Compiled by Debra Scherban. Please send items to dscherban@gazettenet.com.
With the fall sports season just ahead, physical therapists affiliated with Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton are again working with area coaches on ways to help kids prevent injuries.
They were at Easthampton High School last Saturday to work with the football team and will be back there Aug. 29 from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. to advise the soccer, volleyball and cheerleading teams. The program will be at Hampshire Regional School in Westhampton Sept. 6 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. for soccer, cross country and gymnastics.
Tearing the anterior cruciate ligament – one of the ligaments in the knee that connects the femur and tibia — for example, is among the most severe injuries suffered by high school athletes, frequently requiring expensive surgery and lengthy rehabilitation. Usually caused by a sudden twisting of the knee, ACL injuries most frequently occur when an athlete suddenly decelerates or lands awkwardly, according to the National Institutes of Health. The exercises the CDH physical therapists recommend to the students address plyometrics, strength, flexibility and agility.
Christopher Heights of Northampton assisted living community will be a host location for Highland Valley Elder Service’s “A Matter of Balance” program. It consists of eight two-hour, small-group sessions led by a trained facilitator.
The program is free and will take place on consecutive Thursdays starting Sept. 14. The sessions run from 2 to 4 p.m. at Christopher Heights which is located at 50 Village Hill Road, Northampton.
Many older adults experience a fear of falling. People who develop this fear often limit their activities, which can result in physical weakness, making the risk of falling even greater, according to a prepared statement from Christopher Heights. The balance program is designed to counter that fear. During the class, participants learn to view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, make changes to reduce fall risk at home and exercise to increase strength and balance.
Registration is required. Call Kristy Livingston at Christopher Heights at 584-0701 or e-mail klivingston@christopherheights.com.
River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC), an affiliate of Holyoke Medical Center and member of Valley Health Systems, will hold its 2nd Annual Golf Tournament fundraiser Sept. 15 at 10:30 a.m. at the East Mountain Country Club in Westfield.
The funds raised will help RVCC to continue providing behavioral health and other supportive services to individuals, families and groups throughout the Pioneer Valley.
The cost per golfer is $100 and includes a golf cart, lunch, dinner and prizes. There will also be a raffle and silent auction.
Registration will begin at 9 a.m and there will be a 10:30 a.m. shot gun start. There will also be contests on the course which include prizes donated by various businesses. For more information about the event including registration, go to www.rvcc-inc.org. You can also visit River Valley Counseling Center’s Facebook page or contact RVCC’s Marketing and Development Specialist, Angela L. Callahan at 841-3546 or email Callahan_angela@holyokehealth.com.
To schedule an appointment to donate, use the free Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767
Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., University of Massachusetts Student Union, 41 Campus Center Way, Amherst.
Aug. 29, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Linda Manor, 349 Haydenville Road, Leeds
Aug. 31, 12 p.m. to- 5 p.m., Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust St., Northampton