FAIR HAVEN
The Knights of Columbus will be raising much-needed funds from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday, Sept. 27, for the family of Molly Richards, a 2-year-old Fair Haven girl who has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.
Molly is currently undergoing treatment for DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and while she and her family are fighting this disease with all of their might, they are in need of assistance with the immense financial burdens that they now face.
To assist Molly’s family, the Knights of Columbus is hosting “Peace, Love & Miracles: An Evening to Benefit Molly Richards and Her Family.”
Three bands will perform: Ardvark Smile, The Haven and Riptide.
The Knights hall is located at 200 Fair Haven Road. The donation at the door will be a minimum of $40 per person and there will be a cash bar.
Those who cannot attend or wish to make an additional contribution in support of Molly and her family, can donate online via the online donation form at lifeguardnj.org. Select “Current Campaign” on the form.
One hundred percent of the donations will go to help Molly’s family as they continue their fight.
HOLMDEL
The Monmouth County Park System’s Harvest Home Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 at Historic Longstreet Farm, Longstreet Road. This old-fashioned country fair brings visitors back to the 1890s through games, music and entertainment. Activities include pie-eating contests, corn-husking competitions and wagon rides. Visitors will have the chance to guess the weight of “the biggest pumpkin” and get their hands dirty during the potato harvest. See ongoing cider making, blacksmithing, bee keeping and plowing demonstrations. Crafters will demonstrate the arts of rug hooking, lacemaking and weaving.
Ongoing entertainment includes music from the Jugtown Mountain Band, Music Man Rich Marzec and banjo player Chuck Winch. Be sure to catch “Let’s Talk Baseball” with Bradley Shaw at 12:30 and 3 p.m. and performances by the Chorus of the Atlantic at 1 and 2:15 p.m. Once again “Phydeauz” Flying Flea Circus and “Wahoo” Medicine Show will be part of the festivities.
Visitors are also invited to join in the spirit of the festival by entering one of the many competitions. Prize-winning categories include vegetables, canning, baked goods and needlework.
To learn more about this and other park system activities, please visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com or call 732-842-4000, ext. 4312. For persons with hearing impairment, the TTY/TDD number is 711. The Monmouth County Park System, created in 1960 by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, is Monmouth County’s Open Space, Parks and Recreation Agency.
LINCROFT
The Monmouth Center for World Religions and Ethical Thought is sponsoring its 14th annual Shanti (Peace) Lecture from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House, 1475 W. Front St.
“Sufism: The Heart of Islam” will be presented by professor and chaplain Rabia Terri Harris, a Muslim Sufi practitioner and scholar. Sufism is a mystical form of Islam. As a Sufi practitioner, Rabia founded the Muslim Peace Fellowship, devoted to the practice of Islamic nonviolence. She is also a member of Halveti-Jerrahi Tariqa, an international Sufi cultural, educational and social relief organization. A practicing chaplain herself, Rabia was president of the Association of Muslim Chaplains and is currently a Scholar in Residence at Stony Point Center in New York.
The child of a Jewish father and Christian mother, Rabia received her B.A. in religion from Princeton University, her M.A. in Middle Eastern languages and cultures from Columbia University and a Graduate Certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy from Hartford Seminary. She has lectured and written extensively on spirituality and social change, and has translated several Sufi works from Arabic.
The public is welcome to attend. Admission is free.
Additional information is available by contacting Joe Ritacco at Jritacco@comcast.net or by calling the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House at 732-747-0707. For more information on the Monmouth Center for World Religions and Ethical Thought, visit www.interfaith-mcwret.org.
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A special evening of fine wine and craft beer tasting paired with a selection of complementary cheeses will benefit the scholarship program of Special People United to Ride (SPUR), the equestrian program for disabled people of all ages.
The event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Thompson Park Visitor Center, 805 Newman Springs Road.
Tickets are $60 per person.
In addition to the tastings, there will be a display of original art including Keyport’s Butterfly Renaissance Project, live music and a 50/50 raffle.
SPUR is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit therapeutic horsemanship program held at Sunnyside Equestrian Center, Lincroft, under the auspices of the Monmouth County Park System.
Guided by instructors certified by PATH International, the governing body of therapeutic horseback riding, and more than 100 volunteers annually, more than 200 children and adults with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities are served each year. The limitations these individuals face are replaced by the freedom of handling and riding a horse, and their gains in physical strength and self-confidence continue to make a positive impact in their daily lives.
All proceeds from the evening will provide scholarship support for students with demonstrated financial need.
For information or tickets, call 732-842-4000, ext. 4312 or visit www.spuronline.org.
MIDDLETOWN
The Visiting Nurse Association Health Group Children’s Auxiliary is hosting from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, its 22nd annual VNAHG fall family event, Halloween Fest at Riverwind, at the Riverwind estate on Navesink River Road.
Proceeds from the event benefit the agency’s many services and programs for children in need throughout the state including primary care, immunization, home nursing, case management, rehabilitation, speech therapy, pediatric hospice care and bereavement support.
Tickets are available in advance for $130 per family or $150 the day of the event. To purchase tickets or find more information, please contact the VNAHG Foundation Office at 732-224-6780 or visit the Special Events page on VNAHG’s website.
Those unable to attend can sponsor a needy family who is benefitting from VNAHG programs and services to attend and share in the magic of Halloween Fest.
Halloween Fest at Riverwind will include popular fall activities such as pumpkin picking, hayrides, a petting zoo, pony rides, an Xbox game trailer, Timbo the clown, live music, a magic show, games, rides, food, refreshments and an on-site chance auction. Costumes are optional for this spooktacular, fun-filled family day.
Visiting Nurse Association Health Group, serving the community for more than 100 years, is New Jersey’s largest nonprofit community health provider of home health care, hospice and community services. The organization cares for 120,000 individuals each year. Visiting Nurse Association Health Group members include VNA of Central Jersey, Cape VNA, Robert Wood Johnson Visiting Nurses, and VNA of Englewood.
For more information about VNA Health Group call 800-326-3330 or visit www.vnahg.org.
OCEAN GROVE
The Jersey Shore Writers, 66 Main St., will host a Taste of Noir, highlighting selections from an upcoming publication, Stories from the Dark Side, 3 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 20. The event will feature provocative prose with a sinister twist set in familiar locations at the shore. It will also include storytellers who will perform short, dark themes, and an open mic for guests who wish to share their work. The published authors of the writers’ group will have their books for sale and signing.
This reception will offer dark treats of food in the spirit of Halloween and guests, readers and performers in costume are welcome. A donation of $5 is asked to support the Jersey Shore Arts Center.
The Jersey Shore Writers are members of The Jersey Shore Arts center, a nonprofit supporting art, music, dance, theater, writing and a soon-to-open culinary school for the blind.
For more information contact Rosaleen Myers at 908-433-2685, jerroatoptonline.net, or Gayle Aanensen at 732-775-7101, gayleaanensen@aol.com.
RED BANK
The Mayor’s Wellness Campaign Committee will hold its 2nd Annual Community Walk, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, in Marine Park with a 9:30 registration.
The walk will be held rain or shine.
Participants who finish the walk will be given a raffle ticket and will be eligible for prizes including the grand prize of a bicycle from The Red Bicycle. One adult bicycle and one youth bicycle will be awarded along with gift certificates and more.
The event also will feature kids’ activities, community education and healthy snacks and refreshments. The Taking Care of New Jersey Mobile Health Van will be on hand to do a health scan for interested individuals before they begin the walk. Community members, families, seniors and children are all welcome.
Members of the Red Bank Municipal Council will be collecting art supplies for the Red Bank Boys & Girls Club. They are seeking items such as crayons, poster board, magic markers, glue sticks and glitter.
The committee’s community partners include The Community YMCA, Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank Visitors Center, RiverCenter, Pilgrim Baptist Church and Monmouth County Regional Health Commission.
For more information, please visit www.redbanknj.org or call 732-530-2748.
SANDY HOOK
Autumn is officially here, and with it comes the annual migration of raptors and songbirds along the Atlantic Flyway. The Monmouth County Audubon Society will be holding its autumn bird walk to look for these migrants at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, beginning in the “B” lot near the bathing pavilion.
The peninsula of Sandy Hook attracts migrating raptors, shorebirds and songbirds due to the abundance of food and areas of suitable habitat. This makes Sandy Hook an excellent place to observe many species of migrating birds in a limited area. The bird “guest list” changes daily at Sandy Hook, depending on weather conditions and food supply.
The trip will be led by members of the Monmouth County Audubon Society who are familiar with Sandy Hook and its birds.
Linda Mack, past MCAS president and Sandy Hook trip leader, explains, “The lure of Sandy Hook isn’t just the birds,” said Linda Mack, past MCAS president and Sandy Hook trip leader. “Sandy Hook is a peaceful, beautiful natural area with a variety of interesting habitats to explore. Early October is a great time of year to witness the spectacle of fall migration, not to mention the gorgeous fall colors of our native plants and trees.”
The trip is open to both members and nonmembers of the Monmouth County Audubon Society, and participation is free. Advance registration is not required. Participants should bring binoculars and dress appropriately for the weather. Pets are not permitted.
Further information can be obtained by visiting the organization’s website at www.monmouthaudubon.org, or via email at info@monmouthaudubon.org.
