O’Fallon Around Town - Nov. 23 edition

Belleville News-Democrat
·7 min read

Noon Friday, Nov. 24, 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.

Send event info via email to lifestyle@bnd.com. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.

Thursday, Nov. 23

▪ 10th annual Thanksgiving Feast — 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23. Faith Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 520 E. Highway 50, O’Fallon. The mission is to offer a delicious, heart-warming Thanksgiving luncheon to those who can’t cook, don’t want to cook, or just want to enjoy it without the mess. Open to all residents of Shiloh, O’Fallon, Scott AFB and surrounding areas. All donated food and cash donations not utilized that day will be given to the O’Fallon and Shiloh food pantries. 618-632-8401 or ofallonthanksgiving@gmail.com.

Friday, Nov. 24

▪ O’Fallon Knights of Columbus & Ladies Auxiliary Fish Fry — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Knights of Columbus Hall, 402 E. U.S. 50, O’Fallon. Traditional menu of cod, tilapia, catfish, hamburgers, hot dogs, pork steaks and several side dishes. Dine-in and carryout. Credit cards accepted. Orders can be called in at 618-632-6229. facebook.com/KnightsOfColumbus4239

▪ Missouri Botanical Garden 11th annual Garden Glow — Hours vary nightly through Saturday, Jan. 6 (except Nov. 23 & 27, Dec. 24-25.) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis. Celebrate the holiday season at the most spectacular holiday lights experience in the St. Louis area. Featuring nearly two million dazzling lights, Garden Glow transforms the iconic setting of the Missouri Botanical Garden into an enchanted wonderland rich with mesmerizing displays and unforgettable moments. Advance tickets encouraged. For hours and info: mobot.org

▪ U.S. Bank Wild Lights at the Saint Louis Zoo — 5-8:30 p.m. on select dates from Friday, Nov. 24 through Saturday, Dec. 30. Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis. Escape to a wild wonderland with brand new twinkling light displays and festive family fun. For dates, tickets and other info, visit stlzoo.org/wildlights.

Friday, Nov. 24 & Saturday, Nov. 25

▪ Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Native American Holiday Market — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Gateway Convention Center, 1 Gateway Drive, Collinsville. More than 45 tribal affiliated artists will sell and demonstrate Indigenous arts and crafts. Includes jewelry, pottery, flutes, woodwork and more. Free admission and parking. cahokiamounds.org

Wednesday, Nov. 29

▪ 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.

Other area happenings

▪ St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s Second Symphony — 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 1. Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 Touhill Circle, St. Louis. David Danzmayr’s 2021 SLSO debut delighted listeners and players. He returns with a program that thrills and sings. Danzmayr pushes Beethoven’s Second Symphony close to the edge, flirting with danger. SLSO Principal Oboe Jelena Dirks’ goal is to sing through her instrument. She has every opportunity in the songful, break-your-heart musical world of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Oboe Concerto. Strum by Jessie Montgomery, the in-demand American composer of this moment, salutes American folk music, its spirit of dance and movement. slso.org

▪ Holiday Party - Gateway Classic Cars — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. Gateway Classic Cars, 1181 Central Park Drive, O’Fallon. Celebrate the season while supporting the amazing work of Fire Truck O’ Toys and Toys for Tots. Gateway Classic Cars will assist their mission by collecting new and unwrapped toys for Santa to deliver to local hospitals and families. Food, drinks, and music will be provided (while supplies last). Free admission with a donation or an unwrapped toy. facebook.com/GatewayClassicCars

▪ Breakfast with Santa — 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 9. Klucker Hall, 14 Park Drive, Shiloh. Join Santa for a continental breakfast (pastries, donuts, coffee, juice) and photos. Includes free crafts for kids to make and take. Purchase tickets at the door: $5 per adult; kids eat free with donations for the Weekend Wildcats. Needed donations: saltine crackers, tuna packets, single-serving snacks, canned pasta sauce, canned vegetables and fruit, small jars of peanut butter, granola bars and trail mix, oatmeal, soup, pasta noodles, macaroni and cheese, Chef Boyardee, Ramen, microwave popcorn, peanut butter crackers. RSVP in advance (for food count) to 618-632-1022, ext. 119.

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New moms, moms-to-be, families invited to a special holiday event

Bring your wish list and camera for free photos with Santa

New moms, moms-to-be and families are invited to attend “Bundles for Babies,” HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s special holiday community event on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to noon in the main hospital lobby at 1 St. Elizabeth’s Blvd., O’Fallon.

Guests will meet St. Elizabeth’s Women and Infants Center staff, receive health and safety information and learn about services available to help them welcome their bundle of joy. Guided tours will also be offered of the Women and Infants Center. The tours will be limited to small groups to respect current patients’ privacy and safety.

Christmas activities are also planned for children, including free photos with Santa while sharing cookies and milk and creating a fun holiday craft project to take home.

Each family attending will receive a ticket to win an attendance prize. Additional tickets will be available for a $1 donation. All funds collected will be used to support moms who need additional assistance for safe sleep space for their newborns. Prizes include a Medela breast pump, a car seat, a pack ‘n play and more items.

“We are excited to host our special Bundles for Babies event again this year,” said Amanda Schaefer, MSN, RN, nurse manager of St. Elizabeth’s Women and Infants Center. “The event is an excellent opportunity for families, new moms and moms-to-be to ask questions, tour the Women and Infants Center, meet our staff, and learn about available safety and support resources in the region,” she shared. “We truly encourage all expecting moms to stop by, even if they are newly pregnant and haven’t yet decided where to deliver.”

Child passenger safety technicians will also be in attendance to educate families about car seat safety and answer any questions parents may have about proper installation. The Pregnancy Care Center will have an informational booth to explain the free resources and assistance they offer to new and expectant mothers.

For questions about the Bundles for Babies community event, please call the Women and Infants Center at 618-234-2120, ext. 31260.

For more information about HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, visit steliz.org.

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Community voices needed for County Wide Health Needs Assessment

A collaboration between HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and other health organizations

HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, St. Clair County Health Department, East Side Health District and BJC HealthCare Memorial Hospital are collaborating on a project to assess the health needs of the residents of St. Clair County.

As part of the assessment process, these health care entities are asking all county residents to help identify health issues and concerns through a brief 10-minute online community survey. The feedback provided will help identify priority health issues for inclusion in the St. Clair County Health Improvement Plan.

Residents can take the survey at https://forms.office.com/r/ug6wg1aUjX now through Dec. 1, 2023. Responses are anonymous.

Nonprofit hospitals, like St. Elizabeth’s, must complete a community health needs assessment (CHNA) every three years as a requirement of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Hospitals provide their reports to the Internal Revenue Service. Local health departments are required by the Illinois Department of Public Health to complete community health assessments every five years through guidelines established by the Illinois Project for Local Assessment of Needs (IPLAN).

Following the survey and other information gathering, the collaborating organizations will determine which health priorities they should address over the next three years and how to implement those priorities. The completed CHNA report with identified health priorities will be available by the end of June 2024, and the final improvement plan will be made available in November 2024.

Eight other Illinois hospitals in Hospital Sisters Health System will also be conducting health needs assessments in the coming months. They are HSHS St. John’s Hospital for Sangamon County, HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital for Macon County, HSHS St. Francis Hospital for Montgomery and Macoupin counties, HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital for Effingham and Jasper counties, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Breese for Clinton County, HSHS Holy Family Hospital for Bond County, and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland for Madison County.