- Now through Thursday, Aug. 23, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee are accepting donations of school supplies to help members prepare for the coming school year. Supplies are being collected at the Boys & Girls Clubs Mardak Administration & Training Center, 1558 N. 6th Street in Milwaukee. Drop-off hours include: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For a list of supplies needed, visit www.boysgirlsclubs.org. [hyperlink] Neroli Salon & Spa is contributing to the drive by offering a 15 percent discount on product purchases to patrons who bring their donations to a Neroli Salon & Spa or The Aveda Institute of Beauty and Wellness by Monday, Aug. 20. For more information, visit its community events blog at www.nerolispa.com or www.institutebw.com/theblog.
- Now through Thursday, Aug. 23, a non-perishable food drive is supporting the Salvation Army Food Pantry-Oak Creek. Participants can drop their donations off at the Oak Creek Community Center, 8580 S. Howell Avenue in Oak Creek. Drop-off hours include: Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to noon; or Wednesday, Aug. 22, at Oak Creek’s Summer Concert Series. Email questions to the South Suburban Young Professionals at SoSubYP@gmail.com.
- Friday, Aug. 17, the BloodCenter of Wisconsin and Milwaukee Irish Fest are holding a blood drive at the former Old Navy store in the Shops at Grand Avenue, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will benefit 6-year-old Jake Larkin, who was diagnosed with severe Aplastic Anemia last February. The rare condition, in which bone marrow does not produce enough blood cells, can only be cured with a bone marrow transplant. With the Larkin family’s Irish lineage, medical professionals believe they can find a compatible donor for Jake in the Irish community. The family is currently searching for a bone marrow match. A marrow registration will be held Saturday, Aug. 18, at Irish Fest at Henry Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Dr., Milwaukee. The marrow registration event will run from 12 noon to 4 p.m. in the cultural tent. For more information about marrow donor registration or to schedule your blood donation appointment, call BloodCenter of Wisconsin at (877) Be-A-HERO. All who donate or attempt to donate blood will receive a complimentary ticket to Irish Fest.
- Saturday, Aug. 18, a dinner and fundraiser at the Milwaukee Yacht Club, 1700 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee, will benefit Make-A-Wish Wisconsin. The charity event, open to the public, starts at 5 p.m. and includes a dinner, silent auction, live auction, program and live entertainment. The dinner is part of a larger Yacht Blast for Kids day in which 30 Make-A-Wish kids and families will have the chance to tour the Milwaukee harbor with boat owners. The day will include other fundraisers like a sailing competition, a motorcycle ride and a car show. For more information about the fundraisers and dinner, visit www.yachtblastforkids.com.
- Tuesday, Aug. 21, the Guest House of Milwaukee will hold its 10th annual Guest House Open at the River Club of Mequon, 12400 N. Ville Du Parc Dr. in Mequon. Registration for the golf outing starts at 11 a.m. and lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. Golfers will hit the greens starting at 12:30 p.m. The event will also include a cocktail hour, dinner, and live and silent auctions to benefit the Guest House’s support programs for homeless residents of Milwaukee and celebrate the nonprofit’s 30-year anniversary. Registration fees start at $175 per golfer. For more information about the golf outing, fees and registration details, visit http://www.guesthouseofmilwaukee.org/.
- Thursday, Aug. 23, the Eisner Creative Foundation will host a meeting to update interested organizations and individuals on the ways it has used its funds to inspire Wisconsin’s future generations of creative professionals. Attendees will also learn how their organizations can gain funding from the foundation to inspire the next generation with their own programming. The meeting will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Building, 309 N. Water Street in Milwaukee.
- Saturday, Aug. 25, Walk & Run for Wishes will wind its way along Milwaukee’s lakefront. The 5K or 1-mile walk, run and wheelchair race will support Make-A-Wish Wisconsin. The walk and run race starts at the north end of the Henry Maier Festival Grounds at 10 a.m. with the wheelchair race kicking off at 9:55 a.m. Day of registration starts at 8:30 a.m. The event will also feature entertainment like face painting and a live band, and racers wearing their Walk & Run t-shirt will receive complimentary admission into Mexican Fiesta from noon to 3 p.m. To register online or find more information, visit www.walkforwishes.com.
