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 another five years. Baron will continue to create commemorative rings for the newest members of the Hall of Fame class through 2029.
One element of the renewed partnership is the Hall of Fame’s support of Baron’s “Leave Nobody Behind” program. This initiative was developed to help players, coaches or entire organizations who do not have the financial resources to fully participate or celebrate their sport. The program aims to ease 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, Financial Education Sponsor of the high school showcase through 2026. Morgan Stanley GSE will continue to develop and deliver tailored financial education programs, tools and resources to some of the nation’s best prep basketball student-athletes as they lead in-person programming for each year’s Springfield attendees on select days throughout the event.
Morgan Stanley GSE returns as the Financial Education Sponsor of the Hoophall Classic for the third year in a row. Additionally, the leading financial services firm will once again honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the Basketball Hall of Fame, paying tribute to his life and legacy in all five games of the nationally televised (ESPN) Hoophall Classic on Monday, January 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 CFO SVP Kandy Tranghese recently met with Lesenia Fields and Fred Rose of Springfield-based Wellspring Community Harvest. The bank made a $2,500 donation to support Wellspring Community Harvest’s Go Fresh Mobile Market.
Wellspring Harvest is Springfield’s first commercial hydroponic greenhouse, located at 121 Pinevale St. in the Indian Orchard neighborhood. The quarter-acre greenhouse was established in April 2018 and began 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 living sites, low-income housing complexes, health care centers and community organizations throughout Springfield. The mobile market allows customers to purchase fresh produce using the benefits of the Massachusetts State Healthy Incentive Program, which can only be used at farmers markets.
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Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion and Museum in Lenox has received a $15,300 grant from the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, through the Organizations Operating Grants Program.
Operating Grants for Organizations will provide multi-year, unrestricted operating grants to nonprofit organizations that enrich the cultural life of Massachusetts. T
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Yankee Home has announced the winner of its $15,000 giveaway. Each year he hosts a home makeover giveaway that is open to all homeowners within Yankee Home’s service area. After receiving over 12,000 entries, she chose a 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 close to homelessness. 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 and sustainable settings. The homes at Christina’s House are designed to provide 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 customer wallets, account logins or passwords.
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Canna Provisions, an employee-owned cannabis distributor in western Massachusetts, announces that its exclusive cannabis line, Smash Hits Cannabis, has achieved double honors at the 2024 Leafly Budtenders’ Choice Awards for Massachusetts.
Chem D, a strain grown by Smash Hits, was named by budtenders in Massachusetts as Strain of the Year, while Smash Hits was crowned. Cannabis Flower of the Year brand, further cementing its reputation as a leader in premium, small-batch craft cannabis in the Northeast.
Previously, Chem D was selected as the top strain in the 2023 Budtenders’ Choice Awards for Massachusetts as well, making this the latest back-to-back win 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 Home, Holyoke Veterans Home, WestMass ElderCare and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children — attended a closing party where 302 gifts were distributed.
Each year during the annual campaign, Giving Trees are erected in designated areas around campus. Participants choose tags from one of the nonprofit agencies based on the age of the recipient and their desire for a gift. The wrapped gifts are then piled on tables for the closing party, when HCC faculty, staff and students join representatives from the agencies to share food and stories.
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Holyoke Community College will run day and evening editions of its free, line-cooking training program at the HCC MGM Institute of Culinary Arts beginning Jan. 21 and Jan. 27.
The five-week daytime program begins on Tuesday, January 21. Classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am to 1pm and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am to 3pm.
The 10-week evening program runs from January 27 to 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 improve 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 mathematics and measurement; moist and dry heat cooking methods; as well as soft skills in the workplace, such as building a CV and searching for jobs.
Offered as part of HCC’s business and workforce development division, the online cooking 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 the Pioneer Valley (UWPV) is proud to announce its launch The Youth Leadership in Action Programme, a 10-week transformative initiative designed for students aged 14-16. Beginning January 21, this program offers a unique opportunity for youth to earn valuable community service hours by exploring careers in the nonprofit sector and engaging in meaningful discussions about community needs.
Through a partnership with the Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) and their YouthWorks program, the Youth Pathway Program will welcome a group 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: Practical volunteering; Career Exploration; Community Service Hours; and Family Engagement.
The program schedule is designed to be both impactful and accommodating. Sessions are held weekly from 3 to 5 p.m., with a break in February to accommodate the public school winter break. 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.
