Penny drive

Penny drive

YOUNGSTOWN

Easter Seals 23rd Annual Drive for Dough “2 Million Penny Drive” with Penny the Pig continues until Aug. 27. The goal is to raise 2 million pennies. Penny the Pig is visiting local organizations and events in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties to raise funds for Easter Seals and Youngstown Hearing & Speech Center programs and services for children and adults with disabilities and special needs.

At the locations, pennies are collected and tickets sold for Penny’s Pocket Change raffle for a chance to win a $1,000 first prize and three secondary prizes of $100 each. Tickets are $1 for each ticket or six tickets for $5.

Also on Aug. 27, a beer- tasting event is from 4 to 6 p.m. at Vintage Estate Wine & Beer, 7317 South Ave., Boardman. Tickets are $20. Call 330-599-5522. Further, a Driving for Hearing golf outing is Sept. 14 at Mill Creek Golf Course. Visit www.mtc.easterseals.com for more information.

Buddy Walk

CLEVELAND

The 2011 Northeast Ohio Buddy Walk is Saturday at Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians. The Buddy Walk is a wheel-friendly one-mile walk around the ballpark in support of people with Down syndrome. The walk is followed by food, activities and a Down syndrome awareness event.

Registration is $15 per person. Official event T-shirts are available to those who register at the event while supplies last. Participants are encouraged to seek donations from family, friends and coworkers. Registration opens at 9 a.m., opening ceremonies are at 9:40 a.m., and the walk begins at 10 a.m. Post-event activities are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Gateway Plaza. For more information or to donate online, visit www.usod.org.

CarFit screenings

Shepherd of the Valley is offering CarFit screenings in September to help seniors discover how well they and their vehicles fit each other.

Older drivers are more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash because their bodies are more fragile. A 20-minute CarFit 12-point safety check ensures that everything is properly adjusted and improve safety, SOV officials said.

The dates for the CarFit screenings, all from 9 a.m. to noon, are: Sept. 7, SOV-Poland, 301 W. Western Reserve Road, Poland; Sept. 14, SOV Home Health, 5525 Silica Road, Austintown; and Sept. 21, SOV-Howland, 4100 North River Road NE.

Reservations are required; call 330-530-4038, ext. 2057. For more information, visit the Community Events page on the SOV website, www.shepherdofthevalley.com.

The CarFit series is sponsored by Shepherd of the Valley, The Chevy All Stars, and The Senior News.

Centers merging

AKRON

Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio (PPNEO) is merging its Ravenna Health Center with its nearby Kent Health Center as part of a long-term strategic plan to improve operational structure and cost efficiency.

Monday is the last day of operations at the Ravenna location, said Tara Broderick, PPNEO president and chief executive officer.

The Kent location is open four days per week, including two Saturdays each month. PPNEO has 14 health centers in 21 counties in northeast Ohio.