Monson Savings Bank donated $2,000 to The Graceful Swan through its 2025 Community Giving Initiative.
The Graceful Swan, a Ware based nonprofit, was founded in 2022 in memory of Tara Blodgett, who passed away at the age of 38 from glioblastoma. In honor of herlove for dance, the mission of The Graceful Swan is to support dance for individuals with personal, medical or financial hardships. To learn more about The Graceful Swan, visithttps://www.facebook.com/gracefulswaninc/.
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Locally based dog rescue group KodiakCare received a grant from The Grey Muzzle Organization to help save older dogs in need of life-saving veterinary care.
KodiakCare is among 119 animal welfare groups chosen from 440 applicants to receive a grant to help senior dogs. The winning groups received $1.57 million in grants this year to help save or improve the lives of at-risk elderly dogs in their communities.
Over the past 17 years, The Grey Muzzle Organization has given more than $7.2 million in grants to animal welfare organizations across the country.
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Local fiber internet provider Gateway Fiber awarded a check for $3,000 and a visit from a GoBerry frozen yogurt truck to Bridge Street Elementary, 2 Parsons St., Northampton, as part of its school giveaway program.
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Board members and staff of the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England (ICCWNE), West Springfield City officials and the leadership of the Balise Auto Group gathered at 429 Morgan Road for a ribbon cutting for the newly named Balise Field at the ICCWNE.
The Balise Auto Group recently made a 5-year commitment to support the ICCWNE’s $2 million Capstone Capital Campaign. Funds from the campaign are being used to complete the Community Performance Center, which will house concerts, events and private functions. The center will provide a home for local, regional, national and international performance groups, making it a full-scale regional base for Irish heritage and culture as well as a center for cross-cultural collaboration.
The Balise Auto Group’s donation also includes the naming of the playing field. Members of Balise Auto Group attending the ribbon cutting ceremony were Jeb Balise, president and CEO, Alex Balise, drector of marketing, and Ben Sullivan, COO.
Balise Field is used as the home field for the Springfield Rifles men’s and women’s rugby teams, as well as one of the playing fields for the West Springfield Youth Soccer Club. The location has become a hub for community sports, as well as introducing spectators to rugby.
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The Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield announces the launch of the Up Next Summit, a leadership event, on Thursday, Oct. 16, at MGM Springfield.
The event will feature workshops and keynote speakers.
Keynote presentations will be made by from Jill Monson, founder of POP!more Confidence Coaching, and Michelle Wirth, founder of Feel Good, Shop Local.
For information, go to https://www.springfieldyps.com/.
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The Roche Associates Inc. in Wilbraham was recently named Top Senior Living Marketing Agency for 2025 by Elder Care Review. The firm was evaluated by a panel of C-level executives, industry thought leaders, and Elder Care Review’s editorial board. Elder Care Review is a monthly magazine, focused on the senior housing and senior care industries.
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Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity announces the MGM Foundation has donated $10,000 as a 2026 Program Partner and MGM Springfield gave an additional $5,000. These funds support Habitat’s mission to provide safe, affordable housing in Hampden County.
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The Holyoke Tourism Advisory Committee, under the office of Planning and Economic Development, has available funds designated by the Mass Gaming Mitigation Funds to support events related to tourism in the city. These efforts are intended to bolster the Explore Holyoke initiative.
This second round of Event Grants will be for events between Oct. 24 a d Feb. 28, 2026.
Applications for these grants are open now and available on the Explore Holyoke website and the TAC page on the city of Holyoke’s website at https://www.exploreholyoke.com/ or https://www.holyoke.org/departments/tourism-advisory-committee/
Requests for up to $2,000 will be available on a rolling basis. TAC meets once a month and will consider applications submitted prior to their meetings. Grants will be approved until the available funding is expended.
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