Port regatta benefits Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The American Yacht Club in Newburyport is partnering with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to present the annual Leukemia Cup Regatta on Saturday, Aug. 2, and Sunday, Aug. 3, at the Newburyport club on Water Street.
The two-day regatta, sponsored by Mount Gay Rum, will feature sailing both days and a cocktail party and auction Saturday night.
This year, the American Yacht Club is hosting the event in celebration of a 5-year-old Haverhill boy diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in April 2005. After enduring more than two years of chemotherapy, testing, biopsies and oral medications, he is now in remission.
Proceeds from the regatta will benefit the Massachusetts chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a nonprofit organization that relies on contributions to advance its mission.
Boat registration is still available. For more on the regatta, call Rebecca Longworth at the society at 508-810-1318 or visit www.americanyachtclub.org.
Yard sale fundraiser benefits adults with autism
A handmade Adirondack chair, gym memberships, massage therapy, baseball cards and knitting lessons are some of the items up for grabs at a Haverhill fundraiser for autism. The two-day yard sale and raffle to benefit the Katydid Foundation Inc. of Newburyport and Haverhill takes place tomorrow and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 19-21 Columbia Park, Haverhill.
The yard sale includes furniture, air conditioners, a drafting bench, raised panel interior doors, dishes and glasses, jewelry, new clothing, accessories and handmade crafts. Raffle items have been donated by local businesses, including the Fitness Factory, Meridian Body Therapies and Plum Island Knitters, all of Newburyport; Bob Lobster of Newbury, and Papa Gino's and Leo's Super Bowl of Amesbury.
Launched in 2004, the Katydid Foundation supports housing options for adults with neurological disorders. To learn more, call 978-465-2335 or visit www.katydidfoundation.org
Red Cross lifeguard, water safety training courses
The YWCA Greater Newburyport is offering an American Red Cross lifeguard training/waterfront certification course and a water safety training course for instructors in its new pool at 13 Market St. in Newburyport.
The lifeguard training takes place July 26 through Aug. 3. Participants must be at least 15 years old. Prerequisite testing is required. Those who complete the program will receive lifeguard training, waterfront and first aid certification, valid for three years, and CPR/AED for the professional rescuer certification, valid for one year. The cost is $300 for members, $350 for nonmembers.
The Water Safety course takes place Saturdays, Aug. 16 and 23, and Sundays, Aug. 17 and 24, all from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $325 for members, $375 for nonmembers.
Call the YWCA at 978-465-9922 to register or visit www.ywcanewburyport.org.
Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley recognized
Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley has been awarded a 2008 National Association of Area Agencies on Aging Achievement Award in the home/community-based care category for its compulsive hoarding project, which helps identify and treat compulsive hoarding in older adults.
Elder Services has been working in partnership with Boston University School of Social Work to provide assessment and intervention to high-risk elders. As part of the program, more than 100 professionals and caregivers in February attended a seminar titled "Personal Space, Community Risk" focusing on a community approach to compulsive hoarding.
The agency will receive a certificate at the n4a Annual Conference this month in Nashville. It will also be featured in a publication, "n4a Aging Innovation and Achievement Awards," highlighting all the award recipients.
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If you have an item for Health Beat, contact Sonya Vartabedian at 978-462-6666 or svartabedian@newburyportnews.com.
