Give your sweetheart a song for Valentine’s Day

A unique virtual Singing Valentine is available this year from the Silk City Chorus, which will deliver, worldwide, at no charge.

Senders can surprise her or him by sending a personalized email Valentine greeting along with two love songs sung in magnificent 4-part harmony, Feb. 14. The award-winning Silk City Chorus and MOSAIC, a chorus of mixed voices, are delivering “Singing Valentines.” Each email will include a personal greeting to be enjoyed while listening to two love songs.

Valentines this year are free of charge; donations are welcome. To arrange your Singing Valentine, visit silkcitychorus.org.

Red Cross plans virual party

The American Red Cross of Connecticut and Rhode Island will host the virtual party of the year: Mission: Possible 2021 – The Home Edition, March 4 from 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Mission: Possible 2021 is an interactive, and family-friendly virtual experience that supporters can enjoy from the comfort of their home. Supporters will learn hands-on skills that could save a life, hear lifesaving stories from local heroes and engage with the Red Cross mission in a captivating digital setting. Tickets include a party pack for two people with your choice of food, beverages, and other treats.

“We are excited to celebrate the Red Cross Mission as a digital experience,” said Mario Bruno, CEO, American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “A virtual format provides us a great opportunity to engage our audience in new ways, and for supporters to gain additional insight into the mission of the Red Cross – all from the safety of their home.”

Mission: Possible 2021 will have a series of interactive “missions” for guests to complete, along with an opportunity to meet with volunteers, sponsors, and donors to learn about the impact of the Red Cross in our community. This event will also feature a silent auction, with proceeds benefiting the Red Cross.

In addition to engaging in fun and interactive “missions”, Mission Possible: 2021 will honor Pitney Bowes as the 2021 Community Impact Award Recipient in recognition of their consistent and generous support of national disaster relief efforts, their dedication to the sponsorship of blood collections, and their decades of support of the Red Cross mission.

Tickets and more information are available at www.redcross.org/MissionPossible.

Middlesex Chamber, Pratt & Whitney donate gift cards

MIDDLETOWN — The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce announced that Pratt & Whitney has purchased over 1,400 Middletown Downtown Business District Gift Cards for employees of the Middletown production and assembly facility. The company purchased the cards during the 2020 holiday season.

Pratt & Whitney not only wanted to do something nice for its employees who work so hard in Middletown, but the company wanted to simultaneously make a local economic impact and support the small business community in the city, according to the chamber.

Middletown Downtown Business District Chairwoman Marie Kalita said, “Pratt & Whitney has always been a great supporter of Middletown. At this time during COVID, it is exceptional that Pratt is stepping forward and recognizes that our downtown businesses need help and support. The gift of over 1,400 Downtown Business District gift cards is like receiving the vaccine, it’s the shot in the arm that these businesses need. The DBD is extremely grateful to Pratt and Whitney for their continued community support!”

The Downtown Middletown Gift Card is accepted at more than 90 downtown Middletown establishments. For more information on chamber events and activities, please visit www.middlesexchamber.com

Students say thanks for gift drive support

GUILFORD — The Guilford Youth & Family Services Youth Board, comprised of students from Adams and GHS, held their Teen Gift Drive different than usual this past holiday season.

The Teen Gift Drive is an annual event that collects gifts before the holidays for families with Teens in Need, a population identified by the group as overlooked.

To ensure everyone’s safety, the gift drive developed into a gift card drive this year, and because we were unable to hold an inperson drive, the group reached out to local organizations for donations.

Between generous donations from community members, a collaboration with Guilford High School, organizing a giving tree, and businesses like Guilford Texaco that went above and beyond to ensure all needs were met this year, the Gift Card Drive raised $2,200, according to the students.

A grant was also awarded by The Guilford Foundation, to help offset the fact that we could not hold our typical in-person drive, bringing our grand total $3,200. The youth board thanked everyone for supporting them in helping those in need this holiday season.

Memory screenings now available

Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging is offering free virtual memory screenings that can be scheduled at a person’s convenience. Confidential memory screenings average 20 minutes and consist of five questions to assess memory. These screenings are not a diagnosis but can indicate if someone should follow up with a full medical exam.

Memory screenings can be the first step to diagnosis for anyone concerned about memory loss or experiencing warning signs of dementia; whose family and friends have noticed changes in them; who believe they are at risk due to a family history of dementia; or who want to see how their memory is now and for future comparisons. Early detection of memory loss can help physicians more effectively treat cognitive impairment and possibly slow down changes in the brain.

For more information or to schedule a virtual memory screening, call Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, 877-424-4641.