CLOTHING BANK

The Light of the World Clothing Bank will be open on Friday, Feb. 6, from 2:30 to 5 p.m., at St. John’s United Church of Christ, 145 W. Linn St., Bellefonte. For questions or additional information, call the church office at 814-355-9072. For weather cancellation updates, check the church website at www.bellefonteucc.com.

BENEFIT FOR MIKE

A benefit is planned for Mike Neff at The Golden Axe on Feb. 21.

Mike has been off work since June due to liver failure and he finally was able to receive a liver transplant operation at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., just before Thanksgiving in November. Mike must travel to the follow-up appointments from the surgery every 10 days in Baltimore, a more than four hour drive.

Please join us in helping to ease the financial burden for Mike and his family by attending or donating to the event.

On Feb. 21, there will be a Scottish Doubles Pool tourney with registration at 11 a.m. The tournament starts at noon and the cost is $30 per team.

Other activities during the day will include a 50/50 drawing, Cornhole and Dart competitions, Axe throwing, a basket raffle and food and drinks. All proceeds from the event will go directly to Mike to help with his daily living expenses and travel costs.

Here’s how you can help! Donations are needed, whether they be baskets and prizes for the raffle, food and drink donations or gas cards and money to help Mike during his frequent trips to Baltimore and with medications.

I’ll have more on this benefit as it gets closer. Your support would mean the world to Mike and his wife, Lori.

To donate food or raffle baskets, please contact Lori at 570-502-1827 or Josie at 570-660-0988.

SHOE DRIVE

Marsh Creek Brethren in Christ Church will be collecting shoes again this year for the Gospel Tide’s “Your Soles for Their Souls” collection campaign. The Shoe Drive is underway and will continue until March 1.

Last year the Tide received 7,500 pairs of shoes. The goal this year is to collect 10,000 pairs. We’re hoping that other churches, businesses or individuals will search their closets and shoe racks and donate to the campaign.

Our church coordinator is Bonnie Young, who is willing to pick up shoes locally or arrange for convenient pick-up in the community, ranging from Bellefonte to Lock Haven and all the little towns in between. We have congregation members living in Bellefonte, Julian, Milesburg, Blanchard, Howard, Lamar and Lock Haven who would be able to help with collection efforts as well. Folks can call Bonnie at 570-962-2665 for pick-up or to schedule drop offs at her home in Beech Creek.

All sizes of shoes, sneakers, boots and sandals need to be new or only gently worn. Shoe strings need to be included, and it’s best to tie the pair together using the shoe strings so they don’t get separated in shipment.

This is the fifth year the Marsh Creek BIC Church has collected shoes to support Gospel Tide, and thanks to the community support we’ve exceeded our goal each year.

UPCOMING EVENTS

— American Red Cross Blood Drive at the Howard fire hall on Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 12:30-6 p.m. All blood types are needed to replenish the blood bank supplies. This blood drive is sponsored by the Howard Area Lions Club and the Howard Fire Company.

— Howard VFW’s Auxiliary will host a Breakfast Buffet at the club on Sunday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. until noon. The cost is $12 for adults.

— Centre Ballroom will sponsor a dance on Sunday, Feb. 8, from 2-5 p.m., at Lambert Hall in Bellefonte. Cost is $10/person and we ask that you bring a snack to share. Call Rod at 717-543-8348 for more info.

— Howard United Methodist Church will have a soup sale and luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the church fellowship hall. A sit-down meal that includes soup, salad, a roll, piece of pie and beverage is $10. Quarts of soup for take-out are $9 each and can be pre-ordered by calling Patti at 814-625-2182.

— Susquehanna Valley Big Twins Motorcycle Club will have a Breakfast Benefit at the Clubhouse on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 7-11 a.m. An all you can eat hardy breakfast will cost just $10 for those 13 years and older. Meals for children ages 6-12 are just $6 each. Younger kiddos eat free. The clubhouse is located at 84 Harley Drive, Lock Haven, in the Woolrich area.

SVBTMC uses the monthly breakfasts to generate funds that are then donated to those in our community who are in need.

SCOUTING FUNDRAISER

Pleasant Gap Scout Troop 66 is holding a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser on Saturday, March 7, from 6-8 p.m., at the Pleasant Gap American Legion, 435 S. Main St., Pleasant Gap, Pa. The meal will consist of spaghetti with meatballs, tossed salad, garlic toast, and dessert for $10. Both sit-down meals and take-outs are available.

Funds from this dinner will be used by Troop 66 during their Scouting trip this summer to Philmont Ranch in New Mexico. Your donation will help to cover the cost of the Scout’s travel expenses and gear needed for this fabulous adventure.

For more info on Troop 66 or the spaghetti dinner please call 814-404-5432.

MARDI GRAS

Susquehanna Valley Big Twins Motorcycle Club will have a Mardi Gras Party at the club house on Saturday, Feb. 7, beginning at 7 p.m. The cover charge is $15 per person or $25 per couple and includes food, beverages and entertainment from 8 p.m. to midnight.

The SVBTMC is located at 84 Harley Drive (in the Woolrich area) of Lock Haven.

Meat raffle tickets are being sold with the winner drawn during the Mardi Gras Party. The five winners will receive gift cards in various prize amounts that can be redeemed at Stoltzfus Butcher Shop at 1784 East End Mountain Road in Mill Hall. The raffle proceeds will help the club to provide funds for children and families in the community who are in need.

BINGO PROJECT

Centre Hall Fire Company will have their First Friday of the month Bingo on Feb. 6 at the fire station. Doors and the kitchen open at 5:30 p.m. The early bird games begin at 6:30 p.m. and regular Bingo starts at 7 p.m.

Bingo players are encouraged to support the Jared Box Project by bringing items to pack into a Jared Box for a child who is hospitalized. If you bring three items from the suggested toy list of items to fill a shoe box then you’ll receive a free Early Bird Packet.

The Jared Box Project is designed to provide special boxes filled with toys and activities to entertain and put a smile on the face of a child while they are hospitalized. All items must be new. No food items. No tiny items due to choking hazards. No snow globes or glass items that can break. No pencil sharpeners. No bubbles. No holiday items. Keep in mind, toys need to fit into a plastic shoe box.

Some of the items to consider donating are crayons and coloring books, colored pencils, Play-Doh, stickers, Matchbox cars, dolls, card games (like Go Fish, Old Maids or Uno), puzzles, books, stuffed animals, Lego kits, craft kits and travel games (like Connect 4, Checkers or Trouble).

LIONS NEWS

Milesburg Lions Club holds a weekly Bingo every Thursday night at the Milesburg Community Center. Doors open at 5 p.m. and Bingo starts at 6:45 p.m.

Howard Area Lions will have their food distribution on Feb. 2 and Feb. 16 at the food bank headquarters at the former Beech Creek Elementary. Food distribution is from noon to 3 p.m., but come as early as you can so that the Lions don’t have to be out in the cold any longer than necessary. Bring a sturdy box with you since the large boxes are used each month during food bank distributions.

Howard Area Lions dinner meeting will be held on Feb. 3 at the Friendship Community Center in Beech Creek. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. The Lions have invited Mark “The Shark” Schlesinger to attend the dinner meeting to tell more about his annual Toy Drive that provided the Lions with many wonderful toys needed at Christmas time for those who utilize the Lions Food Bank.

Howard Area Lions Bingo will be held on Feb. 12 and Feb. 26 at the Beech Creek Fire social hall. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and Bingo starts at 6:30 p.m.

Mark your calendar for the Howard Area Lions Sweetheart Dinner that will be held on Saturday, Feb. 14. This is a free meal for local residents who are 60+ years of age that live in the Howard Area Lions servicing area. Sweetheart Raffle tickets are on sale now and will also be sold at the dinner. Contact Lion George Mochan at 814-482-0507 if you can sell some tickets before the dinner. Proceeds from the raffle are what pays the rent at the food bank headquarters in Beech Creek.

The Lions Club will have their straw whisk brooms for sale at the Sweetheart Dinner. I believe they are $14 each. The proceeds from broom sales benefit the blind.

Most local Lions clubs collect used eye glasses for distributing in underprivileged countries. Funeral directors will also collect eye glasses that are given to Lions clubs for this purpose. You can also bring your used eye glasses to your voting places and those folks will make every effort to get the eye glasses into the hands of a local Lion.

FIRE NEWS

Howard Fire Company is having their annual Sausage Sale on Feb. 14. In conjunction with Hilltop Farms on Jacksonville Road, the sausage will be offered in several different flavors and is sold by the three pound bag. In addition to sausage, scrapple will be sold by the pan and ground beef in a three pound bag is also available.

Call Hilltop Farms at 814-625-0170 or contact any fire company member to place your orders before Feb. 9. Pick-up of orders will be on Feb. 14 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

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Howard Happenings is written and compiled by Tammy Coakley who can be reached by email at tammysue0115@gmail.com or by telephone at 814-625-2684.