The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (QCCVB) has announced its designation as an accredited convention and visitors bureau from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, developed by the Washington, D.C.-based Destination Marketing Association International. The only other destination marketing organizations in Iowa and Illinois to receive this accreditation are the Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Greater Woodfield Convention & Visitors Bureau in the Chicago area. For more information on the QCCVB, visit (http://www.visitquadcities.com).
The American Cancer Society currently is in need of volunteer drivers for its Road to Recovery program in Scott County. This service is designed to provide cancer patients with free transportation to and from their treatments when no other means are available to them. Recently, cancer patients' requests for transportation were turned down because of growing demand; 15 drivers were scheduled to drive, while 19 requests were made. Interested men and women can contact Stacy Stackis at (563) 589-2437 or (Stacy.Stackis@cancer.org).
The West Family YMCA, a branch of the Scott County Family Y, will hold the Spin-a-Day Away biking event on Saturday, March 29. The Spin-a-Day Away fundraiser costs $15 per hour or $100 per bike for the day. Every dollar raised goes directly to the Scott County Family Y's Partner with Youth/Kids to Camp Annual Campaign. The event pushes off at 8 a.m. at the West Family YMCA, 3503 West Locust Street in Davenport. For more information about this event or to make a reservation, call (563) 386-4414. For more information about the programs and services offered through the Scott County Family Y, visit (http://www.scottcountyfamilyy.org).
The Scott County Chapter, Order of DeMolay, will be having a pancake breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 19, at Hamilton Lodge, 2412 Grant Street in Bettendorf. The cost is $5. For more information on this breakfast or DeMolay membership and its activities, contact Bill Odom at (563) 370-3080 or (wjodom41@msn.com).
WQPT is accepting film submissions for an independent film project. WQPT is launching a 10-part series that will feature the work of area filmmakers. Documentaries, feature films, and short subjects will all be considered. Hosted by Tammy and Kelly Rundle, the program will also take a look at the creative process behind each film. All films must be submitted on DVD and accompanied by an application form. Submitting your film does not guarantee that it will be included in the program. For more information, visit (http://www.wqpt.org).
On April 1, the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra will entertain and educate nearly 6,000 area fourth- and fifth-grade students with its annual Symphony Day, now in its 25th year. Three narrated concerts at the Adler Theatre highlight the families of musical instruments and orchestra sections through short and varied works. This year's program will is called "Celebrate!" and includes music composed by Nashville High School student Christopher Lowry and a piece commissioned from Dana Wilson in honor of the Youth Orchestra's 50th anniversary, as well as music from Frescobaldi, Dvorak, and John Phillips Sousa.
The Rock Island Community Foundation is now accepting grant applications. All organizations interested in requesting funding must complete a brief application form. Grants are awarded annually to not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations. Applications must be postmarked by June 30, and grants will be announced by the Board of Governors in writing by August 31. Last year the Rock Island Community Foundation awarded $96,500 to 36 community organizations. For a grant application, visit (http://www.ricf.org) or call (309) 269-4412.
The Democratic and Republican leaders of the U.S. House Oversight & Government Reform Committee joined Representative Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) to request additional documents from the Department of Defense relating to an Army error leading to a denial of GI Bill education benefits to hundreds of members of the Minnesota and Iowa National Guard that served in Iraq. The first request to the Department of Defense for the documents was October 31. Additional background on the investigation can be found at (http://braley.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=77088).
The Bettendorf Family Museum and Iowa State University's Department of Entomology will present the Insect Zoo on Thursday, March 20, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and Friday, March 21, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the museum's Great Hall. Participants can view and interact with live insects and arthropods while the Insect Zoo's educational-outreach coordinator presents an informational program. Insects are the largest and most diverse group of living organisms in the world, with an estimated 5 million species. Only 1 million of those species are named, and only a small fraction of these are known in detail. For more information about the Insect Zoo and the Iowa State University Department of Entomology, call (515) 294-7400 or visit (http://www.ent.iastate.edu). The event is included with regular museum admission.
