Nationwide Candlelight Vigils Part Of Suicide Prevention Week
Suicide is preventable. Concerned citizens should join the fight to save lives by celebrating the importance of life and by tightening the safety net around those who may be considering suicide.
These are the goals of the Spokane Suicide Prevention Task Force, which is hosting a candlelight vigil, “Walk for Hope,” Friday evening in Riverfront Park.
Event organizers hope to raise public awareness of suicide and affirm the value of humanity.
The public is invited to participate in the candlelight walk, which begins at 6:45 p.m. in the parking lot of the Spokane Regional Health District, 1101 W. College.
The walk ends at the Clock Tower in Riverfront Park, where there will be live music, poetry readings and free resources on suicide awareness and prevention.
Candlelight vigils are being held nationwide during Suicide Prevention Week, which ends Friday.
The local event is co-sponsored by the Washington State Department of Health and the University of Washington, which have been successful in bringing the scope of this problem to the forefront in our community.
For more information, call the Suicide Prevention Task Force at 324-1473.
Fund-raiser
Flowers and music go hand-in-hand when you purchase bedding plants to raise funds for the Spokane Symphony.
“Bloom in Tune” is the spring fund-raiser sponsored by Spokane Symphony Associates. The benefit sale is Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Camyn’s Greenhouse, 4317 S. Garfield.
Flowers, plants and garden accessories will be available, with a percentage of the total sales benefiting the Spokane Symphony.
Community events
Parents, teenagers and business professionals can brush up on necessary etiquette skills during the Etiquette Luncheon, May 13, sponsored by Spokane Community College.
The lunch will be served at Orlando’s, the student-managed restaurant on the SCC campus (1810 N. Greene) in Old Main, Building 1.
During the meal, culinary arts instructor Greg Richards will provide guests with helpful hints about formal dining, table manners and dining etiquette. He’ll also share tips for making special-occasion meals a success, both as a host and guest.
Two luncheon seatings are offered: 11:30 a.m. and noon. The four-course meal will be prepared by students enrolled in SCC’s culinary arts program. Tickets are $8; reservations are required. Call 533-7283.
Throughout May, enrolled tribal members receive free admission to the Cheney Cowles Museum’s special exhibition, “They Sacrificed for Our Survival: The Indian Boarding School Experience.”
Identify yourself as a tribal member to museum receptionists and gain free entrance to the museum, 2316 W. First. Hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call 456-3931, ext. 101.
Health notes
It is never too late to quit smoking. Learn effective techniques for kicking the habit in a community program called “Smoke Free.” The course is offered by Deaconess Medical Center and Valley Hospital and Medical Center.
The program begins Tuesday with a free orientation from 7 to 9 p.m. Those who wish to continue may join Phase I of the course, which includes group sessions lasting eight weeks. Phase II is the maintenance phase, which continues for eight months.
All sessions will be in Classroom B at the Valley Hospital and Medical Center.
For more information, or to register, call 744-7666.
Birth mothers, celebrate
Birth mothers who have relinquished a child for adoption are invited to a Mother’s Day luncheon to honor the sacred gift of life they have unselfishly shared.
The luncheon is Friday, noon to 2 p.m., at the Children’s Home Society, 4315 S. Scott.
Sponsors of the event are Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services, Spokane Consultants in Family Living and Children’s Home Society.
The free event serves as an opportunity for birth mothers to meet one another and celebrate their role as mothers. Reservations are requested; call Debbie Patterson at Catholic Charities, 358-4253.
, DataTimes MEMO: Community Update appears each Sunday in The Spokesman-Review. Please allow two weeks notice for inclusion in this column.