On Tuesday, February 13, the Illinois Housing Development Authority awarded $1.08 million to Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation for the HOME program. The award was scheduled to be presented at 1224 26th Avenue in Rock Island, the home of Dan Cibulka - a previous participant in the organization's home-buyer program. This is the largest single amount of HOME funding for the home-buyers' purchase and renovation program ever awarded to a sponsor in the state of Illinois. This is the seventh phase of funding for Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation.
Featuring a "ragin' Cajun" food buffet and bayou beverages, "Mardi Gras at the Inn" will take place Tuesday, February 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the St. Ambrose University Bishop's House Inn, 1527 Brady Street in Davenport. Reservations are recommended. Advance tickets are $15, with admission $20 at the door. The price includes a souvenir glass, and proceeds from the festivities benefit the inn's preservation fund. For more information, contact innkeeper MaryElise Cervelli at (563) 322-8303.
The Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) helps senior citizens find answers to important questions about Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance, long-term-care insurance, and other health-insurance issues. If you have questions - such as "I'm retiring. What kind of health insurance do I need?" or "I can't make sense of my Medicare statements and medical bills. What do I do next?" - SHIIP might be able to help. A SHIIP representative will be at the Fairmount Street location of the Davenport Public Library on the last Wednesday of every month, from 1 to 3 p.m., providing free help to seniors. Registration is not required. For more information, contact the SHIIP office at (563) 421-1095.
The Humane Society of Scott County's annual Doggy Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday, March 31, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Credit Island Park. Happy Dog Bakery will be supplying hundreds of Easter-egg-shaped dog biscuits. Many activities are planned for the whole family, including face painting, raffles, bobbing for hot dogs, and the popular Easter-bonnet contest. If you would like to volunteer or be a vendor at this event, call Danielle at (563) 570-0654 or e-mail (animalorbit@hotmail.com).
A free tutor and mentor orientation and training will be presented by Rock Island schools and the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) on Wednesday, February 28, from 9 a.m. to noon at Church of Peace, 1114 12th Street in Rock Island. To register or for more information, call (309) 793-4425 or (309) 793-5900 extension 280 or e-mail (dlayton@wiaaa.org).
During February and March, a one-of-a-kind Susan G. Komen Foundation Harley-Davidson will be on display at Genesis Medical Center's hospital campuses. The motorcycle was designed and built in cooperation with Sturgis on the River and will be on display in the Quad Cities until May, when it will be auctioned on eBay to the highest bidder. It will be presented June 16 to the winning bidder at the annual Sturgis Mississippi River motorcycle-rally celebration in Davenport, the largest gathering of motorcycles in the Midwest. Proceeds from its sale will benefit the Quad Cities affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The bike will be on display for two weeks at each of these hospital campuses: starting February 12 at 1227 East Rusholme Street in Davenport; starting February 26 at 1401 West Central Park Avenue in Davenport; starting March 12 at 1118 11th Street in DeWitt; and starting March 26 at 801 Illini Drive in Silvis.
MVDOVIA (Mississippi Valley Directors of Volunteers in Agencies) will host a stress-reduction workshop on Thursday, March 1, from 9 to 11 a.m. Registration begins at 8:30 at the University of Illinois Extension building, 4550 Kennedy Drive in East Moline. The workshop will feature Susan Zelnio, a human-resources profssional and expert on work-related stress from the Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce. She explains the toll that stress takes in the workplace and provides information on how to reduce stress on employees and volunteers. The cost of the workshop is $7 for MVDOVIA members and $10 for nonmembers. To make a reservation, e-mail (holldorf@uiuc.edu) or call (309) 796-0512 by February 27.
A program on graphic novels will be conducted by Sean Leary at noon on February 17 at the Coffee Artist Cafe, 1711 Fifth Avenue in Moline. The workshop is free, and no registration is required. For more information, visit (http://www.seanleary.com) or (http://www.myspace.com/seanleary007).
Quad Cities Greyhound Adoption is holding its inaugural "Wine & Dine" event from 1 to 4 p.m. on March 11 at Lavender Crest Winery, 5401 U.S. Highway 6 in Colona, Illinois. A two-entrée lunch will be served at 2 p.m. The event fee is $50 a plate, with all proceeds going toward the continued care of retired racing greyhounds. To make a reservation, contact Michelle Brandt at (309) 558-8122 or (mjbrandt27@hotmail.com) by Sunday, March 4. Event fees and silent-auction donations must be received by March 8 and may be sent (attention Michelle) to Quad Cities Greyhound Adoption; 9525 New Liberty Rd.; Maysville IA 52773.
The Quad-City Area Baby Boomer Community Engagement Initiative is a new community-wide effort developed in response to the large number of Baby Boomers in the population nationally and locally. This initiative will hold a "Baby Boomer summit" on Tuesday, February 27, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. To make a reservation, contact Lisa Debates at (563) 355-9900 or (ldebates@unitedwayqc.org) by February 17. For more information, visit (http://www.quadcityboomers.com).
