OELWEIN, Iowa - Shooting sports enthusiasts from across the upper Midwest will come together Sunday, Aug. 12 at Fayette County Conservation Club for the fifth annual Shootout Against Cancer.

The Shootout will feature a 100-target sporting clays course, lunch on the grounds, special shooting games, raffles and prizes -- all to raise funds for cancer research supported by the University of Iowa Foundation.

All the day's events will be held on the club's grounds at Oelwein. Cost for the sporting clays course and lunch is $50.

The Aug. 12 sporting clays shoot begins at 9 a.m. and is open to all. The course is designed for all levels of shooters from novices to veterans.

All participants will register on the club grounds the day of the shoot. Event organizers encourage shooters to register in three-person teams. Individual shooters can also register and be assigned to a team.

All teams must be registered, entered and on the field by 1 p.m.

The Fayette County Conservation Club extends a special invitation to people of all ages who are interested in learning about and taking part in the game of sporting clays.

The Fayette club grounds are located on the west edge of Oelwein off County Highway C50 (West Charles Street).  On the day of the Shootout Against Cancer, signs will be posted with directions to the grounds and parking areas.

The annual Shootout against Cancer has raised thousands of dollars for cancer research. The 2011 Shootout drew 144 shooters and raised $7,810 for University of Iowa Foundation cancer research funding.

The 100-target sporting clays course will be designed and set up by sporting clays range designers Targets On The Move. The course will offer a variety of targets and will be fun for both veteran and novice shooters said Hugh Curtis, Fayette County Conservation Club member and organizer of the annual Shootout Against Cancer.

Raffle tickets for a Beretta A400 Xcel 12 gauge semi-automatic sporting clays target shotgun will also be available on the grounds for $10 each or three for $20.

"The Shootout Against Cancer is a fun event for shooters of all ages and ability levels," said Don Stohr, club member and Shootout organizer. "In addition to raising funds for the fight against cancer, this is also an opportunity to get more people involved in the shooting sports."

For more information, contact Stohr, telephone 319-283-0217.

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The Mississippi Valley Blues Society has received a major grant from the Iowa Arts Council to help fund the 2012 Blues Festival as well as the MVBS Blues in the Schools residencies for 2012-2013.  In addition, Humanities Iowa has granted the MVBS funds to help support the free workshops to be held in the Freight House across the tracks from LeClaire Park on June 30 and July 1.

The 28th annual Mississippi Valley Blues Festival takes place on June 29, June 30, and July 1 in Davenport's LeClaire Park.  The event features 24 acts on two stages over three days.  Advance tickets at only $12.50 per day until Thursday June 28 are available at Hy-Vee stores in the Quad Cities, Clinton, and Muscatine, as well as at the Muddy Waters in Bettendorf, Rascals in Moline, and Martinis on the rock in Rock Island.  They are available until Thursday June 28.

This is the first time that the Blues Festival has been underwritten by support from the Iowa Arts Council and Humanities Iowa.  The Humanities Iowa grant helps to fund the six free workshops associated with the festival.  On Saturday, the workshops feature David Horwitz?Blues Photography, Donna Herula?Slide Guitar, and Doug MacLeod?National Resonator Slide Guitar.  Sunday's workshops feature Paul Geremia?6 and 12-String Country Blues Guitar, Liz Mandeville?Women in the Blues, and Hawkeye Herman?Stories of the Blues.

Other major sponsors of the blues Festival include the Riverboat Development Authority, KWQC-HD TV6, The River Cities' Reader, The Lodge, KALA Radio, and Alcoa.

For more information about the Blues Festival, visit www.mvbs.org.

The Quad City Symphony Orchestra Association's Board of Trustees is seeking candidates for the position of Executive Director.

The Executive Director is the chief executive officer of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Association and reports to the Board of Trustees through the President. S/he is responsible for managing the human and financial resources of the Association. The Executive Director provides leadership and vision to the Association. S/he implements the policies of the Board of Trustees and advises the Board on matters that will contribute to the Association's success.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced orchestra or not-for-profit arts executive with proven leadership ability, excellent management skills, and a record of success with audience development, fund raising, and community engagement. S/he will have a strong working knowledge of music, orchestra operations, production, general office management, and budgeting. Experience working on the staff of a larger professional orchestra will be considered an asset.

The mission of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Association is to enrich the cultural life of the Quad City region by presenting and maintaining symphonic music of the highest artistic quality and by providing comprehensive music education. The Association presents 17 professional performances each year, including symphonic, chamber, and pops concerts; maintains several education programs and 4 youth ensembles; employs 14 full- and part-time staff as well as 86 musicians; and has an annual operating budget of approximately $1.6 million. The Quad City Symphony Orchestra gave its first performance in 1916 and is a founding member of the League of American Orchestras.

The Quad Cities area comprises communities located in both Iowa and Illinois straddling the Mississippi River. The executive office is located in Davenport, IA. For more information about the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and the Quad City area, go to www.qcsymphony.com.

Please send a letter of application that describes both interest and qualifications. Include a resume, contact information for at least three references, and salary history or requirements. All applications will be confidential and references will not be contacted without the candidate's consent. Please send materials to:

Quad City Symphony Orchestra
ATTN: Executive Director Search
327 Brady Street
Davenport, IA 52803

The Summit of Hope is designed to provide a "one-stop" environment for the local parolee to obtain the necessary assistance to move past barriers which may be preventing him or her from leading a successful life.

A crime-free, productive life for the recently released translates into a safer community for everyone!

This community expo will provide the necessary services to guide and assist the recently released population with needed services.  These are individuals who are trying to put their lives back together and are struggling every day to locate the services they need, in order to be a productive part of our communities.

The Project of the Quad Cities and Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) are collaborating to put on a Summit of Hope event in Rock Island. The goal of the Summit of Hope is to increase public safety through reduced recidivism. Our Mission is: To give those Hope that have lost their Hope.

The event is Wednesday, June 27 from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm, at the Stern Center, 1703 3rd Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois.

Services that will be offered include :  State identification, counseling, transportation, food, clothing, shelter, primary health care referrals, screening for blood pressure, diabetes, HIV testing and care, veterans' information, employment services, and a variety of other social service agencies.  Numerous faith-based organizations also are lending a helping hand to assist this group to get back on the right track and to stay there.

Local Parole Offices have invited parolees to attend. Reaching out to this group will help eliminate the obstacles and expedite each individual's chance to become a positive member of their community.

By the end of the day, the participants should be well equipped with the many needed resources, referrals and materials to be well on their way to a successful life!

For more information on the Summit of Hope, contact Stephanie Carmichael with The Project of the Quad Cities at (309) 762-5433. The Summit of Hope website is www.summitofhope.org.

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