Lakeland High School’s Anointed Voices of Praise will be sponsoring a Youth Gospel Skate, from 8 p.m. until midnight today at the Smithfield Skating Rink. There will be food, music, entertainment, giveaways, and door prizes.

Lakeland’s Cav-Elite Steppers and Anointed Voices of Praise will be performing. The cost of tickets is $5 in advance and $6 at the door. For more information call 539-0345 or 934-2317.

Obici Alumni raising funds with barbecue dinner

Every year the Louise Obici Alumni Association puts on a fund raiser to generate money for the Louise Obici School of Nursing Scholarship which is awarded to one or more deserving students, who are pursuing a special certificate, diploma, degree, or post-graduate degree in the nursing field.

This year the membership has chosen to offer a Take-Out Barbecue Dinner. The dinner will consist of Carolina BBQ, baked beans, slaw, and a roll. The organization will also have a Bake Sale and Bazaar, featuring desserts and handmade items.

The fund raiser will take place Saturday, April 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the north entrance of the Suffolk Christian Church on North Main St., Suffolk.

The BBQ dinners will cost $6 each, or 2 for $10.00.

Tickets are now on sale from the following alumni:

Belinda Jeffreys (539-8409), Sandra Parker (539-5522), Mary Emily Dailey (539-1175), or MaryEllen Hammond (242-4611).

Suffolk’s Day of Wellness

Suffolk’s Day of Wellness will be held from 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 10 at Kings Fork Middle School Parks and Recreation’s multi purpose room. A complimentary chair massage and spa quality treatments for face and body will be provided. Participants can also learn relaxation and breathing exercises, figure analysis screening and more.

East Suffolk Federated League to meet

The East Suffolk Federated Civic League will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 4 at The STOP Organization office, located at 125 Tynes St.

Nansemond-Suffolk NAACP meeting

The Nansemond-Suffolk Branch NAACP will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 5 at the East Suffolk Community Center, 134 S. Sixth St. The executive committee will meet at 6 p.m.

East Suffolk Alumni Association

The East Suffolk Alumni Association will meet at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 2 at the East Suffolk Complex, which is located on Sixth Street. Call Jasper L. Mullen at 986-2322 for more information.

Patriotic magnets for sale

The Holland Ruritan Club will be selling patriotic magnets for vehicles at Farmer Frank’s Stuff in Holland Saturday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..

These magnets read &uot;Support Our Troops&uot; and have several different backgrounds.

They sell for $5 and are a fund raising project for the Club.

The funds raised through this venture will be put back into the community.

Benefit planned for cancer victim

Family and friends of Russell Parham are hosting a benefit in his honor at the Wakefield Sportsman Club in Wakefield on Saturday, April 16. Russell was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer on Jan. 7 and has been undergoing chemo and radiation therapy since Jan. 14 with mounting medical expenses. Festivities will begin with an auction at 3 p.m. A wide variety of items will be auctioned off including a custom grill, a fishing trip for four, quilts, furniture and much more. Come early to check out the items before the auction begins.

A Southern Rock band will perform at 7 p.m. Tickets for the event may be purchased in advance by calling 804-834-3504.

Tickets cover the day’s festivities and dinner. Additional food and drink will be sold throughout the event. There will be door prizes, raffles and a bake sale. The event will take place rain or shine. To help with the event or to donate items for the auction, call 804-834-3504.

Raising cancer awareness and money

Two local companies are joining forces to raise cancer awareness in Suffolk. From 5-9 p.m. on Monday, April 4, Chick Fil A and Remax Across Town will host an event at the restaurant to raise money for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. According to a Remax spokesman, during that time, 10 percent of all food sales that use a special card being distributed by Remax agents will be donated to Relay for Life in honor of a Remax associate who has been battling cancer.

Whaleyville Community Day

The Whaleyville Ruritan Club is sponsoring a Whaleyville Community Day on Saturday, May 7 with a parade starting at 9:30 a.m. on Whaleyville Boulevard. This year’s Community Day features arts and crafts, business expos, live entertainment, antiques and plenty of delicious food. Vendor spaces are now available at the Whaleyville Community Center. Call 986-2231 or 986-2282 for more details.

Homework assistance

Parents should enroll their children in the After School Homework Assistance/Tutorial Program at East Suffolk Community Center. The program is from 3:30 until 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday for students in Grades K-7.

Applications may be picked up from the center from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Contact the center at 934-8561.

Hearts and Hammer Dinner

Habitat for Humanity will be sponsoring a Hearts for Hammer dinner which will be held on Saturday, April 9, at King’s Fork Middle School. Tickets are on sale for $15 now. Cal 539-5780 for more information.

Senior aerobics offered

Senior aerobics is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11 a.m. at the Suffolk Senior Center, located at 350 N. Main St. Betty Cartwright instructs this class, which is free to seniors 55 and over. For more information call the Senior Center at 923-2372.

Championship Rodeo

The American Legion Post 40 will host the second annual American Legion Championship Rodeo at 8 p.m. April 22-23 on the American Legion Fairgrounds in Edenton, N.C.

For additional information call 252-482-4057.

Delta Kappa Gamma to award scholarship

The Alpha Theta Chapter, Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, is offering two $1,500 awards to two Suffolk high school seniors.

This award, known as the Gladys H. Yates Award, is given to honor the memory of Yates, a teacher who taught in the Suffolk Public School system for many years. Yates, a past president of Alpha Theta Chapter, made many contributions to education.

The applicant must be a senior from a high school within the city of Suffolk, accepted by an accredited college or community college, an honor graduate have a B average or 3.0 or above, planning to pursue a career in teaching and a resident of Suffolk.

For more information, contact Stephanie Potter at 925-5615 or the school’s guidance counselor.

Civil War Weekend chicken dinner

During the Civil War Weekend, the Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum will have a chicken dinner (take-out only) from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 9 in the parking lot adjacent to the Museum at 326 N. Main St. Dinner includes fried chicken, cole slaw, boiled potatoes, and hushpuppies. Advance tickets are $6 and are available at the Suffolk Seaboard Station and Railroad Museum or from any Train Station committee member. For more information, contact the museum at 923-4750 or e-mail at snhs@exis.net.

Laurel Garden Club to meet

The Laurel Garden Club will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 6 at 9036 River Crescent, Suffolk. The hostess will be Dot Payne and the program chairman is Judy Walsh. The speaker will be Detroy Griffin from the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation in Suffolk. The exhibits are: &uot;Singing in the Rain,&uot; using spring flowers and foliage creating a crescent arrangement, and open class. The judges will be Cindy Manno and Peggy Shaw.

&uot;Just Say No&uot; softball and t-ball league

The Suffolk Department of Parks and Recreation and the East Suffolk Federated Civic League are sponsoring a &uot;Just Say No&uot; Coed Youth Slow-Pitch Softball and T-Ball League. The registration deadline is April 9. The cost is $20 per participant. Registration will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and Saturday from 10 to 2 p.m. at Booker T. Washington. Proof of age and residence is required upon registration. The season will start on Saturday, May 7. Volunteer coaches are needed. For more information call 923-2366 or 923-2367.

Suffolk Rockin Relay

There is still time to get friends and family together and form a team to participate in the Suffolk Relay for Life. The relay will be held at the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, May 20-21. A new fundraiser is available this year. The popular Purple Bracelet will be given to each Team Captain when they register. For additional information, call the American Cancer office at 853-6638.

Suffolk Museum to host photography exhibit

The Suffolk Museum, 118 Bosley Ave., is hosting the 21st Annual Juried Photography Exhibit running through April 10. Museum hours are as follows: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information call 923-2371.

Sara Lee offering

computer classes

Sara Lee Coffee and Tea in Suffolk, is offering free Microsoft Office 2005 computer classes. Classes include MS Excel, MS Access, MS PowerPoint, and MS Word. The next class is scheduled for April 18.

For more information and class specifics, contact human resources immediately at 538-4179.

Relay for Life teams forming

Volunteers are needed to form teams for the American Cancer Society’s 2005 Isle of Wight Relay for Life. The fun-filled overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for research will be held on Friday, June 3 through Saturday, June 4 at Windsor High School.

For information, contact Pat Rice at 483-1748.