Rock Island, IL - Christian Care will offer a special Thanksgiving meal from noon to 2:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Day at the rescue mission at 2209 - 3rd Avenue in Rock Island. Mission chefs will offer a full menu of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, dressing, vegetables, salads and desserts.

"On Thanksgiving, like every day of the year, our doors are open to anyone who is hungry or alone," said Dr. Elaine M. Winter, Christian Care's chief executive officer. "This can be a difficult time of year for people, and we welcome anyone who comes through our doors. We are also thankful for all the volunteers and community groups who donate their time and resources to help us serve those in need?not only during the holidays, but all year long."

Christian Care is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization operating two facilities?a domestic violence shelter for abused women and children and a rescue mission for homeless men. It serves homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, veterans, men and women coming out of prison, and those with mental illnesses.

Christian Care's community meal site is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekdays Monday through Friday, and for breakfast and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast is served at 6:30 a.m., lunch at 12:15 p.m., and dinner at 6:30 p.m. If you know of someone in need, call Christian Care's crisis hotline any hour of the day at (309) 788-2273 or visit online at christiancareqc.org.

TOMORROW!!! 

The 5th Annual Holiday Hat Bash presented by Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors will be held on:

Thursday, November 21, 2013

5:30-9 p.m.

CASI  1035 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport, IA

The 5th Annual Holiday Hat Bash presented by Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors will once again make holidays special for Quad Cities Seniors, by providing food baskets and gifts. The Holiday Hat Bash event is an evening of fun, music, delicious food, a hat contest, raffles, silent auction, Necker's Jewelry Give Away and much more.  There will be 25 spectacular raffle & silent auction baskets.  Decadent gourmet hors d'orvres and desserts will be featured by chefs from local senior living centers.  Hats are always fun, but are optional.

Walk-in's are encouraged and welcome! A suggested $35 donation includes food and 3 drink tickets & a night of fun! All proceeds will provide holiday gifts and food baskets for Quad Cities Seniors. Can't attend? Donations are gratefully accepted and may be sent to:

CASI  1035 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport, IA 52806 or at www.hatbash.com.  For information call: (563) 563-386-7477 or visit: www.hatbash.com.

Just in time for its 30th anniversary in 2014, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival has been honored with a Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the international Blues Foundation of Memphis TN.  The coveted award, in the U.S. Festival category, is the equivalent of lifetime achievement recognition.

The Blues Foundation notes that the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival has become "one of the longest running, most prestigious blues festivals in the world. Held on the shores of the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa, this event features music on two outdoor stages and educational presentations. Four different times, the festival has moved due to river flooding, but each time, festival organizers have been up to the task. Beginning in 1995 with Honeyboy Edwards, the festival inaugurated its RiverRoad Award to honor the true legends of the blues. Thus far, 36 men and women have been so honored."  The Festival is also the only major blues festival in the nation to be produced by a non-profit, all-volunteer organization?the Mississippi Valley Blues Society.

Each year, The Blues Foundation presents the Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) Awards to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the Blues world.   Unlike the Blues Music Awards, which recognize the past year's best in recordings and performance voted on by thousands of The Blues Foundation's members, the KBAs are awarded to non-performers strictly on the basis of merit by a select panel of blues professionals. Affiliated organizations, past KBA recipients and members of The Blues Foundation's Board of Directors are eligible to submit nominations.

The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival was nominated for the KBA award by musician Michael "Hawkeye" Herman, himself a 1998 KBA recipient for Education and a former member of the board of directors of the Blues Foundation. In his nomination, Hawkeye noted that "The 2014 KBA Award would be a most auspicious way of honoring this event's 30 years of hard work and dedication to 'Keeping the Blues Alive' in both spirit and action."

The Blues Foundation will present 20 individuals and organizations with KBA awards during a recognition luncheon Friday, January 24, 2014, at the Downtown Memphis Doubletree, during the International Blues Challenge weekend of events.

Congratulations to the 2014 Keeping the Blues Alive Award recipients:

1. Affiliated Organization: Crossroads Blues Society of Illinois - Rockford, Illinois
2. Art: Cristen Craven Barnard - Senatobia, Mississippi
3. Club: Kingston Mines - Chicago, Illinois
4. Education: Tas Cru - Chaumont, New York
5. Festival (International): Cazorla Blues Festival - Cazorla, Spain
6. Festival (U.S.): Mississippi Valley Blues Festival - Davenport, Iowa
7. Film, Television and Video: Stefan Grossman - Sparta, New Jersey
8. Historical Preservation: George Mitchell - Fort Myers, Florida
9. International: The Royal Mail Hotel - Goodna, Queensland, Australia
10. Journalism: Gene Tomko - Lafayette, Louisiana
11. Literature: Gerard Herzhaft - Lyon, France
12. Manager: Marcia Weaver - Jackson, Mississippi
13. Photography: Dick Waterman - Oxford, Mississippi
14. Producer: Tom Hambridge - Nashville, Tennessee
15. Promoter: Myron Mu - San Francisco, California
16. Publicist: Frank Roszak - North Hills, California
17. Radio (Commercial): Jerry Schaefer - East Islip, New York
18. Radio (Public): Larry Lisk - St. Petersburg, Florida
19. Record Label: Stony Plain Records - Edmonton, Alberta
20. Special Committee Award: Blue Star Connection - Winter Park, Colorado