May benefits

Events include horses, trucks, gardens, races.

CORPORATE LUNCHEON Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County

1 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. — The Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County’s 13th annual “Corporate Luncheon” will be at the Embassy Suites in Rogers. Featured speaker will be Kyle Peterson, executive director of the Walton Family Foundation. Tickets are $50. Information: (479) 2548550 or spsfbc.org.

SEEDS OF HOPE GARDEN PARTY Healing Gardens of NWA

4 6 to 11 p.m. — The “Seeds of Hope Garden Party” to benefit Healing Gardens of Northwest Arkansas will be at the Barn at the Springs in Springdale. The evening will include dinner, dancing, auctions, cocktails, lawn games and live performances by Lazy Daisy and Backroad Anthem. Tickets are $75. Information: (479) 366-6944 or healinggardensofnwa.org.

HEATHER RIDLEY FLEEMAN BATTLE FOR HOPE Hope Cancer Resources Foundation

5 7:30 a.m. — The Heather Ridley Fleeman “Battle for Hope” 10Kand 5-K runs and 5K-walk will be at Old Tiger Stadium in Bentonville. Registration is $30 for adults and $20 for children 12 and younger, and $35 and $25 on race day. Information: (479) 361-5847, hopecancerresources.org or heathersraceforhope.com.

GREAT STRIDES WALK Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

5 9 a.m. — The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will mark 30 years of the “Great Strides” benefit walk at J.B. Hunt Park in Springdale. The walk begins at 10 a.m. Activities for the family include food, music, entertainment and a 1-mile walk. Information: (501) 3710233, fightcf.cff.org or arkansas@cff.org.

TOUCH A TRUCK Junior League of Northwest Arkansas

5 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — The annual “Touch A Truck” fundraiser for the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas will be at Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers. Children will be able to explore construction equipment, motorcycles and tractors. There will be costumed characters, mascots, building projects, fingernail painters and food trucks. Tickets are $5 each or $20 per family, with a maximum of five people per family. Information: TAT@ juniorleaguenwa.org.

MINI DERBY Equestrian Bridges

5 3 to 7 p.m. — Equestrian Bridges in Fayetteville will host the sixth annual “Mini Derby” at Parkerman Stables in Fayetteville. The benefit will include live mini-horse racing, food trucks, live music from Back Road Anthem, pony rides, drinks and big hat and bow-tie contests. Kentucky Derby attire recommended. Tickets for the family friendly event are $35. Children 12 and younger get in free. Information: (479) 301-2814 or equestrianbridges.org.

A NITE AT THE RACES Arkansas Children’s Northwest Circle of Friends

5 4 p.m. — The Northwest Arkansas Circle of Friends will host the ninth annual “A Nite at the Races” at the UARK Bowl in Fayetteville. The benefit for Arkansas Children’s Northwest will include watching the Kentucky Derby, beer, wine and food. Dress for the event is derby attire or casual. Tickets are $50 or $450 for a table for 10. Information: (479) 725-0405 or sullivanEM@ archildrens.org.

HOPE GALA: RUN FOR THE ROSES Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

5 4 p.m. — The annual Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation “Hope Gala: Run for the Roses” will be at Horton Farms in Bentonville. Honorary event chairmen are Sally and Al Dominguez. The benefit will include mint juleps, live and silent auctions, , Kentucky Derby viewing, hat and bow-tie contests and dinner. Guests are encouraged to wear

derby-inspired attire. Tickets are $200 or $250 with VIP after party. Information: (479) 442-9190 or lsivewright@jdrf.org.

HYDRATION CELEBRATION

Kendrick Fincher Hydration for Life

127:30 to 11:30

a.m. — The 20th annual Kendrick Fincher 5K, Toddler Trot and Youth Run will be at the Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers. The Youth Run is $10 for students in kindergarten through eighth grades and serves as an educational event to promote proper hydration and prevention of heat-related illness. Information: (479) 986-9960 or kendrickfincher.org.

FAYETTEVILLE FOAM FEST Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Appleseeds and Ranger’s Pantry

125 to 9 p.m. — The Fayetteville Foam Fest will be held

on the downtown square in Fayetteville. The evening will feature gourmet food paired with craft beer, live music and a silent auction. Tickets $40 for general admission, $80 for VIP admission and $20 for designated drivers. Information: fayettevillefoamfest. com.

HEART BALL: “A NIGHT UNDER THE STARS” American Heart Association

125:30 to 10 p.m. — The American Heart Association of Northwest Arkansas “Heart Ball: A Night Under the Stars” will be at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. The evening will include dinner, auction, live music by The Soulsations and presentation of Sweethearts. Attire for the event is black-tie. Tickets are $300. Information: (479) 439-6800 or nwaheartball.heart.org.

GREENING

OF THE GARDEN Botanical Garden of the Ozarks

186 p.m. — The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville will host the

23rd annual “Greening of the Garden.” The benefit will feature dinner, premium wine and a silent auction. Honorary hosts for the event are Lynn and Joel Carver. Tickets are $125 or $1,200 for a table for 10. Information: (479) 750-2620 or bgozarks.org.

PAWS & CLAWS COLOR ME FUN RUN AND DOG WALK

Paws and Claws Pet Shelter

1911 a.m. to 2 p.m. — The Paws and Claws Pet Shelter’s “Color Me Fun” run and dog walk, a noncompetitive paint race, will be held at Mitchusson City Park in Huntsville. Runners will be showered with nontoxic, colored powder at various stations along the 1-mile course. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with a dog walk at 10 a.m. and the fun run at 11 a.m. Registration is $20 for adults by Monday, $25 after that date, and $15 for kids ages 6-12. Admission is free for children 5 and younger. Family discounts are available. Information: (479) 738-1505 or thepetshelter.org.

SPRING FLING LUAU Open Avenues

196 to 11 p.m. — The annual Open Avenues “Spring Fling Luau” will be held at the Embassy Suites in Rogers. The fundraiser will include music, dancing, dinner and live and silent auctions. Tickets for

the tropical attire event are $125. Information: (479) 636-5082 or ksampson@openavenues.org.

SHARING SPIRITS, A COCKTAIL COMPETITION The Peel Compton Foundation

245 to 8 p.m. — “Sharing Spirits, a Cocktail Competition,”

benefiting The Peel Compton Foundation, will be held at The Peel Mansion and Heritage Gardens in Bentonville. Tickets are $40. Information: (479) 254-3870 or peelcompton.org/gardensontap.

COURTESY PHOTO Area children participate in the 2017 Kendrick Fincher “Hydration for Life” Youth Run. This year’s event is set for May 12 at Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK Dilan Cawthor shucks popping corn with his grandmother Frances Jones during the activity part of last fall’s Little Sprouts program at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville. “Greening of the Garden” on May 18 at the botanical garden will...

NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo Mary O’Connor works on an assembly line in October at Open Avenues in Rogers. The organization, currently serves 110 clients, partners with 22 businesses and provides job and life skills training to people with disabilities. The nonprofit organization...