Foundation asks donors to ‘Give Like Dolly’
AGAWAM — The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation hopes to raise $25,000 on Friday to put more free books in the hands of young children in western Massachusetts through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The campaign is part of Give Like Dolly Day, observed Sept. 25 by communities that support the program, which mails an age-appropriate book each month to enrolled children from birth to age 5 at no cost to their families.
The foundation currently funds the program for children in Springfield and West Springfield. It is seeking help from businesses, organizations, families and individuals to expand participation.
Reaching the $25,000 goal could cover about 160 children for the full five years of the program, or up to 9,600 books delivered to local homes, according to the foundation.
Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 in her home county in Tennessee, inspired by her father’s inability to read and write. The program now mails more than 3 million books a month to children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland, and has given away more than 300 million books.
Donations can be made at donate.imaginationlibrary.com by designating the gift to the Western Massachusetts Imagination Library Program. More information is available at imaginationlibrary.com and hgcf.org.
Bank to host free document shredding in Florence, Sunderland
Greenfield Cooperative Bank will hold two free document shredding events in partnership with Valley Green Shredding. These events will take place on:
- Saturday, Sept. 25, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the bank’s Florence branch at 6 Main St.
- Saturday, Oct. 17, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Sunderland branch at 18 Amherst Road.
At both events, people are invited to bring up to four grocery bags or two boxes of confidential documents for secure shredding. This service is provided free of charge to help individuals protect their personal information.
In addition to document shredding, Greenfield Cooperative Bank will be accepting optional monetary donations to benefit the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
Car show Sunday to benefit Magic for Maddie
HOLYOKE — A Cars & Coffee show Sunday at Gary Rome Car Wash will raise money for Magic for Maddie, a local nonprofit that supports pediatric brain tumor research.
The free event runs from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 180 Whiting Farms Road, on the same campus as Gary Rome Hyundai. It is presented by Bruce Marshall of Cruisin’ with Bruce Marshall, a longtime organizer of local car cruises and midday host on 97.7 FM.
No registration is required, and all makes and models are welcome. Prizes will be awarded in several vehicle categories, which will be announced at the event. A 50/50 raffle will benefit the nonprofit, and the Polly Poke food truck will sell breakfast sandwiches and coffee.
Magic for Maddie was created in memory of Maddie Schmidt, a Southampton girl who died of a pediatric brain tumor at age 8. The group funds research into pediatric brain tumors and supports families facing similar diagnoses.
The show falls on the last day of a Sept. 24-27 matching weekend. During that weekend, Hyundai Hope on Wheels, the pediatric cancer charity backed by Hyundai dealers, will triple eligible donations, with up to $75,000 in matching money available.
Representatives of the nonprofit will take donations and sell registrations and carnival tickets for the Magic for Maddie 5K, Family Fun Walk and Carnival on Saturday, Oct. 17.
More information is available at magicformaddie.com.
South Hadley seeks resident input in community needs survey
SOUTH HADLEY — The town is asking residents to fill out a survey on health and well-being as part of a community needs assessment.
The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes, is anonymous and will be used to help set community priorities, according to the town. It asks about residents’ experiences, strengths and challenges related to health and well-being.
The survey is available online at surveymonkey.com/r/SH_CNSurvey. Paper copies can be picked up and returned at the South Hadley Council on Aging, the South Hadley Public Library and the town clerk’s office.
Town officials are asking departments and local organizations to share the survey widely, and encouraging residents to pass it along to at least three other people in town so the results reflect the whole community.
The survey closes Friday, Oct. 9.