The Community Calendar includes listing of events in and around the region that might be of interest to local residents. To have information included in this weekly calendar of events, email mjackson@oakdaleleader.com.
Sponsored by the City of Oakdale and Valley Art Association, the 2020 Carriage Art Show will be hosted Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 29 and March 1, with a reception and awards presentation on March 1 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gene Bianchi Community Center, 110 S. Second Ave., Oakdale. The free show will be open to the public on Saturday, Feb. 29 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Community residents are invited to attend a free non-denominational Family Discovery Day, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 29. Hours for the event are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it will be offered at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 1111 E. A St., Oakdale, hosted by the Oakdale Wards. There will be a family history fair that will provide free information and tools for discovering your own family history and genealogy. Those attending can bring their own laptops or mobile device to help with the family history search. Mini workshops will presented, there will be free child care and activities provided for the kids, food trucks, some free giveaways during the day and more.
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Donors are urged to make an appointment to give blood now using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Blood remains in short supply and donors of whole blood and platelets are needed. Locally, donors can schedule visits at Red Cross Donation Centers in Modesto, 1900 W. Orangeburg Ave.; in Stockton, 2888 W. March Lane; and in Sonora, 850 Sanguinetti Lane.
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All are invited to the weekly meetings of TOPS, Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 1034 that gathers each Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the United Methodist Church, 1480 Poplar Ave., Oakdale. The group features help with weight loss in a supportive setting. Residents of Oakdale, Riverbank, Escalon and beyond are welcome to attend. Call Audrey Oliver at 209-765-7838 for information. You can also visit www.tops.org.
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Learn a new craft and enjoy sharing it with others, as Gerri and Debbie’s Stampin’ Up! Card Classes will be meeting several times during March and April. For location and more details, call Debbie at (209) 247-9989. In March, there will be a Stamp Camp with available dates of Friday, March 20 at 9 a.m. or 6:30 p.m.; or Saturday, March 21 at 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. Looking ahead to April, five classes are scheduled. They include Tuesday, April 14 and Thursday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 15 and Friday, April 17 at 9 a.m.; Saturday, April 18 at 10 a.m.
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Golden Agers weekly dances are open to those 50 and older from throughout the Central Valley and are hosted at the Riverbank Community Center, 3600 Santa Fe St., Riverbank. First time guests are admitted free. The annual membership fee is $12 and each Wednesday members pay $5 and non-members can enjoy a few hours of music and dancing for $6. The Golden Agers meet from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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The local REO Speechtrain Toastmasters Club gathers for regular meetings every Wednesday morning, 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., at Perko’s Cafe, Patterson and Oakdale roads, Riverbank. This is a fun way to learn the self-confidence and skills needed for public speaking. All are invited to come and check out the group. The next meeting will be March 4. For more information, call (209) 869-8200.
