Luncheon To Benefit Support Programs

Thousands of area women and children are no strangers to difficult problems such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, neglect and breast cancer. They face these enemies every day. The Women Helping Women Fund was founded to help them. And in its two previous years, the organization contributed more than $211,000 to support programs serving women and children in Spokane.

WHWF recently launched its third annual campaign. Organizers anticipate more than 1,300 women from throughout the region will demonstrate their support for area programs at the 1995 Women Helping Women Fund benefit luncheon May 2 at the International Ag Trade Center. Guests will be asked to donate at least $100 to the fund.

Former New York Times columnist Anna Quindlen will give the luncheon keynote address. A novelist, social commentator, wife and mother of three, Quindlen is an outspoken advocate for women and children. Her nationally syndicated opinion column for the Times earned Quindlen the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1992.

Thirteen programs have been selected to receive funds from the luncheon. Those who are interested in attending should call 747-0802.

Library grant

The Spokane Public Library has been awarded a Library Services and Construction Act grant to extend outreach services to preschoolers in home day cares. Project Right Start will provide licensed home day cares with reading resources, materials and training in how to use them. The grant will also fund the acquisition of core resource collections at two library branches.

To kick off the program, the library will sponsor three workshops for day-care providers within the first year. Guest speakers will discuss the importance of reading, language development and reading readiness for preschoolers. Project Right Start hopes to reach the estimated 2,288 children who spend the majority of their day in day-care facilities. For more information on this project, call 626-5331.

Miss Spokane’s busy schedule

Miss Spokane 1995 Victoria Nicacio remains a busy ambassador for the city. Among her recent engagements was a visit to Olympia, where she met with Reps. Dennis Dellwo and Jean Silver. She was the guest of the Spokane Chiefs and sang the Canadian and U.S. anthems for the Chiefs’ victory over Red Deer, and she welcomed guests to the return of the tea dances at the Davenport Hotel. Nicacio will be speaking on “Parental Involvement in Children’s Education” at various Lions, Rotary and Kiwanis Club meetings. If interested in having Miss Spokane appear at your group function, contact Anne Anderson, 326-3136.

Ladies golf banquet

The Tuesday night nine-hole golf league for ladies at Sun Dance Golf Course is having its annual kickoff banquet March 28. The banquet is an opportunity for women interested in joining a golf league to find out about the league. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. for sign-up and social hour, followed by a meeting at 6:30 p.m., and concluding with dinner at 7 p.m. For more information or to reserve seating, call 327-3126.

Whitworth choir concert

The 80-voice Whitworth College choir will perform in concert March 28 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, 1115 W. Riverside. The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will conclude the choir’s nine-city tour of the Southwestern United States. The performance is free and open to the public, but a freewill offering to support the choir will be taken. For more information, call 466-3799.

Baseball tournament

Spokane has a tradition of providing quality sporting events that involve large cross sections of the population. Perhaps beginning in the same tradition as Bloomsday and Hoopfest, fans in the Spokane and surrounding areas will have the opportunity to watch several college baseball games at the first ECL College Baseball Invitational Tournament March 23-25, thanks to the efforts of the Evans, Craven and Lackie law firm, which is sponsoring the event. Youths under 18 will be admitted free to all 10 games. Additionally, area youth players are invited to a free baseball clinic March 22 from 4:30-6 p.m. at Pecarovich Field on the Gonzaga University campus.

While GU is the host team, the visiting teams from Brigham Young University, Oregon State University, University of Portland and Lewis-Clark State College will be welcomed by Spokane area families who have volunteered to give room and board to all the players. For more information, call 328-4220, extension 4226.