Health and Welfare Council to meet

The Blair County Health and Welfare Council will meet at 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 28, at the Blair Drug and Alcohol Partnerships, 3001 Fairway Drive, Conference Room G, and also via a Zoom meeting.

Dee Martin-Spallone, student support coordinator and instructor, will speak on the services offered by the AASD Adult Education Program in Blair County that provides free classes to learners desiring to achieve their high school equivalency diploma (GED) and for those planning to refresh skills in math and reading for college entry or career training/ trade.

For more information and the Zoom link, visit the website for Blair County Health and Welfare Council.

Fundraiser to benefit local man

The Coach Geno Foundation Inc., a local 501(c)(3) organization, along with a group of local volunteers, is holding a 200 Club fundraiser to help Rodney “Rod” Patterson, who is battling Stage 4 prostate cancer. The event will be held Saturday, April 5, at the Bavarian Aid Society.

Patterson had been an independent contractor in the Altoona area for decades and was a coach/trainer at the Altoona Boxing Club.

The fundraiser, “Help Rod Knock Out His Cancer,” will include a 200 Club drawing, with doors opening at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., drawing starting at 6:30 p.m. and a DJ to follow. Tickets for the 200 Club are $100, which includes admission, entry into the drawing and dinner for two people. During the event, a huge basket, large item raffle and bake sale will also be held.

For donations, ticket requests, or to arrange for pickup of raffle items, contact Brad Himes at 814-207-4161. Donations can also be mailed to: Coach Geno Foundation Inc., c/o Brad Himes, 221 E. Willow Ave., Altoona, PA 16601.

Maple festival returns this weekend

The Maple Harvest Festival is returning to Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center this weekend.

The 41st edition of the event will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, March 22-23.

The annual event is a well-loved community tradition featuring maple sugaring demonstrations, live music, pancakes with maple syrup, wildlife programs and more. More than 1,725 visitors attended last year’s 40th anniversary celebration, joining 165 volunteers, 20 students and 45 staff members to eat 6,900 pancakes and 3,100 sausages over the course of the event.

Visitors can learn how maple syrup is made, from tapping the trees to boiling the sap. Local musicians and entertainers will provide live music, and there will also be an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast.