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Berkshires Beat: Cancer Center Community Crusaders Annual Event Joins with Survivors Day
05:00PM / Monday, May 29, 2017
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The Cancer Center Community Crusaders Day of Celebration and National Cancer Survivors Day will be combined at SVMC this year.

Kicking cancer: For the last few years, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, Vt., has hosted two cancer-related events during the first weekend in June: The Cancer Center Community Crusaders Day of Celebration on Saturday and National Cancer Survivors Day on Sunday. For the first time in 2017, the events will be combined.

Both events will be held on Saturday, June 3. The program schedule begins with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Cupcake tasting, raffles, music and kids’ activities — like inflatable bounce houses and face painting—continue throughout the day.

Attendees are invited to tour the Cancer Center’s newest addition, the linear accelerator, with Dr. Matthew Vernon, radiation oncologist, each hour 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The linear accelerator delivers high doses of radiation to cancer cells in a much more precise and faster manner than allowed by previous technologies, which improves the patient experience through reduced treatment times, fewer side effects, and less damage to neighboring normal organs.

In addition, survivors who received treatment at SVRCC and their families are especially invited to a complimentary lunch buffet noon to 2 p.m. Food will also be available for purchase. Community organizations, families and friends of cancer patients, and anyone else who would like to raise funds in support of local cancer patients are invited to volunteer or set up a game booth or activity to benefit the event. Call Carson Thurber at 802-447-5488 or e-mail carson.thurber@svhealthcare.org.

 

Kindergarten screening: North Adams Public Schools will conduct kindergarten screenings on the following days: Thursday, June 1, and Friday, June 2, at Colegrove Park Elementary School, 24 Church St., for students attending Colegrove Park Elementary in the fall; Monday, June 5, and Tuesday, June 6, at Brayton Elementary, 20 Brayton Hill Terrace, for students attending Brayton Elementary in the fall; and Friday, June 9, and Monday, June 12, at Greylock Elementary, 100 Phelps Ave., for students attending Greylock Elementary in the fall. 

Appointments are needed; no walk-ins. Scheduled appointments will take place between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To schedule an appointment for kindergarten screening, please call Bobbi at 413-776-1666.

Children must be 5 years old on or before August 31, 2017, to qualify for kindergarten. These dates are for screenings for children who have already completed the registration process. If you haven’t registered your child yet, call 413-776-1666 to start the process.

 

Twenty for Twenty: The Berkshire Immigrant Center announces a new “Twenty for Twenty” fundraising campaign beginning June 1 to honor national Immigrant Heritage Month in June and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of BIC.

The “Twenty for Twenty” campaign will aim to raise $20,000 in donations for the nonprofit organization. The campaign begins June 1s and will continue through the Fourth of July. Contributions will support BIC’s work to support the needs of individuals and families who have moved to the Berkshires from other countries. Donations of any amount are welcome; make a pledge via email to BIC Development Coordinator Sheryl Lechner at sheryl@berkshireic.com; or by donating via the secure PayPal “Donate” link on the BIC website.

The center remains the only program in Berkshire County that focuses exclusively on meeting the unique challenges of a continuously growing immigrant and refugee population. Currently, approximately 10 percent of the total population of Berkshire County is foreign-born. Immigrant Heritage Month gives us the opportunity to reflect on the heritage of our own families, and to support our New Americans in the ways we wish our relatives had been supported. BIC provides services to an average of 800 clients annually, from more than 70 different countries; the agency assists them to make successful economic, psychological, and cultural adjustments, helping to ensure they can live up to their full potential and become active community members. 

 

Toddler time: Berkshire Country Day School will be expanding its Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool program to include 2-year-olds for the 2017-2018 school year. This program, enrolling up to 10 children aged 24-35 months, will be led by experienced educators in a flexible classroom suite, and there will be a new project and play area shared with the school’s existing 3- and 4-year-old program. Children will enjoy ready access to the many resources of the historic 27-acre campus—from an adjacent playground to the new Kim and James Taylor Music/Performance Space.

A variety of enrollment options are available, ranging from three half-days (8 a.m. to noon) to five full-days (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and after school care will be available as needed (3 to 5:30 p.m). For more information, contact Alexandra Heddinger at 413-637-0755, ext. 116, or aheddinger@berkshirecountryday.org.

 

Suicide conference: A full-day conference titled “Trauma, Suicide, and Addiction in the Berkshires: What We Can Do” will be held at Jiminy Peak Conference Center, 11 Corey Road in Hancock, Mass., on Thursday, June 1, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are included in the registration fee of $30, with an additional $30 fee for participants earning continuing education credits. 

Supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Suicide Prevention Program, this conference is sponsored in a joint effort by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Berkshire County, the Brien Center, Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention, Berkshire Area Health Education Center, and Berkshire Health Systems.

The Berkshires, the Commonwealth and the nation are in the middle of an epidemic of suicide, opioid and alcohol poisoning, and chronic liver disease. The conference focuses on understanding how adverse childhood experiences predispose to these events and how trauma-informed approaches to prevention and care can lead to healing and growth. Participants can choose between workshops offered on youth as well as adult topics. Presentations will be given by Dr. Alex Sabo, Dr. Brenda Butler, Dr. Jennifer Michaels, Dr. Andrew Gerber, and Franklin Cook. For more details and to register, visit the website.

 

Elder grants: Elder Services of Berkshire County has opened a Request for Proposals process for Sub Grants under Title III of the Older Americans Act. These funds enable organizations, businesses, and coalitions to develop programs that offer specialized services to the elder community. Grants typically range between $1,000 and $5,000 and run for a one-year term, and may have the option for renewal.

The application process begins with a Letter of Intent due by June 2. The entire Request for Proposals can be viewed on the agency’s website at www.esbci.org and final proposals are due on June 16 by 4 p.m. For more information, contact Rhonda Serre, Outreach & Advancement, at 413-499-0524, ext. 728, or rserre@esbci.org.

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