Cache Toffee Collection Announces Limited Edition “Boo!” to Cancer Box

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cache Toffee Collection is releasing a limited edition “Boo!” to Cancer box. The box is filled with one pound of Cache Toffee’s seasonal favorite, Boo, a dark and creamy milk chocolate toffee with a sweetness that compliments salty pretzel, peanut, and popcorn pieces.

This October only, Cache Toffee will donate a portion of the proceeds to cancer research for every special edition box sold. They chose to donate to Salt Lake City’s own Huntsman Cancer Foundation because of their legacy and phenomenal work.

“I have many friends that have battled breast cancer, and I just want to do this to honor them for their courage and bravery,” said CEO and Founder Lori Darr. “Huntsman Cancer Institute is a highly respected local hospital, and so  when you think of breast cancer care and treatment, you think of Huntsman.”

If you haven’t tried their delectable Boo toffee, now is the perfect time to enjoy a delicious sweet and salty treat — and contribute to vital cancer research while you’re doing it. Cache Toffee is excited to get their customers in the festive holiday spirit and to make an impact on a great cause. To find out more about Huntsman Cancer Institute, visit their website.

About Cache Toffee


Cache Toffee Collection is committed to creating small-batch handcrafted toffees in unique flavor combinations for year-round enjoyment. We use an array of excellent ingredients, like artisan bean to bar chocolate, and source locally whenever possible. Our toffee is made fresh and has no preservatives or high fructose corn syrup. Lori Darr, CEO and Founder, started her toffee journey in her Park City, Utah kitchen building on her mother’s beloved recipe by experimenting with flavor and texture combinations, many of them inspired by the seasons. She loves bringing you purely irresistible toffee-like you’ve never tasted before.

About Elle Marketing and Events

Elle Marketing and Events is a full-service boutique marketing, branding, and event company. Our team of experts tells the story behind your business through powerful copywriting, beautiful images, strong branding, creative design, social media, videography, photography, and strategic events

Children and families are given the opportunity to engage with the arts

The Community Arts and Music Programs (CAMP) is one of the many programs at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts that has helped transform arts engagement in Ocean County.

The Community Arts and Music Programs (CAMP)

The Community Arts and Music Programs (CAMP)

TOMS RIVER, N.J.Sept. 29, 2022PRLog — “The coolest thing just happened in this room… and everybody saw it,” said the Amazing Max Darwin. “If you [the audience] just saw a beautiful young lady floating in the air, please raise your hand [hands go up all around the theatre]. You were FLOATING [pointing to Catherine]. Look… everybody saw it. So now your name is not Catherine. You are Catherine the floating girl.”

With her eyes wide and mind bewildered, Catherine was in awe that she was part of something that could only be described as one thing – magical. It was a moment that she will remember forever.

Experiences like this happen regularly at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College.

The Amazing Max was a part of the 2022 Community Arts and Music Programs (CAMP) available at Grunin Center over the summer months.

CAMP was started in 2017 after David C. Wintrode, President of Causeway Family of Dealerships/Causeway CARes, had an idea to create a series of performances for the community that would focus on things that are really fun, but also educational.

“Many children never have the opportunity to see live shows,”http://www.prlog.org/” said Wintrode.

“These programs would give school-aged children and individuals with special needs the opportunity to engage with the arts.”

Heidi M. Sheridan, Interim Executive and Artistic Director for the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts, also notes that many places are eliminating music and arts from their programming. “We are stepping into make sure that children have these collective, shared experiences,” she said. “We really want children to feel like anything is possible.”

“This year, thanks to the generous support of the Wintrode Family Foundation and the Ocean County College Foundation, we hosted five artists for CAMP performances,” said Jaclyn Wood, Assitant Director, Education & Community Engagement at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts. “All the CAMP events were fully funded by these organizations and free for attendees.”

When it comes to selecting entertainers, it is a collaborative effort. “I will talk to different agents and artists and even see them perform,” said Wood. “I am looking for artists who are not just good at what they do, but they give these children an experience they will never forget.”

Once Wood has a list of vetted performers, Mr. Wintrode, alongside a committee, will select the talent.

This year’s programming included Jeff Boyer’s Big Bubble Bonanza, Doktor Kaboom’s Look Out- Science is Coming!, Twinkle Time, The Amazing Max and Christopher Agostino’s Storyfaces.

“The CAMP series has a lot of heart because it started in a very pure way,” said Wood. “The goal has always been to give kids the opportunity to be more involved with the arts.”

This summer, the CAMP series saw 2,880 attendees with both The Amazing Max and Storyfaces being filled to capacity.

Information about these shows was sent directly to camp leaders, as well as shared on the Grunin Center website and Facebook page and in the Grunin Center season brochure. In addition to camps and community groups, families and homeschool groups came to performances.

“We were pleased to welcome back groups who had attended these performances in the past, as well as some new groups,” Wood added.

Past participants who were in attendance this year included: Ocean County YMCA, YMCA Camp Zehnder, Point Pleasant Recreation, Little Egg Harbor’s Summer Splash, Lacey Schools Extended School Year (ESY) Program and Prime Time Center. New groups included: Red Bank YMCA, Freehold YMCA, Innovate Kids Club, My Jacob’s Ladder and Community Options.

Groups were extremely excited to be back, but perhaps the biggest challenge this year was getting them to the venue.

“Transportation was often an issue, with groups not having the funding to pay for a bus to bring them to the Grunin Center, but this year was especially challenging because of a bus driver shortage,” said Wood.

That’s when the Wintrode Family Foundation and the Ocean County College Foundation stepped in to help.

“Thanks to additional support from these organizations, we were able to bring 756 campers and camp leaders to the shows who wouldn’t have been able to attend otherwise by booking charter buses to transport them,” said Wood. “I am so thankful for the support of these two organizations because without them these programs would not be possible.”

Looking back, perhaps the best part of the CAMP series is watching kids come into the lobby and you can see that they are just so excited to be there, according to Wood. “Everyone feels a sense of wonder and that anything is possible,” she said. “You can come here and have an experience that you will remember for the rest of your life.”

To learn more about the CAMP series or to reserve your group for a future event, please email Jaclyn Wood at jwood@ocean.edu.

For the full list of event dates and tickets, visit grunincenter.org.

Colonial Courtyard at Bedford opens new Memory Care Unit

CC Bedford memory care unit ribbon cutting.

CC Bedford memory care unit ribbon cutting.

BEDFORD, Pa.Sept. 29, 2022PRLog — Seniors throughout Bedford County and the surrounding region will benefit from the addition of a new memory care unit at Colonial Courtyard at Bedford.

“We’re able to bring additional community members home once again because we’re able to provide care with the new addition,” said Alicia Winters, Memory Care Director at Colonial Courtyard at Bedford. “We’re bringing our people back home now that we can provide additional safe and secure care and more personalized care.”

The 4,035-square-foot, 16-bed memory care unit officially opened on Sept. 19, two weeks after a ceremonial ribbon cutting was held. The senior living community at 220 Donahue Manor Road in Bedford is operated by Pittsburgh-based IntegraCare, which has 17 senior living communities in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

Cathi Sweeney, the Executive Operations Officer (EOO) at Colonial Courtyard at Bedford, has nearly two decades of experience in senior living and 15 years assisting residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

“This is very unique for Bedford County,” Sweeney said. “Bedford County does not have a secured dementia personal care unit such as ours. It is so unique because of that fact and also because it is such a beautiful setting. It’s not what your typical facility would look like. The apartments and the rooms are absolutely gorgeous. We encourage the residents to personalize the rooms and to make the rooms their home. This is their home. We encourage them to make it their own.”

Sweeney believes seniors will benefit from the care available at Colonial Courtyard at Bedford.

“I’ve worked with those with dementia for more than 15 years,” Sweeney said. “I’ve instructed and taught people working in senior living how to care for those with dementia and the diseases of an aging population. With that and having a full-time mental health professional on board, I think we are offering Bedford County something they can get locally without having to go out of town. Plus, it is in a beautiful country setting, and we have an experienced staff.”

Winters, who joined the Colonial Courtyard at Bedford team in May, brings 16 years in healthcare and nine years in dementia care. The Memory Care Director has created a number of stations in the unit. Those stations are intended to mentally stimulate residents and make them feel at home, sparking nostalgic about the themes in those stations.

“We have a Reminiscing Station. We had an Elvis Presley theme for the opening,” Winters said. “We displayed old Elvis records and memorabilia from his most popular albums. We had different photos and a grandfather clock, which represented a moment in time.”

Another station will replicate a 1950s style grocery store.

“We will have grocery-style labels and containers that were donated to us,” Winters said. “We will have grocery bags that will fit on residents’ walkers. The labels will have prices from when they would have actually gone shopping in the 1950s.”

Colonial Courtyard at Bedford Community Relations Director Bobbi Howsare said the team combined creativity and practical care. The senior living community will be home to 70 residents, including 16 in the memory care unit.

“We also have different activities to cater to different life stories, such as a veteran-themed matching game that uses the pattern of ranks from the different branches of military service,” Howsare said. “We will have crochet and needlepoint activities.

The purpose of the various stations extends beyond the entertainment, fun and nostalgic value that is evident at a quick glance.

“We have a lot of sensory activities,” EOO Sweeney said. “We try to maintain much of the seniors’ memory. We will do a lot of recall and we want to preserve the cognitive functioning they have. We try to maintain their physical functioning. We have many forms of exercise, including yoga and meditation.

“We have interaction boards. We have an activities specialist,” Sweeney continued. “We have an antique record player. We encourage them regarding current events. We also want them to reminisce. We’re also obtaining some equipment that will allow us to go back to what their neighborhood looked like in 1950 or 1960.”

Other amenities — such as five small birds in the community and a patio where barbecue dishes may be served — add to the experience.

“I think this memory care unit is a very important addition,” Winters said. “We are trying to give back as much independence as possible, both physically and in memory. Everything the residents can do, we’re going to use to help them remain as independent as possible for as long as possible.”

Media Contact

Cathi Sweeney, Executive Operations Officer

***@integracare.com

814.624.0100

Parade of Homes® is coming to Magnolia Green

The event will be held on October 15th and 16th from 12pm to 4pm daily.

Parade of Homes is coming to Magnolia Green.

Parade of Homes is coming to Magnolia Green.

CHESTERFIELD, Va.Sept. 29, 2022PRLog — On the heels of an event-filled, action-packed summer, Magnolia Green in Chesterfield County is excited to announce that it will be the weekend sponsor for The Home Building Association of Richmond’s Parade of Homes® on October 15th and 16th from 12pm to 4pm daily. This event is free and open to all. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit Magnolia Green, see a variety of beautiful new model homes and its state-of-the-art amenities while participating in a curated adventure.

The event will feature a “Go International” theme, and each model home and amenity stop will represent a country. Participants will receive a passport that will be stamped at each stop. Those who visit all stops will get entered to win a $500 VISA gift card.

The parade will include live music by Damian Allen and Jocelyn Oldham, Jonathan the Juggler, trolley rides, face painting, food trucks and beverages for purchase courtesy of Tipsy Grape Mobile Bar. These festivities will take place at the Magnolia Green Aquatic Center.

The fun kicks off at the Aquatic Center where attendees will receive a passport and tour map. “This family-friendly event will also offer visual scavenger hunts in each home for children to participate in,” said Michelle Atkins, Marketing Manager of Magnolia Green.

The Parade of Homes will follow one of Magnolia Green’s most memorable summers yet.

The Magnolia Green Sea Dragons (Magnolia Green’s summer league swim team) finished its 2022 season undefeated. “The goal of the team is to provide a quality recreational swimming program for the residents of Magnolia Green,” said Beth Miller, Swim Team President. “The team strives to show great sportsmanship, enthusiasm, teamwork and the dedication to better themselves in the sport of swimming.”

Magnolia Green also hosted a variety of tennis and golf camps. “These camps were an exciting way for our youth to experience various sports during the summer months,” said Kelley Glen, Director of Tennis.

In July, Magnolia Green was excited to welcome Moseley Elementary School to the Chesterfield Community at its ribbon cutting ceremony. Home of the Mustangs, the school officially welcomed its first students (grades K-5) on August 22.

The Market at Magnolia Green has also been in full swing since May. The popular farmers market is open to the public and takes place every Saturday through October 22 from 9am to 1pm (rain or shine) at 17320 Hull Street Road. The market will close out the season by hosting its annual Young Entrepreneur Day on October 22 from 9am to 12pm.

“We love to support young entrepreneurs each year,” said Atkins. “We can’t wait to see the variety of handmade/homemade product offerings from all of the talented kids.”

Coming this fall, Magnolia Green will be offering new home opportunities several new neighborhoods. Those interested can click here (https://magnoliagreen.com/neighborhoods/) to view our single-family homes, custom homes, townhomes, age-targeted/low maintenance homes and apartment home opportunities.

Nestled on 2,000 acres in southwest Chesterfield County, Magnolia Green is located at 6700 Otterdale Road, Moseley, VA 23120. To learn more, visit MagnoliaGreen.com or call 804-302-4015.

The AsiaFlux 2022 conference offered new knowledge as well as the joy of communicating in person

The Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (TROPI) hosted 160 scientists with different areas of expertise from various parts of the world for the AsiaFlux 2022 conference.

KUCHING, MalaysiaSept. 29, 2022PRLog — Between 20 and 22 September, the attendees presented 58 oral and 58 poster presentations.

Twelve keynote speakers opened the conference, namely, Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Saleh, as well as Dr Ryusuke Hatano, emeritus professor of Hokkaido University; Dr Gavin McNicol, assistant professor at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago; Dr Ülo Mander, professor of physical geography and landscape ecology at the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia; Dr Paul Stoy, associate professor at the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin; and Dr Takashi Hirano, a professor from the Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Physics at the Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University.

In addition, the keynote speakers included Dr Maria Strack, professor at the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, and Tier II Canada Research Chair in ecosystems and climate, who is the editor of the IPS book Peatlands and Climate Change; Dr Fredolin Tangang, a professor in climatology at the Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia; Dr Joon Kim, professor and Future Earth Programme director at the Seoul National University Asia Centre (SNUAC); Dr Jin Wu, assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) School of Biological Sciences; Dr Ryuichi Hirata, senior researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies Earth System Division, Japan; and Dr Alexander Knohl, professor of bioclimatology at the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Germany.

“As President of the IPS, it was a good opportunity for me to see the excellent work that our long-term member of the Executive Board Dr Lulie Melling has done and is still carrying on in researching tropical peatlands in Malaysia. It is also clear that she is a very good conference organizer,” commented Marko Pomerants, who attended on behalf of the IPS.

Pomerants acknowledged the opportunity to contribute: “I must be grateful that I had the possibility to introduce the IPS’s more than long term of experience during my speech: International Peatland Society – Over 50 Years of Peatland-Related Knowledge Transfer and explain our willingness to improve our performance by hiring, for the first time, a scientific officer to serve the interested community.”

The COVID-19 period has left its mark on everyday international communication, so the AsiaFlux conference provided a great deal of extra value in meeting the IPS members from Asia. “Dr Suwardi Suwardi and Professor Budi Intra Setiawan from the Indonesian National Committee of the IPS demonstrated their interest to be more active in IPS commissions and expert groups again,” stated Marko Pomerants.

AsiaFlux was established in 1999 as the Asian arm of FLUXNET, the worldwide flux network, to develop collaborative research and data sets concerning the cycles of carbon and water in key ecosystems in Asia, to organize workshops and training on current and related global change themes, and to train the next generation of scientists to become informed leaders with varied skills and perspectives. The first AsiaFlux workshop was held in Sapporo, Japan, in 2000. Additional information can be found at www.asiaflux2022.com.

The International Peatland Society is the leading network of peat and peatland experts, with 1,758 members from 31 countries. For more information, visit http://www.peatlands.org.

Marko Pomerants

IPS President

marko.pomerants@peatlands.org