Highland Around Town - May 24 edition

Noon Friday, May 26, 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, May 24

▪ 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.

Thursday, May 25

▪ Twilight Thursdays Concert Series: Black Magic: The Santana Experience — 6-8 p.m. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis. For more than five decades the legendary guitar music of Carlos Santana has been one of the most unique and recognized sounds in popular music, topping charts worldwide. Enjoy a blend of African-inspired rhythms, bluesy organ, and melodic guitar played straight from the heart. Bring family, friends, food and blankets/lawn chairs, and revel in the music as the sun sets. The area’s best food trucks will be on hand. Concert-goers are invited to park on the lot at the Loop Trolley facility located at 5875 Delmar Ave. mohistory.org/twilight-thursdays

▪ National Alliance on Mental Illness: Family Support Group — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. The Family Support Meetings are for family members, significant others, and/or friends of persons with a mental health condition. Fourth Thursday of every month. Facilitators: Pat Rudloff and Beverly Churchill. For information: kelly.nami.swi@gmail.com or 618-798-9788.

Friday, May 26

▪ 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.

Saturday, May 27

▪ Benld Italian American Days Car Show — 8 a.m. to noon. Benld City Park, 305 N. Main St., Benld. Registration 8 a.m. to noon. Professional judging at noon with trophies presented after judging. Registration fee: $20. Food and refreshments. Rain or shine. facebook.com/Benld.Italian.American.Days

▪ ‘Mandela: The Official Exhibition’ — 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday-Monday thru mid-September starting May 27. St. Louis Science Center, 5050 Oakland Ave., St. Louis. This special exhibition will usher guests along an immersive and interactive journey into the remarkable life of revolutionary freedom fighter and iconic humanitarian, Nelson Mandela. Features previously unseen film, photos, videos and the display of more than 150 historical artifacts and personal effects – many never previously displayed outside of South Africa – on loan from the Mandela family, museums and archives worldwide. slsc.org

▪ Harris Cemetery Association Memorial Services — 10 a.m. Harris Cemetery of Alhambra, Alhambra Road, Alhambra. The public is invited to attend.

Sunday, May 28

▪ The Saint Louis Chamber Chorus: ‘Death to Life’ — 3 p.m. St. Margaret of Scotland, 3854 Flad Ave., St. Louis. The Saint Louis Chamber Chorus reprises the transcendent “Requiem” from Sasha Johnson Manning, as well as other works suited to the spirit of Memorial Day from Jacob Handl and Melissa Dunphy. The season closes with a setting of a Sophocles chorus newly translated by the Chorus’ own Philip Barnes and set by Kerensa Briggs. chamberchorus.org

Tuesday, May 30

▪ 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

▪ History After Hours at The Field House Museum — 4-7 p.m. Friday, June 2. The Field House Museum, 634 S. Broadway, St. Louis. The public and members of the media are invited to explore The Power of the Press during the Field House Museum’s new after-hours programming series. “The Power of the Press,” the newest exhibit in the Eugene Field Library, dives into the cutthroat newspaper world of mid-19th century St. Louis, when the pages flying off the printing press could sway elections, influence policy, incite mobs, and ignite duels to the death. fieldhousemuseum.org

▪ Party on the Patio — 6-9 p.m. Saturday, June 3. Schlafly Highland Square, 907 Main St., Highland. This event raises funds to support health care initiatives at St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland. The casual garden party style event will feature a full menu of appetizers, drinks and live music by the band, Phoenix. Tickets are $150 for attendees and are available now at stjosephshighland.org/foundation.

▪ HSHS Hospice Illinois Butterfly Release — 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 6. Healing Garden, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland, 12866 Troxler Ave., Highland. Family and friends are invited to celebrate and remember the life of a loved one who has passed. The ceremony will include a butterfly release and the reading of the names of those being honored. If you would like to participate in the ceremony, please RSVP to Valerie Engelbart, bereavement services supervisor, at 217-685-0702 or email valerie.engelbart@hshs.org. Butterflies will be released for all of those honored, but you are invited to personally release a butterfly for your loved one by reserving a butterfly for $15 to be paid prior to the ceremony.

▪ Highland Jaycees annual Schweizerfest — 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, June 9, noon to midnight Saturday, June 10, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 11. Town Square, Highland. Rides and food vendors, games, activities and entertainment. Parades start at 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. facebook.com/events/238213701924219

▪ Gateway Arch National Park: Picnic in Your Park — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, June 11. Check in at the North Gateway off Washington Avenue near the Eads Bridge in St. Louis. Event-goers will enjoy a picnic at Gateway Arch National Park, with picnic baskets available in Classic and Deluxe options. Each basket includes a picnic lunch by Butler’s Pantry and a take-home Gateway Arch Park Foundation insulated picnic basket, which includes a QR code with exclusive video messages from the Foundation’s team and the perfect picnic playlist. Purchase your basket today at archpark.org/picnic. Basket sales close May 31.

▪ Madison County Historical Society Speaker Series: ‘An Introduction to Armenian Culture, History, and the Armenian Genocide’ — 2 p.m. Sunday, June 11. Main Street Community Center, 1003 N. Main St., Edwardsville. Historian Norma Asadorian, whose Armenian grandparents immigrated to Granite City, Illinois, will introduce the audience to Armenian culture and the Armenian genocide. Free and open to the public. madcohistory.org

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Nursing Exemplar Award Ceremony Held in Honor of National Nurses Week at HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland

In honor of National Nurses Week, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland hosted a Nursing Exemplar Awards Ceremony. Below is the list of winners from the ceremony.

Nurse Leader of the Year

• Mary Kay Schrage, RN

Excellence in Nursing

• Jane Deiters, RN

• Lori Albert, RN

Preceptor of the Year

• Kathy Thole, RN

Charge Nurse of the Year

• Caitlin Harrison, RN

Rookie of the Year

• Emily Schniepp, RN

Partner in Nursing

• Tim Dasenbrock

The awards recognize the dedicated health professionals and nurses who serve patients each day with respect, care, competence and joy. They play an important role in providing excellent care to our communities. It is more important than ever to thank, recognize and celebrate that we have these health care professionals in our community.

Please join HSHS and local hospital administration in thanking these dedicated health professionals whose skills, care, and commitment to excellence makes a difference in all our lives.

For more information about HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland, visit St. Joseph’s website at stjosephshighland.org. To apply for a position at HSHS St. Joseph’s, visit careers.hshs.org.

Highland Area Community Foundation elects 2023-2024 officers

The Highland Area Community Foundation elected officers for the 2023-2024 year at their annual meeting held May 16.

The Foundation, a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization established in 1995, continues to have an impact on its service area, which includes the Highland Community Unit School District #5, plus Marine, St. Jacob, and St. Rose townships.

To date the Foundation has given back over $5 million to the community through grants and pass through funds, helping numerous organizations and groups over the years. It has been the receiver of funds for the Korte Recreation Center, City Special Events, Hard Road Theatre, Downtown Improvement Fund, Louis Latzer Memorial Public Library, Veterans Memorial, All Abilities Playground/Park, and numerous scholarship funds, to name a few. A complete list of the various permanent and pass through funds established through the Foundation are listed on the Foundation’s website.

For further information on the Highland Area Community Foundation, visit www.hacf.org or call the office at 618-654-4727.