Community events: Nov. 23 through Nov. 29, 2017

For more upcoming events, click here for The Chester Telegraph calendar. To be included in our Upcoming Events briefs, email Susan Lampe-Wilson at calendar@chestertelegraph.org. Photos welcome. No PDFs, please. Notices must be received by noon on Fridays to be eligible for publication the following week.

Nov. 23: EdgarMay hosts Thanksgiving Day 5k

The Edgar May Health and Recreation Center hosts its fifth Annual Thanksgiving Day 5k Road Race and Walk on Thursday, Nov. 23. Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome.

Entry fee is $25 and children under the age of 12 are free. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the race starting at 9 a.m. Participants are encouraged to bring food donations for the Springfield Family Center.

The 5K Fun Run and Walk begin and end at Springfield Hospital. The route begins at the bottom of Ridgewood Road. The course is a flat and fast course.

There will be prizes for the family with the greatest number of participants, for the most experienced participant and youngest walker or runner. The event is timed by Springfield High School’s Cross Country program. The group benefits from the race proceeds.

Springfield Medical Care Systems, Vermont Packing House, the Springfield Rotary Club, Black River Produce and HCRS sponsor the race.

The race is also seeking volunteers. For more information volunteering, registering, the Thanksgiving Day 5k, or any Edgar May Health and Recreation Center Program, call 802-885-2568 or visit www.myreccenter.org.

Nov. 25: BRGNS hold one-day fundraising sale

Black River Good Neighbors thrift store’s holidaypalooza is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25 and comes to Ludlow in conjunction with the 38th annual Christmas Craft Fair at the Ludlow Community Center at 37 Main St., Ludlow.

BRGNS’s Holiday Décor and More Sale features a wide variety of decorations and items for home or giving.

Located at 105 Main St. in Ludlow, the thrift store is operated by Black River Good Neighbor Services to fund the local food shelf and various financial assistance programs for people in need. So your purchases at this sale will fund a good cause, especially during the winter holiday season when program costs are so much higher.

There will be ample free parking, great food, and lots of other vendors. For more information, call 802-228-3663.

Nov. 25: VINE holds Thanksgiving Party for turkeys

VINE Sanctuary invites the public to meet rather than eat turkeys from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 201 Massey Road in Springfield.

This Thanksgiving Party for Turkeys focuses on helping the turkeys and other animals at the sanctuary. Visitors will visit with turkeys and sanctuary residents and volunteer to get buildings and grounds ready for winter. Labors will be followed by a tour and vegan snacks with sanctuary staff.

Bring a refillable water bottle, wear sturdy boots or shoes that you won’t mind getting dirty. Wear clothes suitable for messy outdoor chores. Bring gardening gloves, muck boots or rain boots if it rained or snowed the day before or seems likely to rain or snow that day.

This event is free and open to the public. The group asks those interested to let them know at least one day in advance so they can have enough snacks for all. Also inform them if you want to bring child younger than 13, and they will be sure to plan something appropriate for a child of that age to do. Contact VINE at its Facebook page at  or email ayeshah@bravebirds.org.
To learn more, visit www.vinesanctuary.org, or e-mail sanctuary@bravebirds.org.

Nov. 29: Climate change’s effect on animals discussed

The Londonderry Conservation Commission sponsors a new lecture by Sue Morse at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at Flood Brook School at 91 Route 11 in Londonderry. The lecture is “Animals of the North: What will Global Climate Change Mean for Them?”

This program is designed to educate audiences about ways in which northern wildlife species are already being affected by climate change, and the serious challenges ahead. It will devote equal time to sharing remarkable images and stories about plants and animals in their northern habitats in the spirit of Jane Goodall’s “reason for hope.”

The program is free and open to the public. No registration is required, but donations to the Londonderry Conservation Commission are welcome. For more information, call Irwin Kuperberg at irwin234@yahoo.com.