Highland Around Town - Aug. 30 edition
Noon Friday, Sept. 1, is the deadline to appear in next week’s “Around Town” listing. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Submissions will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.
Email: lifestyle@bnd.com. Mail to: Highland Around Town, Belleville News-Democrat, P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.
Wednesday, Aug. 30
▪ National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group — 6:30-8 p.m. Online via Zoom. Free peer-to-peer support group for adults with a mental health condition working towards recovery. Every Wednesday. Open the Zoom app and enter 3914844542. For information: kelly.nami.swi@gmail.com or 618-798-9788.
Friday, Sept. 1
▪ Tri Township Library Book Sale — 9 a.m. to noon. Tri Township Library, 209 S. Main St., Troy. Book donations accepted during the sale and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. 618-667-2133.
▪ Aviston Legion Fish Fry — 4:30-7 p.m. American Legion Post 1239, 601 S. Clinton, Aviston. Cod (baked or fried), catfish, shrimp, hush puppies, chicken strips, fries, baked potato, slaw, applesauce. Dine-in and carryout. 618-228-7311 or avistonlegion.com.
Friday, Sept. 1 & Saturday, Sept. 2
▪ Heartland Community Chorus Auditions — 6-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, and 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 2. St. Paul Parish building, second floor, 1411 Main St., Highland. Please be prepared to sing a song of your choosing – an art song, Broadway tune, or a hymn. Please bring a copy of your music for the pianist. If you forget to bring a piece, there will be copies of a few songs there (“Amazing Grace”, “America”). You will also be asked to sing some five-note scales. The audition will take 5-10 minutes. The chorus rehearses on Monday nights at St. Paul Church, and the first rehearsal is Monday, Sept. 11. For more information: heartlandcommunitychorus.org, or contact Luanne Murphy, director, at 618-791-8408.
Saturday, Sept. 2
▪ Cahokia Mounds Gift Shop Day — 9 a.m to 2:30 p.m. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, 30 Ramey St., Collinsville. The gift shop will be open to the public for one day only. Shop deep discounts and exclusive sales. cahokiamounds.org
Saturday, Sept. 2 thru Monday, Sept. 4
▪ Japanese Festival — 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 2-3, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 4. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis. The 46th festival will feature sumo wrestling, martial arts demonstrations, calligraphy demonstrations, a magic storyteller, dance performances, an expanded food court with authentic cuisine, and candlelight walks in the Japanese Garden. Tickets and info: mobot.org.
Tuesday, Sept. 5
▪ Highland Farmers’ Market — 4-8 p.m. Highland Square, 914 Main St., Highland. Local farmers, cottage food makers, and crafters will be present to sell a variety of produce, meats, desserts and more. Each Tuesday morning a map will be posted on the Highland Parks and Recreation Facebook page showing what vendors will be present.
▪ Parents of Addicted Loved Ones — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. The PAL group provides education, support and hope to family members and loved ones of someone who has an addiction of substance use disorder. Free and open to all. For info or to join the Zoom meeting, contact Craig at 618-567-6095. palgroup.org
Other area happenings
▪ Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois 5th annual United We Lead Gala — 5 p.m. (doors open) Saturday, Sept. 9. Gateway Convention Center, 1 Gateway Drive, Collinsville. Let’s celebrate Girl Scouts together! Join us for drinks, dinner and entertainment. Bid in our live and silent auctions, or enjoy many other ways to share your support. Share an evening filled with fun and inspiration with people who care so much about our mission. Tickets must be purchased online at gsofsi.org or by contacting the Fund Development team at 800-345-6858.
▪ 17th annual Buddy Walk — 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16. Northside Park, N. 10th St., Breese. The annual Community Link fundraiser celebrates the extraordinary powers of individuals with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities, as well as their family members, friends and supporters. All will fill the streets of Breese again early this fall for the 1-mile fun walk. This year’s theme is “Superheroes.” Register by Aug. 25 to be guaranteed a T-shirt. For info and registration: commlink.org.
▪ Blues & Brews — 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22. Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 1200 Lynch St., St. Louis. This outdoor street party will include live music, appearances by Blues players and alumni, food trucks and more on the historic streets of the brewery. Attendees can soak up the atmosphere of the iconic brewery setting with a visit to the Clydesdale stables, food trucks, pop-up bars, games in the Biergarten and a complimentary Bud Light (for guests 21+) or bottled water. Exclusive Blues & Brews merchandise will also be available for purchase. Free parking will be available in front of the tour center and other nearby lots. Attendees are allowed to bring their own lawn chairs, but they must be removed from any cover or bag. Tickets are just $20 and are on sale now at stlouisblues.com.
▪ 28th annual Camp Ondessonk Golf Benefit — 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. Roland Barkau Memorial Golf Course, 1501 N. Waterworks Road, Okawville. Funds raised during this annual event help sustain and enhance camp programs, fund scholarships allowing children of all income levels to experience camp, and fund new initiatives to fulfill our mission to provide exceptional outdoor and spiritual adventures empowering kids of all ages. Cost: $115 per player or $460 per foursome. Hosted by Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc. of Highland. For info or to register, 618-695-2489 or ondessonk.com.
▪ Prairie Heart Foundation Heart Walk and Health Education — 8-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland, 12866 Troxler Ave., Highland. Get powered up as you and your loved ones walk your way to a healthy heart. This low-impact, high-fun event for all ages will include a variety of activities to fuel your heart healthy journey. The event is rain or shine, with prize drawings throughout the morning. Representatives from local HSHS hospitals will be onsite in Highland providing health information and education. Please, no pets. Register at prairieheart.org/powered-by-prairie-heart-walk by Sept. 29. 217-814-5177.
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Five ways to tell if someone is experiencing an overdose
International Overdose Awareness Day is Aug. 31
In Illinois, there were 3,762 overdose deaths in 2021, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. A majority of these deaths involved synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl.
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), observed annually on Aug. 31, seeks to end overdose, remember, without stigma, those who have died, and acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind. It is also an opportunity to educate people that overdose death is preventable and raise awareness about ways to help those struggling with substance use disorders.
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland is recognizing IOAD by sharing information on how to recognize if someone is experiencing an overdose. Signs may include:
Unresponsiveness or unconsciousness
Slow, weak, or no breathing
Snoring, choking or gurgling sounds
Cold and/or clammy skin
Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)
St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Emergency Department Manager Patrick Small, BSN, RN, says, “Sometimes it can be hard to tell if a person using opioids is truly experiencing an overdose. If you aren’t certain, treat the situation like an overdose. Call 911 immediately and administer NARCAN if it’s available. You could very well be saving their life.”
St. Joseph’s Hospital has partnerships in place to offer a pathway to hope and recovery for those struggling with substance use disorders. HSHS hospitals in Illinois, including St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland, have access to substance use disorder treatment and recovery programs. In conjunction with The Gateway Foundation, access to these programs is available to patients in the emergency department as well as throughout the hospital. The program focuses on warm handoff services for the treatment and recovery of patients who present with substance use disorder. A team of experienced individuals work to identify, screen, and transition patients from the emergency department or inpatient unit directly to a treatment bed upon discharge as needed. The program’s focus is to intercept those in crisis and shepherd them to care.
Other efforts from St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland include the installation of a safe drug disposal box at the hospital’s main entrance, 24-hour access to a resource wall at the emergency room entrance that includes information on treatment options and family support, and a collaboration with Chestnut Health Systems that allows for the distribution of free NARCAN through the emergency room.
Local IOAD Events
Local communities in the Madison County area and others around the world are coming together to remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to drug overdose.
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland is joining Chestnut Health Systems in Alton (2400 Washington Ave., Alton, Illinois) beginning at 5 p.m. on Aug. 31, in observance of International Overdose Awareness Day. This event will provide access to mental health and substance use resources. Additionally, there will be guest speakers and a food truck. These events will be followed by a candlelight vigil as we join in remembering those who have lost their lives to substance use disorders.
Teresa Cornelius RN, DNP, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer for HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland, shared, “We are honored to participate in this event and offer our support for those who have lost loved ones to substance use. It also offers a chance to provide education on programs to help those in crisis such as the warm hand-off program we have at St. Joseph’s Hospital in partnership with the Gateway Foundation.”
If you or someone you love are struggling with substance abuse, please visit cdc.gov/rxawareness/treatment for treatment and recovery resources.
