Agenda

UMass Dine and Dash
April 12: Dining Services at UMass Amherst will host the fifth annual UMass 5K Dash and Dine on campus. The run/walk is held annually to raise funds for the Amherst Survival Center and to promote health and fitness at the university. The race fee, $5 for UMass Amherst community members and $15 for the public, includes registration and a complimentary meal at the newly renovated Hampshire Dining Commons following the award ceremony at the university’s dining facilities. The first 500 registrants will receive a T-shirt. Last year’s event raised a total of $5,000 for the center, but the goal this year is double that. “We’re looking forward to yet another successful Dash and Dine 5K this year to help to benefit the Amherst Survival Center,” said Ken Toong, executive director of UMass Auxiliary Enterprises. “This event is a great way to help neighbors in need and to involve both the students and the public in raising funds for an incredible cause, while working toward being fit and healthy.” Check-in begins at 9 a.m. at Berkshire Dining Commons, and the race begins at 11 a.m. At noon, prizes will be awarded to the top three runners in different age and gender groups, as well as the top male and female finishers in the event’s costume contest. To register or make a donation, visit www.runumass.com.

Breast Cancer Survivors’ Day
April 26: Breast-cancer survivors, their families, and friends are invited to celebrate life together at the 17th annual Rays of Hope Breast Cancer Survivors’ Day on Saturday, April 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the MassMutual Center. Former WNBA player and breast-cancer survivor Edna Campbell will deliver the keynote address, titled “Bouncing Back,” at the popular event sponsored by Rays of Hope. The WNBA veteran — best-known for her time as a point guard with the Sacramento Monarchs — was diagnosed with breast cancer during her second season. After retiring from the WNBA four years later, Campbell became a nurse and now travels across the country sharing her story of survival while encouraging women to have regular breast exams and inspiring those who’ve been diagnosed. In addition to the keynote address, participants will be able to select two workshops from a number of topics, including “Breast Reconstruction,” “Coping Strategies for Caregivers,” “Personal Safety Tips,” “Let Your Yoga Dance,” “Advances in the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer,” “Mindful Eating,” “Unclutter Your Life and Start Living,” and “The Joy of Card Making.” Two sessions will be offered in Spanish only: “Recomendaciones Sobre Seguridad Personal” and “Promoviendo la Caminata de Rays of Hope.” As part of this year’s Survivors’ Day, there will be a special art exhibit made up of artwork completed by participants in the Rays of Hope-sponsored “Art from the Heart” program facilitated by art therapist and silk artist Pat Hayes. The program — a series of art-therapy workshops offered twice a year — provides a creative outlet for women to work in watercolor, precious metal, clay, and other media. The day will also offer networking opportunities and the chance to visit with several exhibitors selling a variety of breast-related products. A continental breakfast and buffet luncheon will be served. The cost is $35 per person, with the remaining cost underwritten by Rays of Hope. Parking will be validated for the Civic Center Parking Garage only. For those unable to afford the event fee, a limited number of scholarships are available by calling Sandra Hubbard at the Rays of Hope Outreach Office at (413) 794-9556. For more information on the 17th Annual Breast Cancer Survivors’ Day, or to request a registration form, call (413) 794-9556. For more information about Rays of Hope, visit www.baystatehealth.org/raysofhope.

Journey Around the World for Literacy
April 30: Link to Libraries invites you to travel to India, Asia, Latin America, France, Ireland, and Italy — all within the Delaney House and D. Hotel and Suites. A selection of ballrooms and suites will be transformed into different global destinations, complete with costumes, cuisine, décor, and local flavor. The event, which runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Delaney House on Route 5 in Holyoke, costs $25 per person, which includes multiple food stations.
An optional $10 buys unlimited sampling at specialty drink stations.
There will also be a cash bar. Funds will benefit literacy programs through Link to Libraries. To register, send a check,
payable to Link to Libraries Inc., to the following address: Link to Libraries, Attn. Karen Blinderman, Registrar, P.O. Box 958,
West Springfield, MA 01090. Your check is your reservation.

Not Just Business as Usual
May 1: The Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation’s Not Just Business as Usual event is a key networking event for business leaders in Western Mass. This annual celebration, in its fifth year, is a celebration of innovative thinking which gives participants the opportunity to learn from business experts while raising significant funding for the STCC WORKS scholarship program. It will be held at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A cocktail and networking reception will be run from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with dinner and keynote speaker to follow from 7 to 9 p.m. This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Alan Robinson, award-winning author and associate dean of the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. Robinson will discuss his latest book, The Idea-Driven Organization: Unlocking the Power in Bottom-Up Ideas. Drawing on his work with companies worldwide, Robinson will review the strategies needed to develop a management team open to grassroots innovation and the policies and practices that encourage — and those that discourage — employees’ ideas.
Robinson has advised more than 200 companies in 15 countries. Both tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available. Tickets are $175 each or $1,500 for a table of 10. For additional information or to become a sponsor, contact Christina Tuohey, STCC’s director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, at (413) 755-4475 or [email protected]. To purchase tickets online, visit www.stcc.edu/njbau.

40 Under Forty
June 19: The eighth annual 40 Under Forty award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, honoring 40 of the region’s rising stars under 40 years old. The 40 Under Forty program, launched in 2007, has become one of the region’s most-anticipated annual events, and the recognition has become a prestigious badge of honor for its recipients. Judges recently chose this year’s class from more than 150 nominations, a record. They will be announced, and their stories told, in the April 21 issue. More details on the gala will be revealed in upcoming issues, but tickets cost $65, and they typically sell out quickly. For more information or to order tickets, call (413) 781-8600.