Talent Show to Benefit Women's Resource Center of Newport & Bristol Counties

BRISTOL — R. I. — The 2008 Rhode Island’s Got Talent show, presented by The East Bay Chamber of Commerce, announced that a portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Women's Resource Center of Newport & Bristol Counties (WRC).

The WRC takes a leadership role in Newport and Bristol Counties to end domestic violence through its own programs and in collaboration with others. WRC was founded in 1977 by a group of women committed to helping families in abusive situations.

“At WRC, we are dedicated to the prevention of domestic violence by providing women, children, men and elderly emergency and crisis support through a 24-hour hotline, walk-in services, court advocacy, counseling, referrals, financial literacy program and shelter services," said Lori DiPersio, executive director of Women's Resource Center of Newport & Bristol Counties. "We are appreciative to the East Bay Chamber of Commerce for recognizing our organization."

Rhode Island’s Got Talent will showcase Rhode Island talent – including some of the areas best performers. The event will take place Aug. 16 at Barrington High School and $1,750 in cash prizes will be awarded to the winners. For more information about how to enter Rhode Island’s Got Talent or to become a sponsor, visit www.rhodeislandsgottalent.com.

The East Bay Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to improving the economic, industrial, professional, cultural and civic welfare of the area by preserving the competitive enterprise system of business and by promoting business and community growth and development. The chamber is comprised of manufacturers, innkeepers, restaurateurs, educators, lawyers, nurses and many other professional men and women in a vast array of industries.

The Women’s Resource Center of Newport & Bristol Counties was incorporated in 1977 by a group of local women who recognized the need to provide a place for victims of domestic violence to learn, to grow and to make educational and vocational choices.

This is a fun way for Rhode Island businesses and the East Bay Chamber of Commerce to raise much needed funds for an important non-profit in their community. Kudos on a nicely organized program.

Author Hosts Book Donation Drive to Benefit Operation Paperback

LAS VEGAS — Author Bill Loucks will sign copies of his humorous book “The Committee: Man’s Inner Voices and Who Left the Toilet Seat Up?” from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, at Barnes & Noble, 567 N. Stephanie Street in Henderson; and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 18, at Barnes & Noble, 8915 W. Charleston Blvd. Additional signings will be scheduled in June.

Loucks will donate $2 for every copy of his book sold to Operation Paperback, a non-profit organization that collects gently used books and sends them to American troops deployed overseas. People may also bring gently used books to the signings, which Loucks is collecting for donation to Operation Paperback.

“So many of our nation’s troops are serving in faraway places and don’t have some of the basic comforts that most of us take for granted, like a good book,” said Loucks. “Donating even just one book off your shelf not only benefits our men and women overseas, but it also boosts their morale to know that people back home are thinking of them.”

As of January 2008, Operation Paperback had collected and sent 780,892 books to troops overseas in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Bosnia, Bahrain, Kuwait, navy ships at sea, and military hospitals.

Loucks is married with children and lives in Las Vegas. He says the inspiration for his book comes from life lessons he has experienced, some of which were repeated over and over or learned the hard way. When he humorously tried to find a way out of accepting responsibility for his actions, he would say, “Don’t blame me. My committee made me do it.”

This is a great way to help support U.S. troops. Many of our troops overseas have little in the way of comforts, and they welcome books to help them fill their free time.

KTNV Channel 13 to Host Second Annual Telethon to Benefit Opportunity Village

LAS VEGAS — KTNV Channel 13 will host the Second Annual Building Opportunity Telethon to benefit the men and women of Opportunity Village from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18. The telethon will raise the much needed funds to help build the third Opportunity Village campus, The Ralph & Betty Engelstad Campus. Lack of space prohibits Opportunity Village from meeting the needs of hundreds of Las Vegas residents with intellectual disabilities who require the many programs and services Opportunity Village provides.

Festivities will also take place at Opportunity Village’s main campus on June 18 located at 6300 W. Oakey Blvd. including a catered meal from Memphis Championship Barbecue for anyone who stops by to pledge at least $30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Opportunity Village’s antique carousel will be running for all ages to enjoy as well as the Forest Express Train, which runs through the Magical Forest.

Opportunity Village representatives will be available to give tours of the Oakey campus and accept donations. Channel 13 will also be on hand to capture surprise check presentations from community corporations. For more information, to schedule a check presentation or issue a corporate challenge for matching funds, please contact Sheria Spleen at (702) 880-4038. To make a pledge on June 18, supporters can call the pledge hotline at (702) 368-2255 or stop by any of the Memphis Championship Barbecue locations to donate.

Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that has been improving the lives of disabled adults in our community since 1954. Through vocational training, community job placement, advocacy and social recreation programs these extraordinary men and women are able to live their lives with a sense of independence.

Opportunity Village is one of the most visible and successful non-profit organizations in Southern Nevada. It provides invaluable services to disabled adults, helping them live independently and be productive and important members of the community.

Nevada Volunteers to Honor Outstanding AmeriCorps, VISTA and Senior Corps Members

CARSON CITY, Nev. —Governor Jim Gibbons has decreed the week of May 11 as National AmeriCorps Week in Nevada. Each year commemorating National AmeriCorps Week, Nevada Volunteers honors outstanding AmeriCorps, VISTA and Senior Corps participants that have served the state of Nevada with the National Service Award. The celebration will be held at the Governor's Mansion in Carson City from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, May 12. First Lady Dawn Gibbons, along with Nevada Volunteers commissioners in attendance, will present the awards.

After 30 years leading the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) in Carson City, Nevada Volunteers Commissioner Janice Ayres will also receive an award for Senior Corps Supervisor of the Year.

"I began my involvement with RSVP in 1972 by writing the grant that led to bringing the first program to Nevada in 1973," Ayres said. "That began me on the path to help shut-in seniors in our state live independently rather than being moved into institutionalized care. I feel the funds spent sponsoring our RSVP volunteers are multiplied in savings of tax dollars and improved quality of life by both the volunteer and the senior now able to live independently."

Seven National Service Awards will be presented: AmeriCorps Member of the Year, AmeriCorps Program Director of the Year, VISTA person of the Year, VISTA Site Supervisor of the Year, Senior Corps Participant of the Year, Senior Corps Supervisor of the Year, and Learn & Serve Student of the Year. There also will also be a special presentation to First Lady Dawn Gibbons for her service to Nevada.

Nevada Volunteers creates opportunities to inspire, teach, train and recognize individuals, organizations, and businesses across Nevada to develop a legacy of service and citizenship. Nevada Volunteers is the governor's commission that administers AmeriCorps programs statewide and hosts the annual Governor's Points of Light award. Since 1998, over 1,100 AmeriCorps members have served throughout Nevada recruiting more than 14,000 volunteers who donated over 97,000 hours of service to local communities.

National AmeriCorps Week is a recruitment and recognition event designed to bring more Americans into service, salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their powerful impact, and thank the community partners who make AmeriCorps possible.

Nevada Volunteers, which administers AmeriCorps in Nevada, provides invaluable service to communities throughout Nevada, and this event is a way for the organization to honor outstanding achievements by volunteers from several of its affiliated organizations.

BlogCatalog.com Partners with Amnesty International for Bloggers Unite For Human Rights

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — BlogCatalog.com, the fastest-growing social network for bloggers on the Internet, is partnering with Amnesty International, a worldwide movement that campaigns for internationally recognized human rights, to expand a global social awareness campaign for human rights by launching a major initiative on May 15.

The campaign, Bloggers Unite For Human Rights, asks bloggers from all over the world to post about human rights on the same day, May 15. Collectively, their posts will reach millions of people all over the world at the same time, even in those countries where freedom of expression is regularly suppressed.

"Amnesty International is thrilled to be a part of Bloggers Unite for Human Rights," said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA. "Bloggers Unite for Human Rights is a great way to harness the power of the Internet to fight injustice and make the world a better place."

In addition to promoting the campaign to hundreds of thousands of members, Amnesty International is providing BlogCatalog source material for bloggers. Several topics include: the wrongful imprisonment of journalist Shi Tao in China; the illegal detentions at Guantanamo Bay; and the continuing murder, rape, abduction and displacement of people in Darfur, Sudan.

“Since its early beginnings, Bloggers Unite has truly evolved into a member-driven social awareness campaign that is conceived, promoted, and supported by tens of thousands of bloggers,” says Antony Berkman, president of BlogCatalog.com. “We are thrilled that their hard work has attracted the attention, admiration, and support of Amnesty International.”

Berkman said since each blogger is choosing his or her own human rights topic — the wrongful imprisonment of journalists, governments that abuse and murder their own citizens, and censorship of the Internet — he expects some may even share human rights stories that have yet to be covered by mainstream media.

Since 1961, Amnesty International members have worked to stop the abuse of internationally recognized human rights in over 150 countries and territories and in every region of the world. The organization won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1961. Visit www.amnestyusa.org for more information.

Since last year, BlogCatalog.com has evolved from a blog directory into a member-driven online community for bloggers. More than 100,000 approved bloggers interact on BlogCatalog every day.

BlogCatalog.com continues to build on the momentum of its successful Bloggers Unite campaign and this May's Bloggers Unite For Human Rights promises to be perhaps the most visible and meaningful to date. Kudos to all the bloggers who will take part, and thank you to event sponsors BlogCatalog.com, Amnesty International USA and Copywrite, Ink. for giving a voice to an important issue.

CNN's Veronica De La Cruz Lends Voice to Lions HealthFirst Foundation

LAS VEGAS — Veronica De La Cruz, news anchor and Internet correspondent for CNN’s flagship morning news program “American Morning” will present “The Impact Of The Internet On Media And Community Outreach” at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16. The event is part of the Lions HealthFirst Foundation Inaugural Dinner and will be held at McCormick & Schmick’s, 335 Hughes Center Drive.

The topic will include information on how online information resources and blogs are changing mainstream media outlets like CNN as well as how local philanthropic leaders and non-profit directors can better utilize social media for community outreach, public education, and volunteer engagement. De La Cruz will also discuss how CNN and publications like the New York Times are expanding the concept of the citizen journalist by encouraging the public to submit their own stories online, some of which will then be sourced for the evening news.

The Lions HealthFirst Foundation Inaugural Dinner is sponsored in cooperation with Aaron Lelah Jewelers; CNN; Copywrite, Ink.; Las Vegas International Lions Club; McCormick & Schmick’s; and Herb Perry, public affairs director for CBS Radio Group. Tickets are $250 per person and seating is limited. For more information, call 702-739-6430.

Proceeds will benefit Lions HealthFirst Foundation, a non-profit 501 (c ) (3) organization responsible for many philanthropic efforts in southern Nevada, including: free exams for people with vision problems and affordable preventative ultrasound testing for anyone at risk of cancer, stroke, or a heart attack. The event corresponds with the first anniversary of the Lions Institute of Health Sciences, where many tests are performed.

“The topic presented by Veronica De La Cruz is especially timely not only because the role of mainstream media is changing but also to draw attention to how important medical screenings are in the prevention and early diagnosis of health problems,” said James Bartel, president of Lions HealthFirst Foundation. “Since the recent health scare in southern Nevada, we’ve seen interest in screenings drop by nearly 40 percent, even though our screenings are noninvasive.”

The Lions HealthFirst Foundation is a public charity. It maintains a community health education and preventive screening program for the purpose of reducing the rate of stroke and heart attacks and to aid the public in the early detection of tumors. The foundation is supported by Lions Clubs International as a model for future programs in other cities across the United States.

Founded in 1917, Lions Clubs International is the largest volunteer service organization in the world, with nearly 1.4 million members in 200 countries and geographical areas. There are 48 Lions Clubs in Nevada, with over 1,400 members strong, making a difference in the everyday lives of people in need.

Baxter International Plans Variety of Eco-Friendly Activities for Earth Day

DEERFIELD, Ill. — On Tuesday, April 22, Baxter International Inc. will join businesses and communities across the United States in celebration of Earth Day. Several Baxter facilities nationwide will sponsor events that promote earth-friendly activities and sustainable living while encouraging employees to learn more about the many ways to help support Baxter’s commitment to creating a more sustainable world. Examples of these events and activities include:

Unused/Unwanted Medication Collection: In conjunction with the Earth Day Challenge, sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a local environmental service group will collect unused and unwanted non-controlled medications from Baxter employees at company facilities in Illinois. Proper destruction of these medications may help protect water quality.

Shopping Bag Giveaway: Several facilities will distribute free reusable grocery bags made from recycled materials to promote waste reduction.

Nike Reuse-A-Shoe Collection: Collection of old, used or worn-out rubber soled athletic shoes will continue at Baxter facilities in Illinois and Irvine, Calif. through April 22. Donated shoes will be recycled by Nike, Inc. and rubber soles will be ground to create building material for area playgrounds, sport courts and playing fields.

Earth Friendly Commuting: Baxter's facility in Bloomington, Ind. will launch a carpool database to promote earth friendly commuting. The site will allow the nearly 1,000 employees at the facility to develop carpool groups with coworkers who share similar schedules and commutes.

Local Beach Cleanup: Baxter employees in Irvine, Calif. will join the Surfrider Foundation and the Ocean Institute in a local beach cleanup project in Dana Point.

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, assists health care professionals and their patients with the treatment of complex medical conditions, including hemophilia, immune disorders, cancer, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma and other conditions. The company applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.

Baxter's mix of events and promotions underscore the importance corporations becoming more eco-friendly. The unused/unwanted medication collection drive is of particular interest, and it's something other businesses might want to do as well.