Highland Around Town — Dec. 29 edition
Noon Wednesday, Dec. 29, is the deadline to appear in next week’s “Around Town” listing. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Due to the number of submissions, events may run only one time in print, will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.
Email: lifestyle@bnd.com. Mail to: Highland News Leader Around Town, Belleville News-Democrat, P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.
Thursday, Dec. 30
▪ Red Cross Blood Drive — 1-7 p.m. Moose Lodge 1561, 7371 Marine Road (Illinois 143), Edwardsville. Appointments are recommended but not required. To make an appointment for the upcoming blood drive visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.
▪ Be.Be: What Are You Doing the Night Before New Year’s Eve? — 7:30 p.m. Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle Ave., St. Louis. Tickets start at $15. bluestrawberrystl.com
Friday, Dec. 31
▪ New Year’s Eve Celebration — 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. Music Director Stéphane Denève and your SLSO ring in 2022 at the New Year’s Eve Celebration with a matinee concert. Enjoy musical favorites like George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris,” dazzling pianist Michelle Cann, and many more delightful surprises—like the world premiere of Missouri composer Stefan Freund’s “Voyageur Fantasy” with Roger Kaza, SLSO Principal Horn. Bring family and friends together for this musical celebration, and start 2022 with meaningful musical memories. slso.org
Saturday, Jan. 1
▪ Annie Sauerburger: Brick by Brick — 7:30 p.m. Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle Ave., St. Louis. Tickets start at $15. bluestrawberrystl.com
Sunday, Jan. 2
▪ Disney and Pixar ‘Up’ in Concert — 2 p.m. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. Retired balloon salesman Carl prepares to fly away with thousands of balloons to a world of his childhood dreams, and is joined by an eager 8-year-old Russell. The duo finds themselves on a journey filled with danger, excitement, and friendship. Enjoy the film live with the SLSO performing the score of the Disney Pixar favorite. Let this experience float you away. slso.org
Tuesday, Jan. 4
▪ ImpactLife Blood Drive — Noon to 5 p.m. Anderson Hospital, 6800 State Route 162, Maryville. Appointments are required. 866-448-3253 or bloodcenterimpact.org.
▪ Parents of Addicted Loved Ones — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. The PAL group provides education, support and hope to family members and loved ones of someone who has an addiction of substance use disorder. If you would like to join the teleconference, please call/text 618-567-6095 or email craigloddeke@yahoo.com. palgroup.org
Christmas Tree Recycling
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Carlyle Lake will be collecting used, real Christmas trees for the annual Christmas Tree Recycling Project. The Corps of Engineers, along with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, uses these trees to provide effective and economical fish habitat at Carlyle Lake.
Christmas trees can be donated through Jan. 30, 2022, at the following locations: Plant Land (located on Old Route 50 east of Breese), Dam East Highwater Boat Ramp, and the Little Prairie Nature Trail parking lot located in the West Spillway at Carlyle Lake. All decorations, including garland and tinsel, must be removed. No artificial trees or wreaths.
Every spring, volunteers from various conservation minded organizations and clubs donate their time to help submerge the trees in the lake as fish shelters. These fish shelters provide breeding areas, resting places, and protection. They give young fish much needed living spaces where they can feed on plankton and avoid being preyed upon by larger fish. The protection provided by the trees allow young fish to grow to maturity and ultimately provide more fish for anglers.
If interested in volunteering to help place Christmas trees in the lake in the spring, contact the Carlyle Lake/Kaskaskia Navigation Project Office at 618-594-2484 or email at carlylelake@usace.army.mil.
St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland Welcomes Certified Athletic Trainer
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland recently welcomed Adam Beck, certified athletic trainer and performance enhancement specialist, to their Athletes Advantage sports medicine program.
Beck has been a certified athletic trainer since 2018. He received his bachelor’s of exercise science from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and his master’s degree in athletic training from St. Louis University.
His role as an athletic trainer is to provide immediate health care to athletes.
“As an athletic trainer I am able to prevent, evaluate, assess, diagnose and treat injuries,” said Beck. “Athletic trainers handle immediate emergent situations as well as manage health care administration and professional responsibilities to provide the most up-to-date care.”
The Athletes Advantage program at St. Joseph’s Hospital provides athletic training services to athletes at the Highland High School free of charge. Beck’s focus will be spending time at the high school to be present at practices and games. He will provide care as needed for those who participate in football, volleyball, men and women’s soccer, men and women’s basketball, wrestling, cross-country, track, softball, baseball and men and women’s tennis.
“One of my favorite and most rewarding things about my role is watching an athlete who has been going through the rehabilitation process with me successfully return to their sport after an injury,” added Beck.
For more information about HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland, visit the hospital’s website at stjosephshighland.org.