie Leavitt, Nancy Posnick, the late Daydie Hochberg, and Margie Berg. Also being honored are four mentors that have helped Rachel’s Table in its most recent growth phase, offering their skills and talents in seminal ways. They are Janice Greenberg, Jon Lasko, Jerry Munic, and the late Joseph Dorison. Finally, the Arbella Insurance Foundation will be honored as the entity that helped initiate the Growing Gardens program at Rachel’s Table, its food-equity and access program that works directly with those most affected by food insecurity to grow their own food. Food, refreshments, film, and entertainment will support Rachel’s Table’s 30th-year celebration to honor its past, present, and future. Visit www.rachelstablepv.org to learn more about the event and purchase tickets.

 

40 Under Forty

June 15: BusinessWest will host its annual 40 Under Forty Gala at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke. The class of 2023 was announced and profiled in the May 1 issue of BusinessWest and at businesswest.com. The gala will feature a VIP hour for the honorees and sponsors, networking, the presentation of the Alumni Achievement Award (see finalist profiles beginning on page 5), and introduction of the class of 2023. The gala is sold out, but a livestream will be available at businesswest.com/40-under-forty/40underforty beginning at 6:30 p.m. The 40 Under Forty presenting sponsor is PeoplesBank, and the Alumni Achievement Award presenting sponsor is Health New England. Partner sponsors include Comcast Business, Live Nation, the Markens Group, MGM Springfield, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, and Webber & Grinnell Insurance.

sheLEADS Conference

June 16: The Chamber of Greater Easthampton announced its upcoming women’s leadership conference, sheLEADS, to be held at Williston Northampton School, 19 Payson Ave., Easthampton. This year’s conference will feature a lineup of inspiring speakers who will share their personal stories and insights on leadership, career development, and understanding the power of knowing one’s worth. This year’s conference features two keynote speakers: Sabrina Antoine Correia, vice president of Public Engagement and Corporate Responsibility for New England, JPMorgan Chase; and Lindsay Barron LaBonte, branch manager, Applied Mortgage. Correia will discuss “Advocating for Yourself and Your Ideas,” and LaBonte will discuss “How I Found My Worth.” Other topics to be discussed during the conference include “Is Money Power,” a thought-provoking discussion featuring panelists Karen Curran of Curran & Keegan Financial, Diane Dukette of Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Ashleigh Beadle of Sourcepass, and Joanna Ballantine of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. Attendees will also participate in the interactive workshop “The RACI Side of Communication and Collaboration,” led by Tiffany Espinosa from Teal Executives, Mount Holyoke College. Event tickets cost $119. To register, visit business.easthamptonchamber.org/events.

 

Hooplandia

June 23-25: Registration for Hooplandia, a 3×3 basketball tournament and festival, is now open at www.hooplandia.com and includes levels of play for all ages and divisions. The tournament, presented by the Eastern States Exposition (ESE) and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, will take place on the grounds of ESE in West Springfield June 23-25, with special games at the Hall of Fame in Springfield. Dunkin’ was recently named presenting sponsor of the event, which is expected to attract thousands of fans and players as hundreds of games take place across more than 70 courts. Divisions of play have been created to provide an all-inclusive environment for players of all ages and playing abilities. With brackets that include veterans, first responders, youth, wheelchair athletes, college elites, and many more, there’s a spot on the court for everyone. Players are invited to build teams of four, create their own unique team name and uniforms, and register at www.hooplandia.com. Team fees range from $75 to $190, with children under 8 and participants in the Special Olympics category being free of charge.

 

Wild Thing 5K/10K Race, 5K Walk

June 25: Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary will present its eighth annual Wild Thing 5K/10K Trail Race and 5K Walk. The race is an important fundraiser for Mass Audubon, and all proceeds will benefit its extensive education programs and conservation efforts throughout Berkshire County. The races and walk will begin at 9 a.m. at the wildlife sanctuary on West Mountain Road. Both routes feature the single-track trails and scenic carriage roads of nearby Kennedy Park. All racers and walkers are invited to a post-race celebration outside Pleasant Valley’s big red barn, where they can enjoy light refreshments. During this time, prizes will be awarded to top winners and runners-up of the 10K and 5K races. All race participants will receive a tote bag from Blue Q and are eligible to win prizes donated from local businesses. The first 350 participants will receive a limited-edition Wild Thing sticker. The entry fee for the races is $35 until Thursday, June 22; and $40 for day-of registrations. Runners age 12 and under are $10, and ages 13-18 are $20. Race-day registration will be held in person from 7 to 8 a.m. only. This year’s Wild Thing lead sponsor is Interprint, with support from many other local community sponsors. For more information, to register online, or to sign up to volunteer, visit www.massaudubon.org/wildthing.

 

Jack Rome Memorial 5K

Oct. 7: Local canine celebrity Jack Rome, official greeter of Gary Rome Auto Group, who peacefully passed away last year, will now be memorialized with an annual 5K run/walk to benefit the Foundation for Thomas J. O’Connor (TJO) Animals. Sponsored by Gary Rome Hyundai and Western Mass News, the first annual Jack Rome Memorial 5K will take place at 10 a.m. at Forest Park in Springfield, and will be a family- and dog-friendly event. Visit runsignup.com/race/ma/springfield/jackromememorial5k to register. All funds raised will be donated directly to the Foundation for TJO Animals and will be used specifically for medical and veterinary care, emergency surgery, and rehabilitation services to help the animals find new, loving homes. To inquire about sponsorship opportunities or for more information, contact Dara Davignon, executive assistant to Gary Rome, at [email protected] or (413) 420-8049.