Bulletin Board

– Church to host MLK celebration Jan. 19

The Community Collaborative Coalition of Red Bank will host its third annual the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Commemorative Celebration at noon Jan. 19 at Pilgrim Baptist Church of Red Bank, 172 Shrewsbury Ave., Red Bank. Doors open 11 a.m. All are welcome.

The Rev. Dr. Bernadette Glover will be the guest speaker. Glover is the interim pastor at St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Montclair and an adjunct professor at the New Brunswick Theological Seminary.

The celebration will also feature the Arts-for-Hearts Dance Academy, Order My Steps Dancers of Pilgrim Baptist Church, Red Bank Regional High School Chamber Choir, Westside Christian Academy and clergy and community leaders from the Red Bank area.

A reception will follow the service. Attendees are asked to bring new socks for Project Community Cares, which provides clothing, resources, health screenings and hot meals to those in need. Social and health-care agencies will be available during the reception to provide information to community members.

For more information about the celebration or Project Community Cares, call 732-747-2343.

– Library sets its January programs

The Red Bank Public Library at 84 W. Front St. has January programs for children and adults. Some programs require registration by visiting or calling the library at 732-842-0690, ext. 115.

• “English as a Second Language” classes are conducted by the Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County at the library for adults age 18 and older. The next session will begin Jan. 15. For more information, contact the Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County at 732-571-0209 or visit www.lvmonmouthnj.org.

• The library’s “Readin’ on the River” book discussion group for adults will meet off-site at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 to discuss Laura Moriarty’s “The Chaperone.” Call the library for information on the current off-site location.

• “Movie Time!” for children age 5-12 will be at 6 p.m. Jan. 22. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Toy Story.” Snacks will be served. Registration is required for this free event.

• “Computer Tutor” classes are available at the library. Learn computer and Internet basics from knowledgeable volunteers. Call or visit the Reference Desk to register for these free one-hour sessions.

• “Jersey Inchkins” club members meet from 1-3:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month. New members age 18 and older are welcome to join. Club members build houses, rooms, scenes and vignettes in miniature.

• “Yoga for Adults” is held on Fridays from 1-2 p.m. The free class is appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Bring a yoga mat. Up to 20 participants can attend on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Red Bank Senior Citizens Center in cooperation with the Red Bank Public Library hosts a book discussion group on the last Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at 80 Shrewsbury Ave. Residents age 60 and up are welcome to join the book discussion group or participate in the center’s other programs. For more information, contact the center at 732-747-5204 or rbseniorcenter@comcast.net.

The Board of Trustees of the Red Bank Public Library will meet 6:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at the library. The meeting is open to the public.

For more information, visit www.redbanklibrary.org.

– Benefit set for SPUR scholarship program

Special People United to Ride (SPUR), a therapeutic horsemanship program for individuals with disabilities, will hold an evening of wine and beer tastings from 7-11 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, at the Salt Creek Grille, 4 Bingham Ave., Rumson.

Attendees can enjoy fine wines and craft beers, light fare and a world-class selection of cheeses and accompaniments. The evening will also include live music, auctions, a 50/50 raffle and a wine toss.

Proceeds will benefit SPUR’s scholarships for its therapeutic horsemanship program at the Sunnyside Equestrian Center at 628 Middletown-Lincroft Road, Middletown. Owned by the Monmouth County Park System, the equestrian center is part of the 135-acre Sunnyside Recreation Area.

Tickets are $125 and available by calling 732-842-4000, ext. 4312 or visiting www.spuronline.org. For sponsorship and ad journal opportunities, call 732-462-6677 or contact 2bdugg@optonline.net.

– Violinist Sarah Chang to perform in concert

NEWARK — The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) announced that Bank of America will sponsor violinist Sarah Chang’s two-week residency during NJSO’s 2015 Winter Festival: Sounds of Shakespeare.

Chang will perform Bernstein’s “West Side Story” suite at all six NJSO venues throughout New Jersey.

Locally, Chang will perform at 8 p.m. Jan. 17 at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank and 3 p.m. Jan. 25 at the State Theatre in New Brunswick.

As part of her residency, Chang will visit and give classes for two of the NJSO Academy’s flagship education programs: the NJSO Youth Orchestras and the El Sistema-inspired NJSO Character, Achievement and Music Project.

Ticket prices begin at $20 and are available by calling 800-255-3476 or visiting www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/sarah-chang-plays-bernstein.

– Elks lodge to host benefit for 5-year-old

The Long Branch Elks Lodge 742 will host a Tricky Tray and Dinner from 4-8 p.m. Jan. 17 at 150 Garfield Ave., Long Branch. Proceeds will benefit Olivia Walters, a 5-year-old girl who is undergoing treatment for serious medical conditions.

According to a press release, Olivia was diagnosed with two disorders when she was 3 months old: Neurofibromatosis 1, which causes tumors to grow on nerves, and Pseudarthrosis, a condition where weak bones do not heal if broken.

Tumors on the optic nerve took away her vision in the right eye when she was 2 and ½. Her left eye is at risk. She has undergone extensive chemotherapy, had surgery to correct a deformity resulting from her broken fibula and continues with ongoing treatments.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for children under 12. A buffet dinner will be served, and there will be a cash bar available. Tickets must be pre-purchased and will be held at the door.

To donate a basket, contact Regina at rbalady@aol.com. For more information, call the lodge at 732-222-9742.

– Fundraiser will help two Ugandan girls

RUMSON — Global Women Empowerment, a student organization at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH), recently completed a fundraiser in support of Change a Life Uganda’s Tuition for Tots-to-Teens program.

The fundraising effort, which included the sale of handmade Ugandan bracelets as well as lollipops, raised over $2,000, which will allow two girls, Daisy and Patricia, to attend school in Uganda.

Last year, during its first year as an RFH organization, Global Women Empowerment sold bracelets with the message “Education is Empowerment” and raised $1,000. The raised funds allowed Daisy, an 18-year-old who began her formal schooling at a boarding school 19 miles from her home at age 6, to attend one year of high school. With the recent bracelet and lollipop fundraiser, Daisy will be able to finish her last two years of high school. She wants to become a nurse and plans to attend a four-year university after completing high school.

The recent fundraiser also allowed Global Women Empowerment to sponsor 8-year-old Patricia, who dreams of becoming a doctor. Patricia lives with her grandmother because her parents, who sell roasted cassava along a highway and sometimes earn as little as $1 a day, live so far from the school. Patricia will now be able to attend three years of primary school.

Global Women Empowerment officers include the following RFH students: Hope Haywood, Annie O’Brien, Alexanda Siwulec, Shoshana Swell, Sarah Turi and Payton Wall. RFH social studies teacher Christie Ferraris serves as the club advisor. For more information, visit changealifeuganda.org.

– Library sets its January programs

The Red Bank Public Library at 84 W. Front St. has January programs for children and adults. Some programs require registration by visiting or calling the library at 732-842-0690, ext. 115.

• “English as a Second Language” classes are conducted by the Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County at the library for adults age 18 and older. The next session will begin Jan. 15. For more information, contact the Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County at 732-571-0209 or visit www.lvmonmouthnj.org.

• The library’s “Readin’ on the River” book discussion group for adults will meet off-site at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 to discuss Laura Moriarty’s “The Chaperone.” Call the library for information on the current off-site location.

• “Movie Time!” for children age 5-12 will be at 6 p.m. Jan. 22. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Toy Story.” Snacks will be served. Registration is required for this free event.

• “Computer Tutor” classes are available at the library. Learn computer and Internet basics from knowledgeable volunteers. Call or visit the Reference Desk to register for these free one-hour sessions.

• “Jersey Inchkins” club members meet from 1-3:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month. New members age 18 and older are welcome to join. Club members build houses, rooms, scenes and vignettes in miniature.

• “Yoga for Adults” is held on Fridays from 1-2 p.m. The free class is appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Bring a yoga mat. Up to 20 participants can attend on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Red Bank Senior Citizens Center in cooperation with the Red Bank Public Library hosts a book discussion group on the last Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at 80 Shrewsbury Ave. Residents age 60 and up are welcome to join the book discussion group or participate in the center’s other programs. For more information, contact the center at 732-747-5204 or rbseniorcenter@comcast.net.

The Board of Trustees of the Red Bank Public Library will meet 6:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at the library. The meeting is open to the public.

For more information, visit www.redbanklibrary.org.

– Garden club sets date for January meeting

The Oceanport Garden Club will meet 10:30 a.m. Jan. 22 in the new recreation building at Blackberry Bay Park, Port Au Peck Avenue, Oceanport. The business portion of the meeting will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

After lunch, Christa Buergin and Minnie Zaccaria will present, “From Seeds to Flowers,” followed by Carol Kruse’s talk on “Propagation of House Plants.”

Floral designs displayed at the meeting will interpret one group of immigrants who settled in New Jersey. For more information, call Penny at 732-229-8274.

– Applications due for art awards

The annual VSA/NJ Arts Achievement Awards, including the Student Arts Excellence Awards, will be presented to students with special needs who are ages 14-21 — not to exceed 12th grade — and show outstanding achievement in an art form.

The application deadline is Jan. 23, 2015. For more information, email info@vsanj.org.

– Essay contest open to students on break

The Charles Lafitte Foundation (CLF) Kid’s Corner is hosting a special Winter Essay Contest to encourage students to read during winter vacation. Students in grades 3-12 at a public or private school are invited to read a book listed under their corresponding grade level and tell CLF through their essay how the main character grows and changes from the beginning to the end of the story.

Winning essay-writers will receive $1,000 for his or her school library and a Kindle Fire for themselves.

Titles for grades 3-5 include “The City of Ember” by Jeanne DuPrau or “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick. Reading for grades 6-8 includes “The House of the Scorpion” by Nancy Farmer or “Eragon, Book 1” by Christopher Paolini. High school students may read “Legend, Book 1” by Marie Lu or “The Maze Runner, Book 1” by James Dashner.

Essays must be typed and emailed to kidscorner@charleslafitte.org by Jan. 30.

More information is available at www.charleslafitte.org/kids-corner.

– Learn how to turn dry plants into jewelry

The Navesink Garden Club will meet from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 20 at The Atrium at Navesink Harbor retirement community at 40 Riverside Ave., Red Bank. Club President Irene Saputo will demonstrate how to select and prepare dried plant material for use in botanical designs, with a focus on jewelry making. The meeting and presentation are open to the public and free of charge.

Saputo won an award last February at the New Jersey Flower and Garden Show for the jewelry she created out of seeds, beans and natural dried flowers.

This year’s New Jersey Flower and Garden Show will be held Feb. 12-15 at the New Jersey Convention Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison. For show information, visit http://macevents.com.

The Navesink Garden Club invites people who are interested in horticulture and design to join the club. Meetings are held the third Tuesday each month at The Atrium. For more information, contact Judy Alberse at 732-708-1023 or judinks@comcast.net or visit www.navesinkgardenclub.org.

– Parade fundraiser set for Jan. 17 in Rumson

A kick-off fundraiser for the third annual Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held from 1-5 p.m. Jan. 17 at Murphy’s Tavern, 17 Ward Lane, Rumson.

The cost is $10 and includes Irish fare, music and more. For more information about the fundraiser, call 732-842-1600.

The parade is scheduled for 1 p.m. March 8 and will support two charities — Jason’s Dreams for Kids and Special People United to Ride. For detailed parade information, visit www.rumsonstpatricksdayparade.org.