'Rat Pack' lends hand to TriCity Health Partnership
It's possible that Shannon Watson wouldn't mind a few more fundraisers to aid the TriCity Health Partnership. But as the executive director of this free medical clinic she realizes it is important to get community support for the one time each year the partnership seeks a helping hand.
"We service a lot of people and we have only one annual event," Watson said. "This year we simply decided to throw a party to benefit the clinic."
And it looks to be a good one - especially if you wouldn't mind being at the same party as the famous "Rat Pack" trio of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., as well as Marilyn Monroe.
Actors in those roles will make up the entertainment lineup for the TriCity Health Partnership fundraiser at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Onesti Italian Steakhouse and Supper Club in St. Charles. Tickets cost $65 and include food, dancing and most drinks. Reservations are limited and should be made at (630) 377-9277.
The partnership was established in 2001 and has since provided 11,060 physician visits to those in the area who are uninsured or unable to pay for health care.
Blowing horn for book: Kevin Gaffney definitely blows his own horn - at least when playing his trumpet on the two CDs of patriotic music he recorded. He could be blowing his horn even louder this week as his two-year project of writing a book entitled "When They Were Young - A History of St. Charles and Her Service Personnel 1940-1945" culminates with his book-signing at the St. Charles Heritage Center.
Gaffney will sign the book, which also includes a DVD with extra photos, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the heritage center. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will support the center.
Gaffney's project is a tribute to World War II era St. Charles, featuring personal accounts of many soldiers, letters from the front, and information pertaining to those wounded or who paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives.
Gaffney said he is planning on donating a book and DVD to the St. Charles Public Library as well as to two families that lost veterans during the war.
Gaffney currently works as an adjunct professor of criminology at Judson University and for the Office of Regional Counsel for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
More healthy chocolate: Tracy Crary of Lily Lake sounded excited when she read my recent item about the newest health benefits of dark chocolate.
"I was really interested in that because I have been getting involved with a new company that is promoting 'healthy chocolate,' " Crary said of the networking business.
Crary said she meets with others interested in healthy chocolate at 7 p.m. each Wednesday at the Hilton Gardens, located across from Pheasant Run on East Main Street.
She encourages anyone who would like to learn more to attend the meeting or check the mydoctorchocolate.com or chocolate4goodhealth.com Web sites.
I don't normally mention web-based networking businesses, because there are so many. But this is about chocolate, so I did it for the chocolate lovers.
dheun@sbcglobal.net