The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield has announced the extension of its partnership with Baron Championship Rings as the exclusive ring provider for the Basketball Hall of Fame for an additional five years. Baron will continue to craft commemorative rings for the newest Hall of Fame Class members through 2029.
An element of the renewed partnership is the Hall of Fame’s support of Baron’s “Leave No One Behind Program.” This initiative was developed to help players, coaches, or entire organizations who lack the financial resources to fully participate in or celebrate their sport. The program seeks to alleviate burdens such as league fees, uniforms, or even championship rings.
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The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Learfield have announced that Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment has returned as the Army National Guard Hoophall Classic, presented by Spalding, high school showcase’s Financial Education Sponsor through 2026. Morgan Stanley GSE will continue to develop and present tailored financial education programs, tools, and resources for some of the nation’s top prep basketball student-athletes while leading in-person programming for each year’s participants in Springfield, on select days throughout the event.
Morgan Stanley GSE returns as the Hoophall Classic’s Financial Education Sponsor for the third consecutive year. Additionally, the leading financial services firm will again honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the Basketball Hall of Fame, paying tribute to his life and legacy across all five nationally televised (ESPN) Hoophall Classic games on Monday, Jan. 20. This year will mark the 23rd year of the Hoophall Classic.
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Monson Savings Bank President and CEO Dan Moriarty and SVP CFO Kandy Tranghese recently met with Lesenia Fields and Fred Rose from Springfield-based Wellspring Community Harvest. The bank made a $2,500 donation supporting Wellspring Community Harvest’s Go Fresh Mobile Market.
Wellspring Harvest is the first commercial hydroponic greenhouse in Springfield, located at 121 Pinevale St. in the Indian Orchard neighborhood. The quarter-acre greenhouse was established in April 2018 and started selling lettuce in August 2018. Wellspring Harvest is bringing locally grown produce to area hospitals, schools, businesses, and residents. The greenhouse employs seven residents and is organized as a for-profit, worker-owned cooperative business.
The Go Fresh Mobile Market delivers fresh produce grown at Wellspring Community Harvest and other local locations to senior housing sites, low-income housing complexes, healthcare centers, and community organizations across Springfield. The mobile market enables customers to purchase fresh produce using their Massachusetts state Healthy Incentive Program benefits which can only be used at farmers markets.
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Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum in Lenox has received a grant of $15,300 from the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, through its Operating Grants for Organizations Program.
Operating Grants for Organizations will provide multi-year, unrestricted operating grants to nonprofit organizations that enrich Massachusetts’ cultural life. T
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Yankee Home has announced the winner of its $15,000 giveaway. Every year it hosts a Home Makeover Giveaway that is open to all homeowners within Yankee Home’s service area. After receiving over 12,000 entries, it selected one deserving winner to surprise. On Dec. 2, the Prize Patrol surprised the winner, Jessica Cherival of Springfield, outside her workplace, Christina’s House, at 387 Union St., Springfield.
Christina’s House is a ministry with a mission to educate, embrace, and encourage women and children who are homeless or near homeless. Its vision is to provide mothers and their children with the life skills needed to become self-sufficient as they transition from homelessness to permanent, stable environments. The homes at Christina’s House are designed to offer both educational programming and transitional housing for these families.
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Florence Bank has changed the name of its financial services division from Florence Savings Bank Financial Group to Florence Financial Group.
As part of the rebranding effort, a new website and logo have been created for the division, and team members’ email addresses have changed. No changes will be made to customers’ portfolios, account logins or passwords.
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Canna Provisions, an employee-owned cannabis dispensary in Western Massachusetts, announces that its exclusive cannabis line, Smash Hits Cannabis, has achieved dual honors in the recently announced 2024 Leafly Budtenders’ Choice Awards for Massachusetts.
Chem D, a strain cultivated by Smash Hits, was named by Massachusetts budtenders to be Strain of the Year, while Smash Hits was crowned Cannabis Flower Brand of the Year, further cementing its reputation as the leader in premium, small-batch craft cannabis in the Northeast.
Previously, Chem D was chosen as the top strain in the 2023 Budtenders’ Choice Awards for Massachusetts as well, making this the latest in back-to-back wins for Canna Provisions and Smash Hits.
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For the 23rd year, Holyoke Community College collected hundreds of holiday gifts for consumers at four nonprofit agencies through its annual Giving Tree campaign.
On Dec. 12, representatives from the four agencies –— Homework House, the Holyoke Veterans Home, WestMass ElderCare and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children — attended a closing celebration where 302 gifts were distributed.
Each year during the annual campaign, Giving Trees are set up in designated areas around campus. Participants choose tags from one of the nonprofit agencies based on the age of the recipient and their wish for a gift. The wrapped gifts are then piled on tables for the closing celebration, when HCC faculty, staff, and students join with representatives from the agencies to share food and stories.
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Holyoke Community College will be running daytime and evening editions of its free, line-cook training program at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute, beginning Jan. 21 and Jan. 27.
The five-week daytime program starts Tuesday, Jan. 21. Classes meet Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The 10-week, evening program runs Jan. 27 through April 9 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 5 to 9 p.m.
The program is designed for those already in the restaurant industry who want to upgrade their skills as well as unemployed or underemployed individuals interested in starting new careers.
All classes meet in person at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute at 164 Race St.
Participants will learn all the essential competencies they need to become successful line cooks: knife skills; how to prepare stocks, soups, sauces, desserts, poultry, fish and meat; culinary math and measurements; moist and dry heat cooking methods; as well as workplace soft skills, such as building a resume and searching for jobs.
Offered as part of HCC’s Business & Workforce Development division, the line cook course is free to qualifying applicants.
For more information, or to fill out an inquiry form, go to hcc.edu/line-cook.
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The United Way of Pioneer Valley (UWPV) is proud to announce the launch of its Youth Leadership in Action Program, a transformative 10-week initiative designed for students aged 14-16. Beginning on Jan. 21, this program offers a unique opportunity for young people to gain valuable community service hours while exploring careers in the nonprofit sector and engaging in meaningful discussions about community needs.
Through a partnership with Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) and their YouthWorks program, the Youth Pathway Program will welcome a cohort of 5-10 students. The program will take place at UWPV’s Springfield Food Pantry, where participants will engage in both direct service activities and educational sessions.
Program Highlights: Hands-On Volunteerism; Career Exploration; Community Service Hours; and Family Engagement.
The program’s schedule is designed to be both impactful and accommodating. Sessions run weekly from 3 to 5 p.m., with a break in Feb. to align with public school winter vacations. A dedicated UWPV staff member will be on-site throughout the program, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all participants.
For more information about the Youth Leadership in Action Program or to learn how to support this initiative, please visit www.uwpv.org or contact UWPV directly.
