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Empty Bowls Fundraiser
April 1: The Amherst Survival Center will host its
15th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser from noon to 4 p.m. at the center’s site at 138 Sunderland Road, North Amherst. Empty Bowls will offer in-person dining at the center, with service from state leg- islators, town leaders, and other special guests. Attendees may also take their soup to go. Guests select a unique, handcrafted bowl made by a local artist and choose between a dozen soups donated by local restaurants and freshly baked bread. Meat, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free soup options will be available. The keepsake bowl is theirs to keep as a reminder of all the other bowls they have helped to fill. Soft drinks are included, and wine and hard cider are available for purchase (cash only). Tickets cost $50 and are available online at www.amherst- survival.org/emptybowls or by calling the Amherst Survival Center at (413) 549-3968, ext. 108. Guests who don’t want a handmade bowl may also choose soup-only tickets for adults ($30) or for children ($10). Children 2 and under are free. Tickets can also be purchased in person on the day of at the event.
SSO Chamber Concert
April 2: The Springfield Symphony Orchestra
(SSO) will host its second chamber concert of
the season at 3 p.m. at First Church of Christ, 763 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow. The concert will feature the Casey String Quartet, which is made up of Springfield Symphony Orchestra musicians. Four Springfield Symphony Orchestra string musicians that make up the Casey String Quartet will perform, including cellist Patricia (Tish) Edens, violinist Miho Matsuno, violinist Robert Lawrence, and violist Mar- tha McAdams. The chamber concert will feature works by Edward Elgar, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Benjamin Britten, three composers whose works the Springfield Symphony Orchestra will be per- forming at its next concert at Symphony Hall on Saturday, April 15. The quartet will also perform a piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Tickets can
be purchased by calling the SSO box office at (413) 733-2291. Tickets cost $30 for adults and $10 for youth ages 4-18.
Best of Valley Voices Story Slam
April 8: The Best of Valley Voices Story Slam col- laboration between the Academy of Music Theatre and New England Public Media will stage its eighth competition at the Academy of Music at 7:30 p.m. Audience members selected the top three storytell- ers from four slams performed at a variety of venues in the Valley between December and March, and now they will compete for the best of the best. Both novice and experienced storytellers will be shar-
ing their five-minute, first-person narratives live on stage, and the audience will select the winner. Co- producers Lyrical Faith and Vanessa Cerillo, along with singer and songwriter Adam McElreath, will lead the audience along with the rules and voting tips. For further information or to purchase tickets, visit www.aomtheatre.com or call (413) 584-9032, ext. 105, Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.
Free Shred Days
April 15, May 13: bankESB invites customers and members of the community to two free shred days at local offices. The events will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on the following dates and locations: April 15,
BusinessWest
bankESB, 241 Northampton St., Easthampton; and May 13, Home Depot parking lot, 350 Russell St., Hadley. No appointment is necessary. Local resi- dents can reduce their risk of identity theft by bring- ing old mail, receipts, statements or bills, canceled checks, pay stubs, medical records, or any other unwanted paper documents containing personal or confidential information and shredding them safely and securely for free. Valley Green Shredding, a professional document-destruction company, will be on site and can accept up to two boxes of docu- ments per person.
Harmonia V Concert
April 20: The Westfield Athenaeum and MOSSO (Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra) will present the third of a three-concert chamber music series, with Harmonia V performing at 7 p.m. Guy McLain, executive director of the Westfield Athenaeum, will offer a pre-performance talk at 6 p.m., which is free to ticket holders. The Connect- icut-based Harmonia V, an innovative woodwind quintet, performs standard literature, seldom-heard treasures, and dynamic contemporary music. Mem- bers of the quintet include Springfield Symphony Orchestra and MOSSO horn player Robert Hoyle; Jennifer Berman, flute; Janet Rosen, oboe; Jim Forgey, clarinet; and Jackie Sifford Joyner, bassoon. The Harmonia V program, “April in Paris,” includes music by Fauré, Ravel, and Debussy. For information on Harmonia V, visit www.harmoniav.com. Tickets for the concert cost $25 and must be purchased in advance at the Westfield Athenaeum during busi- ness hours, or online at www.westath.org.
Difference Makers Gala
April 27: The 15th annual Difference Makers Gala will be held at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Since 2009, BusinessWest has been recognizing the work of individuals, groups, businesses, and institutions through this recognition program. The 2023 Dif- ference Makers was announced, and their stories told, in the Feb. 20 issue of BusinessWest and at businesswest.com. Tickets cost $85 each, and tables of 10-12 are available. To purchase tickets, visit busi- nesswest.com/difference-makers. Partner sponsors for this year’s program include Burkhart Pizzanelli P.C., the Royal Law Firm, TommyCar Auto Group, and Westfield Bank.
Pioneer Valley Conference for Women
May 4: The Pioneer Valley Conference for Women will host its first in-person event at the Marriott in downtown Springfield. The theme of the confer- ence is “Let Go.” Leading the speaker lineup are Paulette Piñero, social entrepreneur, writer, and leadership coach, and Yvonne Williams, author of Tested Faith and It’s All About the Shoes. Each will provide a keynote address to an expected audi- ence of more than 300 attendees. The conference highlights topics that were chosen by the women of Western Mass., based on current trends and interests. Alison Maloni, owner of Alison May Pub- lic Relations, news anchor for a national network, and bestselling author of Breaking in the News: Build Buzz for Your Brand, will emcee the confer- ence. Local comedian Jess Miller will entertain attendees during a VIP Comedy Kick-off the eve- ning before the conference; tickets cost $35. The cost to attend the Pioneer Valley Conference is $52, which includes breakfast, lunch, a swag bag,
and an afternoon celebration with a female DJ and complementary wine and hors d’oeuvres fol- lowing the full-day conference. The lunch spon- sor is M&T Bank. The panel sponsor is Westfield Bank. The network sponsors are Smith Executive Education and USI Insurance. The small-business sponsors are Lovelace Design and Rooted Flow- ers. Keeping with the goal of accessibility, the conference will also be available virtually for those who are more comfortable watching through a screen. Sessions will be taped for future viewing. For more information on keynote speakers, spon- sors, exhibitors, and panelists, visit sheslocal.org/ pioneer-valley-conference-for-women.
Hooplandia
June 23-25: Registration for Hooplandia, a 3x3 basketball tournament and festival, is now open at www.hooplandia.com and includes levels of play for all ages and divisions. The tournament, pre- sented by the Eastern States Exposition (ESE) and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, will take place on the grounds of ESE in West Spring- field June 23-25, with special games at the Hall
of Fame in Springfield. The event 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 uni- forms, 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. Hooplandia has teamed up with Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the region as its designated philanthropic partner, providing $10 from every team registration to support the mission and programs of the clubs. Partnership opportuni- ties for Hooplandia are available at a variety of levels to help underwrite all areas of play, including Boys & Girls Club youth, active military, veterans divi- sions, and more. Anyone interested should email [email protected]. Hooplandia welcomes participation from youth team referees, scorekeep- ers, Fan Village contest facilitators, and volunteers for myriad duties to help make this inaugural year
a success. Those interested in participating in this groundbreaking event can fill out the volunteer form at www.hooplandia.com.
MOSSO Concert
July 23: MOSSO (Musicians of the Springfield Sym- phony Orchestra) will make its Sevenars Concerts debut in Worthington at 4 p.m. MOSSO and Friends, which opened the Westfield Athenaeum series, features violinist Beth Welty, horn player Sarah Sutherland, and pianist Elizabeth Skavish. They will perform Frédéric Duvernoy’s Trio No. 1 for Violin, Horn, and Piano; Trygve Madsen’s Trio, Op. 110 for Violin, Horn, and Piano; and Johannes Brahms’ Trio in E-flat Major for Violin, Horn, and Piano. Sevenars performances are held at the Academy, South Ireland Street and Route 112, South Worthington. There is no charge for admission to the perfor- mance, and no tickets are needed, although dona- tions at the door are welcome ($20 or more per person is suggested to help defray expenses). For program details and information on Sevenars, visit www.sevenars.org.
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