NewsBreak Original

Every two years, the town of Divide, Colorado, elects a new mayor in a hotly contested race. A background in politics is not required, but being a fun-loving, attention-seeking animal with a solid fanbase is helpful.

Veteran’s Council Clay County Florida Inc. (VCCCF) announces its first fundraiser for 2023 on February 1st at Culver’s in Middleburg, 1767 Blanding Blvd 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm. A portion (10%) of the night’s sales will be donated to VCCCF to support a Veterans Community Center and Veterans and their families within Clay County.

Cupid’s Chase is a fun way for us to come together each year and raise awareness for our services. Columbia, South Carolina – On Saturday, February 11, 2023, Community Options will host its annual Cupid’s Chase 5k event in support of people with disabilities. The 5k will be held in three cities across South Carolina and will all begin at 10:00 am.

Cooks Who Care, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of food and beverage industry workers, is pleased to formally announce the launch of its first-ever community-driven charity dinner series, dubbed Break the Ice Nights, in collaboration with some of the Greater Philadelphia Region’s most exciting restaurants, bars, hospitality groups, and organizations.

Tristan, a 9 year old elementary school student in Florida, recently announced a fundraiser to purchase school equipment. He helped produce an amazing promotional video that outlines his vision for this project. The video itself is hilarious and full of creativity. Its pretty impressive to bring in voice actors and full graphic effects. The fundraiser is in full swing with donations coming in from around the country. Tristan's family didn't expect this kind of response but its very welcome.

(DUXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS) The Duxbury Elementary Playgrounds Project has announced that in order to"break ground on Laney’s Playground in 2023, we need to raise $280k by Valentine’s Day."

As the Speedway Children's Charities 2022-2023 Speedway In Lights event at Bristol Motor Speedway begins winding down to its conclusion this weekend, vendors say the crowds have been good but less consistent. Food and craft vendors within the Christmas Village of the speedway's infield report mixed results, with some having a good year and others losing money compared with last year's show.

Bruce Tomlinson, Bill Kovach, and Ned Miller prepare the course for the Chili Open Golf Classic at the Sussex County Fairgrounds.Photo byProject Self-Sufficiency. Plans are underway for the annual Chili Open Golf Classic fundraiser to be held on the grounds of the Sussex County Fairgrounds on Saturday, February 4th. Proceeds will benefit Project Give Shelter, a new Project Self-Sufficiency initiative to help Sussex County residents who need emergency temporary shelter or stable housing. The nearly 20-year-old event was recently handed off by the United Way to Project Self-Sufficiency. “We are grateful for the opportunity to continue this popular wintertime event to raise funds to help our neighbors in need,” commented Project Self-Sufficiency Executive Director Deborah Berry-Toon. “Success in becoming self-sufficient is built on a stable foundation of secure and safe housing. It’s difficult to find a job, hold a job, get an education, or receive training when you don’t know where you’re going to sleep at night, or you must constantly relocate. Project Self-Sufficiency has comprehensive wraparound programs and the staff to coordinate our efforts with other community providers to assure families and children are not left out in the cold.” Many individuals and families have been unable to keep up with expenses due to the pandemic, inflation, and significant increases in the cost of living and now face losing their homes, Berry-Toon added.

Local Special Forces Veteran and martial arts instructor David Collins will host a ballroom dance class on Saturday, January 14, in Blountville, at Fire & Water Martial Arts. Next month's fundraiser will offset the increased cost of propane and other utilities used by the Christian-based martial arts school.

More than $5,000 was raised during a Dec. 18 chili cook-off fundraiser for a local Orange Park boy battling leukemia. Clay County first responders and veterans teamed up to help raise money for parents Amber Lang and Zach Taylor whose son, Shane, was diagnosed with leukemia in June of 2019. The fundraiser was held at Whitey’s Fish Camp where guests purchased a ticket at the door to taste and vote on their favorite of 22 batches of chili.

Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q recently made a donation of over $15K to a Northwest Florida nonprofit that helps breast cancer patients in financial need. Rudy's BBQ Donates Over $15KPhoto byMiguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels (modified)

Forsyth County’s free clinic is giving residents the opportunity to become founding members by joining its 100 Founders ClubPhoto byForsyth Community Clinic. (Forsyth County, GA) Forsyth County’s new free clinic is giving residents the opportunity to become founding members by joining its 100 Founders Club.

Due to the high prices of items and the reluctance of most retailers willing to give discounts, the 980 North Fire Department partnered with the Retailers to offer their website visitors discounts while shopping online. There are Hundreds of retailers listed under their "Shop4Fire" campaign. When you click the link to shop4Fire, you will need to create an account, join the 980 North VFD Team (at no cost) and click the retailers you'd like to shop at.

Patrons will be encouraged to use sign language this Friday for an hour to help raise awareness for the deaf community. Photo bySwing Barrel Brewing Co. Swing Barrel Brewing Co. is partnering with Chuck Eade, a local resource in accessibility. Chuck has lived his entire life with hearing loss and made the life-changing decision to get a cochlear implant last year. He'll be stopping by the brewery to share his story and teach some basic American Sign Language so that patrons can silently order beer at the taproom.

Natural Grocers is helping out those in need this holiday season by making it easy to give back to others while you do your holiday shopping. They recently announced an in-store holiday fundraiser for its established food bank partners, through December 31, 2022. This campaign is in addition to the company's ongoing "Bring Your Own Bag" program, which donates five cents per shopping trip to local food bank partners whenever customers bring in their own reusable bags.

Andre Sparks and Abigaile Sparks at an Orangetheory class.Andre Sparks. (Parker, Colo.) Andre Sparks faced a life-altering tragedy four years ago, and now his fellow gym members will help replace his prosthetic blade.

Cathleen Metzgar, Jennifer Lippencott, and Amy Orben compete at a recent Chili OpenProject Self-Sufficiency. After nearly 20 years, United Way of Northern New Jersey is turning over its annual Chili Open Golf Classic fundraiser to local non-profit Project Self-Sufficiency. “As we streamline work to maximize our impact, we wanted to make sure this winter tradition would continue in Sussex County,” said United Way of Northern New Jersey CEO Kiran Handa Gaudioso. “We have historically turned over projects such as NJ 211, Dress for Success and Scholar Athlete to local nonprofits who share in our mission and have watched them flourish. We are confident Project Self-Sufficiency will be a good caretaker of this event, and we wish them great success.” Gaudioso added that United Way will provide planning assistance to Project Self-Sufficiency over the next several months to assure the event’s transition is smooth.

On October 20, 2022, my husband and I attended the Starlight Soireeevent in Austin, Texasthanks to Stuff to Do in Austin. This event was The Domain’s biggest celebration of the season with al fresco dining, dancing, and more.

The Animal Shelter of Sullivan County continues with its second annual Pumpkin Fest at 1200 Volunteer Parkway in Bristol - at the intersection of Holston Drive. The Pumpkin Fest is a fundraiser for the nonprofit animal shelter. This season they're selling pumpkins in all shapes, colors, and sizes, gourds, straw bales, fodder shocks, and seasonal flowers. You'll also see displays for photo spots desired for your family and pet photos in seasonal decor.