Salem-News.com Events articles Page 23

Festival of Lights Parade and Tree Lighting Kick Off Salem Oregon Holiday Season

Two Holiday Season events bond together for the first time with the Comcast and City of Salem Holiday tree lighting at River Front Park and the PGE/Salem Festival of Lights Parade.

(Salem) - The yearly event started at Riverfront Park where a crowd of people came together under the gazebo and listened to the music from the South Salem High School Jazz Ensemble.

Others milled around outside the gazebo and drank hot chocolate and ate cookies provided by Roth’s Vista Market. Members of the South Salem Rotary Club hosted the refreshment booth.

Keizer, Dallas Fire Departments Hosting Annual Breakfast With Santa This Weekend

KIDS! Santa is scheduled to make an appearance at each of the events.

(KEIZER) - The Keizer Volunteer Firefighters Association will hold its annual Breakfast with Santa on Sunday, at the Keizer Fire Station, 661 Chemawa Rd. NE in Keizer.

Hours of the breakfast are 7:00 AM to 11:30 AM.

The Dallas Volunteer Fire Department's annual "Breakfast with Santa" will be held on Saturday, at the fire station, 915 SE Shelton St.

Pancakes, sausage, eggs, coffee and juice will be served from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

Festival of Lights Parade Kicks Off Salem Traditions

The Festival of Lights spirit will begin with the Tree Lighting in River Front Park and then the excitement continues for the Festival of Lights Parade.

(SALEM) - Saturday’s Festival of Lights Parade, the largest lighted parade west of the Mississippi, has been enjoyed in Salem since 1989. The once-a-year experience of beautiful twinkling lights, creative floats, and many parade personalities is a tradition for Salem area families. In 1998 Portland General Electric became the title sponsor for the parade and each year the parade seems to be getting bigger and better.

The annual event will begin by the lighting of the Christmas tree at River Front Park at 5 PM this Saturday, December 9th, followed by the parade, which starts at 6:30 PM.

Empty Bowls Fundraiser Hopes to Help Hungry in Salem

So far this year, 4.4 millions pounds of food has been distributed to hungry families through a network of 70 member charities.

(SALEM) - Bowls come in all shapes, sizes and colors -- especially at “Empty Bowls,” the fifth annual fundraiser for Marion-Polk Food Share, hosted by the State Street Merchants in downtown Salem.

On Salem’s First Wednesday, December 6th, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at US Bank, Ladd & Bush Branch, 302 State Street, nearly 300 handmade bowls will be ready to sell.

With each purchase, a free simple meal of soup and bread will be served by Wild Pear Restaurant and Cascade Banking Company.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in Oregon Honors 65th Anniversary of the Attack

In conjunction with a national day of remembrance, Governor Ted Kulongoski has signed a proclamation that designates December 7th as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in Oregon

(SALEM) - This year marks the 65th anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the military forces of Japan–an action that prompted the United States to declare war on the Japanese and enter World War II.

Jim Willis, the Director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, said the lesson of Pearl Harbor is as important today as it was 65 years ago.

“We must never forget the courage and determination of the American people to ultimately triumph following such a tragedy. On that ‘date which will live in infamy’, all who died or were injured put country before self,” Willis said.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Commemorates World AIDS Day Dec 1st

The gathering in New York was one of a host of events taking place around the world to mark World AIDS Day 2006.

(NEW YORK, NY) - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was joined by UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot and leaders of different faiths to commemorate World AIDS Day at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York.

The Secretary-General delivered a poignant message calling AIDS ‘the greatest challenge of our generation’.

It`s a Wonderful Cul-de-Sac to be Presented at Salem Alliance Church`s an Evening in December

Performed and professionally presented by a cast and crew of more than 200 volunteers, Evening in December is perhaps the largest Christmas music event in Oregon outside of Portland.

(SALEM) - Shouldn’t life take a vacation at Christmas? Why can’t the complexities go away or be less painful during the holidays?

The production of “It’s a Wonderful Cul-de-Sac”will bring this story to life during an Evening in December--Salem Alliance Church’s annual holiday recipe for Christmas inspiration, Nov. 30th, and Dec. 1st-3rd.

“It’s a Wonderful Cul-de-Sac” is a heart-warming story set in a beautiful cul-de-sac--Christmas Court--where five families are all struggling with finding the holiday spirit in the midst of their messy holiday lives.

Salem, Keizer Fall Leaf Hauls Set For Saturday

Food or cash donations will be taken at the Salem sites for the Marion-Polk Food Share.

(SALEM) - The Cities of Salem and Keizer will be offering their annual fall leaf haul program on Saturday.

This years fall leaf haul, will take place from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM in both cities.

No brush, branches or limbs will be accepted.

The program is designed for Salem and Keizer residents only (no commercial landscapers, please).

Cash donations also will be taken to support the Parks Tradition Fund.

The garbage haulers are donating equipment and operators.

Police in Linn And Benton Counties to Participate in Two Shop With Events

Each child has a $25.00 shopping limit and works their way around the store with a police officer to find gifts for family and friends.

(ALBANY ) - For the 12th year, Corvallis and Albany-area police officers will shop together with local disadvantaged and foster children for Christmas gifts as part of a local program called "Shop With a Cop".

Last year, 153 children shopped with state, county, and city police officers in the two very successful events while purchasing videos, clothing, toys and other special gifts.

The event is sponsored mainly through donations from police officer associations, private individuals, and K-Mart, Target, and Wal-Mart.

Starting Local, Thinking Global: Willamette Students Host AIDS Summit

AIDS continues to take an enormous toll worldwide, killing 8,200 people every day.

(SALEM) - Two representatives from Willamette University’s chapter of the Student Global AIDS Campaign quickly discovered a problem last spring when they attended the organization’s national conference in Washington, D.C.: They didn’t meet any college students there from the West Coast.

They were alarmed by the lack of involvement from their region, and though the Willamette group had just formed, the members’ commitment to social justice made them realize that being the only Pacific Northwest university chapter was something they needed to change.

To build momentum among Pacific Northwest high schools, colleges and universities, the students are hosting a regional summit Friday from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at Willamette in honor of World AIDS Day.