Holyoke Pride to hold first Santa Sprint Saturday
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Pride is calling on the community to show up in full force this Saturday for the city’s first Santa Sprint, a festive fundraiser supporting Pride programming and local LGBTQIA+ community celebrations throughout the month of June.
Organizers are encouraging both runners and spectators to bundle up, dress in their best Santa gear, and help line Race Street with holiday spirit.
The day begins at 9 a.m. with participants and spectators gathering at De La Luz Soundstage, 114 Race St., to check in, register (for runners ages 18 and over), and borrow Santa attire from the community stash — hats, beards, belts, and other costume pieces available for anyone who needs a little extra holiday flair.
The Santa Sprint will follow the Canalwalk, starting at Euphorium Dispensary and finishing at The Cubit, creating a lively procession through one of Holyoke’s most iconic downtown corridors. Awards will go to the fastest Santa sprinter, best group Santas, Santa is late, Sexiest Santa, and Santa is a Woman?
Holyoke Pride organizers emphasize that even in cold weather, strong community turnout makes a powerful statement. Showing up — bundled, jingling, cheering — helps affirm and uplift Holyoke’s LGBTQIA+ community and fuels Pride’s work leading up to PrideFest on June 27, 2026.
Tickets and full event details can be found at: holyokepride.org.
HCC college magazine named best at conference
HOLYOKE — The Connection, the official magazine of Holyoke Community College, received a first-place gold Medallion Award at the Fall 2025 District 1 conference of the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations.
The Spring 2025 edition of The Connection took the top spot in the category of Large-Scale Magazine, for publications of more than 16 pages.
In addition to its usual campus news, alumni briefs and class notes, the Spring 2025 issue includes a cover story about the opening of HCC’s Marieb Adult Learner Success Center and Parent Learning Center (“A Family Affair”); a profile of late alum JoAnne Wrobel, who launched a free food cart for students that grew into the Thrive Center and Food Pantry, which now feeds hundreds of HCC students every year (“A Silent Hero”); and a feature story about HCC alum Brandon Towle, of Westfield, who founded the first sleepaway camp in New England for stuttering youth (“Freedom to Speak”).
“Freedom to Speak,” written by the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Chris Yurko, received a second-place silver Medallion Award in the category of Long-Form Writing (stories of more than 800 words).
The magazine is designed by John Devanski, owner of Guy With Glasses Design in Ware.
The Connection is a 36-page magazine published two times a year by the HCC office of Marketing and Communications and distributed free to alumni, students, and friends of the college.
A digital version of the Spring 2025 issue can be viewed at hcc.edu/connection-SP25.
NCMPR represents marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges in the United States and beyond. The NCMPR Medallion Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication in each of NCMPR’s seven districts.
No-cost respite care for Mass. residents
Best of Care Inc., a Massachusetts-based elder care agency, has been selected to participate in the new GUIDE Program (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience), a national initiative from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) designed to support individuals living with memory changes and their caregivers.
Through the GUIDE program, eligible participants may receive up to $2,563 per year in fully covered respite care, provided by Best of Care at no cost to patients or families. The program also includes access to care coordination, caregiver education, and 24/7 support through healthcare partners chosen by CMS to deliver GUIDE services.
The GUIDE program is open to individuals who are enrolled in traditional Medicare (Parts A & B), not a Medicare Advantage plan; have a diagnosis of dementia or are eligible based on cognitive symptoms; and are not enrolled in hospice or long-term nursing facility care.
Enrollment begins with a brief eligibility check. Once approved, participants can receive respite care directly from Best of Care caregivers in their home or residential setting, along with caregiver support and education.
For more information or to check eligibility for the GUIDE program, contact: info@bestofcareinc.com or call 800-310-5800.
Cradles to Crayons needs winter weather gear
Cradles to Crayons Gear Up for Winter initiative is seeking donations of clothes, boots, hats, gloves and coats as it aims to provide essential winter gear to children living in low-income and homeless situations across Massachusetts so they can stay warm and feel prepared for the winter weather.
Cradles to Crayons donation drop box locations in this area include the Old Navy store in Holyoke, 50 Holyoke St.; Old Navy store in Hadley, 335 Russell St.; and Lander Grinspoon Elementary School, 257 Prospect St., Northampton.