NETWORKING

Ignite, a program of Thames River Innovation Place, will host its first Thirsty Thursday Innovators Networking event for 2018 on Thursday, Feb. 15. The featured speaker will be Carrie Collins White from Connecticut Innovations. The event is open to all innovators, entrepreneurs and business owners and will take place from 4:30– 6:30 p.m. at CURE Innovation Commons, 93 Shennecossett Road, Groton. This event is free. For more information and to register visit www.bit. ly/021518CTInno.

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT will host its next Business After Hours networking event on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at UP Fitness, 12 Coogan Blvd., Mystic. Guests may arrive early at 5 p.m. for “Mastering Networking,” a free mini-workshop led by a Chamber Ambassador that will show how to make the most of attending a Business After Hours event. Admission is $15 for Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT members, $25 for non-members. Advance registration is recommended to avoid an additional $5 fee for unregistered walk-ins at www. ChamberECT.com/events or (860) 701-9113.

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT invites you to an outing to a New England Black Wolves lacrosse game on Friday, Feb. 9, 5:30-9 p.m. at Mohegan Sun's Arena. Tickets are $15 per person, available by visiting www.ChamberECT. com/events or calling (860) 701-9113. This program is presented as part of the Chamber's Community Concierge initiative, supported by CTNext and Atlantic Broadband.

Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce will host a special Business Before Hours networking event, at Mystic Independent Theater, 107 Wilcox Road, Stonington, from 8-9 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 14. SCORE of Southeastern CT will present “Helping Small Businesses Start, Grow and Thrive.” Co-sponsored with Bridget Morrissey Real Estate Powered by eXp Realty, the event is free and open to the public. Coffee and refreshments provided by Mystic Depot Roasters. For more info visit www.mysticchamber.org/ events or call (860) 572-9578. of Connecticut, and Habitat for Humanity.

Dominion Energy has awarded $2,500 to The Jonnycake Center of Westerly for its Emergency Food Assistance programs. For more information, visit www.Jonnycake.org.

Five health services organizations in Eastern Connecticut were recently awarded a total of $10,500 in grants from the Jewett City Savings Bank Foundation. Two of the grants were made to Norwich nonprofits. United Community & Family Services received $5,000 to support its capital campaign for the Griswold Health Center. The Center for Hospice Care Southeast CT received a $500 grant in annual support and a second $500 award to support the Special Care Fund providing assistance for emergent family needs, special therapies and services for patients, and bereavement counseling. For more information, visit www. jcsbank.com.