Page 85 - BusinessWest December 9, 2024

AGENDA>> For more events, or to submit your upcoming events,
visit BusinessWest’s event calendar online: https://businesswest.com/eventcalendar
Difference Makers Nominations Through Dec. 16: Do you know someone who
is truly making a difference in the Western Mass. region? BusinessWest invites you to nominate an individual or group for its 17th annual Difference Makers program. Nominations for the class of 2025 must be received by Monday, Dec. 16. Difference Makers was launched in 2009 as a way to recognize the contributions of agencies and individuals who are contributing to quality of life in this region. Past honorees have come from dozens of business and nonprofit sectors, proving there’s no limit to the ways people can impact their communities. So, let us know who you think deserves to be recognized as a Difference Maker in our upcoming class by vis- iting businesswest.com/difference-makers-nomina- tion-form to complete the nomination form. Hon- orees will be profiled in the Feb. 17 issue of Busi- nessWest and celebrated at a gala in the spring.
Round Up for Kids
Through Dec. 31: Rocky’s Ace Hardware kicked off the season of giving with its “Round Up for Kids” fundraiser. Throughout the campaign, which
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extends through Dec. 31, customers are asked to round up their purchase total to the next dollar. The difference is donated to Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) hospitals. Last year, the initiative raised more than $41,000 across all Rocky’s locations. All money raised goes to benefit local CMN hospitals, includ- ing Baystate Children’s Hospital in Springfield. Local participating Rocky’s locations include the Island Pond Road and Liberty Street stores in Springfield, as well as the stores in Agawam, East Longmeadow, Westfield, Ludlow, Palmer, and South Hadley. Donations help fund critical treatments, innovative research, pediatric equipment, financial assistance for families, and services aimed at putting the minds of children at ease during difficult hospital stays.
Service Above Self Luncheon
Dec. 12: The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Rotary Club of Springfield announced the hon- orees for the Westfield Bank 2024 Basketball Hall of Fame Rotary Service Above Self Luncheon, taking place Thursday, Dec. 12 at noon on Center Court of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Tickets to the event are available to purchase at $90 each. To purchase tickets, contact Chelsea Johnson at (413)
to support this state-of-the-art charging technology, we’re not only enabling fast, reliable EV charging, but also demonstrating the kind of partnership essential to advancing the clean-energy transition.”
The Deerfield project advances U.S. manufactur- ing and job creation by using American-made charg- ing technology from Autel for ultra-fast EV charging, ChargePoint for Level 2 charging, and Eatonfor infra-
There is some good news locally, as opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts, after rising in the post-pandemic years, decreased by 10% in 2023 — the largest single-year decline since 2009-10, in fact — and the suicide rate dropped as well. But there’s still plenty of work to do.
And not just at clinics. Employers are increasingly turning to employee-assistance programs and other wellness initiatives, recognizing that addressing the health needs of their employees will not only improve
231-5513 or [email protected]. This year’s honorees are well-known local residents John Sjo- berg and Brenda Garton Sjoberg. John is president and CEO of NEBM, a regional provider and servicer of office business machines, and Brenda is a Com- munications professor at Western New England University and former TV news personality. The national honoree is Allan Houston, former New York Knick and founder of the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation. John and Brenda’s community involve- ment is vast, and includes co-chairing the Jingle Bell Run to support the Special Olympics and the Gift of Light Ceremony at Mercy Medical Center, of which John was past board chairman. They have also been directly involved with the Ronald McDon- ald House, Sisters of Providence, Link to Libraries, Spirit of Springfield (of which John is currently chairman of the board), and many other organiza- tions. Houston and his foundation promote youth mentoring and responsible fatherhood, with a focus on entrepreneurship and career development. He has also developed the Allan Houston Mentoring Initiative and Father Knows Best basketball retreats through his foundation.
structure equipment, with supply-chain logistics sup- port from Rexel Energy Solutions.
Based in Boston, Rivermoor Energy delivers com- prehensive energy strategy, planning, project develop- ment, and financing solutions to enable customers to meet their goals for EV charging, solar energy, energy storage, and energy resilience. BW
health outcomes, but also increase productivity and reduce healthcare costs.
And getting back to where we started — technol- ogy — behavioral-health professionals continue to mine success from a COVID-era development: remote telehealth sessions that many patients find easier to navigate. BW
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Charge
ney toward a clean-energy future. Through close col- laboration with our partners and local stakeholders, Eversource has helped bring this groundbreaking project to life, providing critical infrastructure that supports EV adoption and strengthens the commu- nity’s commitment to sustainable energy,” said Roger Kranenburg, vice president, Energy Strategy and Pol- icy at Eversource. “By upgrading utility infrastructure
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Health
and do a better job of supporting their populations’ mental health.”
The U.S. healthcare system continues to grapple with the fallout, which is still being felt today. The pandemic especially affected the mental health
of young people, and women were more severely impacted than men. Meanwhile, people with pre- existing physical health conditions, such as asthma, cancer, and heart disease, were more likely to develop symptoms of mental disorders.
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