Compiled by Debra Scherban. Please send items to dscherban@gazettenet.com

YMCA plans ‘Healthy Kids Day’

Hampshire Regional YMCA on Prospect Street, Northamtpon invites kids to “charge into summer” at its annual Healthy Kids Day® event April 29. The idea is to inspire children to keep active during the vacation months.

The free event, which runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., will feature a DJ dance party, free dental exams, activities with the Eric Carle Museum, Forbes Library, Emily Williston Library and the Northampton Fire Department, as well as face painting, arts and crafts and more.

A Splash and Dash race will also be held.

In conjunction with the event, the Y offers these tips for families:

Make sure kids get at least five servings of fruit and vegetables each day. To keep taste buds evolving, have everyone in the family try at least one bite of a new fruit or vegetable at least once a month.

Read to and with your kids at every age.

Team up as a family for community or charity events like races, walks, fun runs, bike rides, etc.

Find a cause that matters to the kids and volunteer for it together.

Make sleep a priority. Doctors recommend 10 to 12 hours of sleep a day for children ages 5 to 12, and seven to eight hours per night for adults. Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining a healthy immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, learning and other vital functions.

For more information about Healthy Kids Day or to register for the Splash and Dash, contact the Hampshire Regional YMCA at 584-7086, stop by or visit www.hrymca.org.

Blingo Bingo for
Hydrocephalus
Foundation

Blingo Bingo, a fundraiser to benefit the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation, will be held Sunday, from 1 to 3 p.m., at the American Legion Post 224, 190 Pleasant Street, Easthampton.

It is being hosted by Denise Sacharczyk and Mary Ann Hanlon, both local independent consultants for Paparazzi Accessories.

Admission is $15.

The mission of the Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation is to support medical research for this brain condition, educate the community and provide support to the families and children who are diagnosed with hydrocephalus.

For additional information about the fundraiser contact Sacharczyk at 246-9725 or denisesach@comcast.net.

Hand therapist treating patients in South Deerfield

Certified hand therapist Gail Hegeman has joined the South Deerfield Rehab Clinic.

She provides therapy for injuries and conditions of the hands and upper extremities, including fingers, wrists and elbows. A musician herself, Hegeman specializes in treating injured musicians.

Hegeman, who is certified in ergonomics, has been an occupational therapist at Cooley Dickinson Hospital for 17 years.

The public is invited to an open house to meet her and physical therapists Terry McKeown and Alicia Robinson, and occupational therapist Rebecca Dejnak April 29, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, at the newly expanded rehabilitation clinic, 21 B. Elm St., South Deerfield. Visitors can get their balance, stamina, strength and coordination tested. There will be free screenings for ACL injuries and warm paraffin treatments for achy hands.

Blood donation opportunities

Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., U.S. Veterans Adminstration Medical Center, 421 North Main St., Leeds

Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., University of Massachusetts Student Union, 41 Campus Center Way, Amherst

Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Southampton Town Hall, 210 College Highway, Southampton

April 24, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust St., Northampton

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