1. The Wakefield Concert Band announced yesterday that its Fourth Annual Benefit Concert, An Afternoon of Timeless Music, held Sunday, May 15th, in the South Kingstown High School auditorium, raised a record $10,500 toward the purchase of specialized equipment for South County Hospitalʼs Intensive Care Unit. The Band dedicated its performance to the memory of Donald Ford who was president of the hospital from 1958 to 1986.

“The hospital is just so grateful for the time and planning that made the concert such a success,” said Donna Neville, South County Hospitalʼs Vice President for Development. “We truly appreciate the Bandʼs making the decision to support the hospital through its music,” she said.

More than 500 concertgoers enjoyed the event which was hosted by NBC Channel 10ʼs Jim Taricani. At the performance Mr. Taricani publicly credited South County Hospital for saving his life after he was stricken with a heart attack more than 20 years ago. In just four years, the Wakefield Concert Band has raised some $25,000 for South County Hospital.

In addition to proceeds from ticket sales for this yearʼs concert, nearly 50 individuals and businesses donated raffle items including gift baskets, works of art, and a weekend getaway to Block Island. The Wakefield Concert Band, founded in the late 1890s, has been playing music throughout Rhode Island for more than a century. Band members come from all walks of life and have diverse musical backgrounds but play with one singular goal: to encourage community cultural enrichment and foster musical enjoyment. From holiday concerts to the summer concert series in Marina Park, the 75-piece Wakefield Concert Band has earned a solid reputation as a topnotch musical ensemble. Barry Lieberman, an accomplished Music Director and retired teacher from Bedford, NY, has been the Director of the Wakefield Concert Band since 2000.

2. “The current tick activity in your area is….” If you hear that phrase on your local television, you can thank the University of Rhode Island’s TickEncounter Resource Center for the warning as well as for the most up-to-date information on what you can do to keep yourself and your family safe against ticks.

In a release issued yesterday by URI, experts stated that late spring and early summer is peak tick season in much of the United States and the best time to pay special attention to taking precautions against tick bites to prevent disease.

To drive that message home, the Center is hosting its fifth annual Big Tick Gala at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Providence on June 10 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

The event will feature a silent auction, an informative tick-bite prevention “marketplace” and speaking program hosted by Channel 10 health reporter Barbara Morse-Silva, and a special appearance by comedian Joe Wong, a David Letterman favorite. Refreshments include a custom martini dubbed the tick-tini.

“The Big Tick Gala is an important event that helps raise awareness about ticks and Lyme disease and also gives us a chance to recognize individuals who are demonstrating their commitment to preventing tick-borne disease out in the community,” said URI entomologist Thomas Mather, director of the TickEncounter Resource Center and URI’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease. “But more than that, it’s a fun event to raise money and attract more people to the cause of preventing really serious diseases including Lyme disease, babesiosis and anaplasmosis.”

This year’s recipient of the Think Tick, Take Action Award is former U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy, who will be honored for his years of support in helping to secure over $1.3 million targeting tick-borne disease prevention. Past recipients have included U.S. Senator Jack Reed, Providence Journal reporter Peter Lord, former TickEncounter Resource Center scientist Nathan Miller, St. Mary Academy/Bay View student Lindsey Sanford, and Apple Pickers Foundation founder Michael Warburg.

Over the last four years, the Big Tick Gala has raised more than $200,000 to fight tick-bites and tick-borne diseases. Last year’s gala drew over 200 guests to the Botanical Center.

During the event, Mather will unveil the Center’s newest innovations, including a TickEncounter Index, an interactive website application that identifies the current risk of encountering different species of disease-transmitting ticks anywhere in the United States. Every two weeks year round, the index is updated with new information, and pictures of the different varieties of ticks most likely to be biting people and pets are highlighted for each region of the country. View the index here.

Recently, ABC television licensed URI’s TickEncounter Index for use in promoting pet protection products in over 70 media markets nationwide.

Tickets for the gala cost $25 and can be purchased by contacting Karen Frost at 401-874-2928 or frostee@uri.edu.

3. World's Biggest "Human Pizza" Debuts in Rhode Island

The public is invited to be part of history and help create the world's first, and therefore the world's biggest, Human Pizza! The event will take place at the 5th annual Hunger Awareness Day in South Kingstown, RI from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Marina Park (rain date is June 16).

New to this year's event, attendees are being asked to come dressed in 'pizza colors' of red (for sauce), white (for cheese) and brown (for crust) and they'll be arranged for an aerial photo to document the World's Biggest Human Pizza.

The aerial photo of the Human Pizza will be provided by Don Bousquet and Son Aerial Photography. Don Bousquet has been capturing Rhode Island foibles for decades in his now famous cartoons in books, magazines and newspapers. Now, he and his son Nate are capturing "bird's eye views" of Southern New England for individuals, businesses and events with a fleet of radio-controlled aircraft of their own design.

 Steve Maciel, a member of the Hunger Task Force had this to say about the event: "We'll be building the World's Biggest Human Pizza a slice at a time with a series of events. As we gain momentum, we'll ultimately build an entire pizza and issue a challenge to other organizations to beat our record. It's a fun, high profile way to bring awareness to the solutions of hunger in our communities."

Over a dozen local pizzerias will be providing free pizza (while it last) at the Hunger Awareness Day and live music, provided by members of the "1 of 52" Hunger Network - a national grassroots organization - will entertain the crowd.

The Westmoreland Street Jammers will close the show with their signature big sound including three lead guitarists and a full compliment of vocalists. These veteran musicians have been rocking South County at community events, private parties and nightclubs since joining forces in 2006.

A food drive kicks off the week preceding the event with a collection by businesses along Main Street in Wakefield organized by Wakefield’s Downtown Merchants Association.  Look for posters and boxes in local venues.  In addition, on the day of the event, attendees are asked to bring donations of non-perishable food. For more information on the work of the Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale, visit www.jonnycakecenter.org.

4. The Newport Yachting Center’s 30th Annual Knorr^® Great Chowder Cook-Off, scheduled for Saturday, June 4, 2011 from noon – 6:00 p.m., is preparing to celebrate its 30^th anniversary in style with close to two dozen competitors -- including all three winners from last year’s competition -- vying for “Best Clam”, “Best Seafood”, and “Best Creative” chowder bragging rights.  The event will also feature all-you-can-eat “chowda”, the opportunity to be a member of the “Chowdahead” Club, the Clam Cake Chow-Down competition, live music and a variety of entertainment for all ages. 

The highly anticipated competition boasts 3,000 gallons of delicious chowder prepared by the nation's best chefs who serve samples of their sumptuous creations to the thousands of chowder loving festival attendees who double as judges.  Chefs compete for nearly $10,000 in prize money awarded to the top three winners in each of the Clam, Seafood and Creative categories.  To top off the prize pot this year, sponsor SeaWatch International will offer a $1,000 bonus to the winner in the Clam chowder category. 

Chowder enthusiasts can meet the chefs, greet participating team members and taste all of their savory creations with ease.  Children under 12-years-old are free with an adult. 

The event will also feature three stages of live musical entertainment, including Rebel Heat and The Ravers on the Shell Stage; Steel Appeal and Buddy’s Beach House on the Barefoot Beach Stage; and The Repercussions gracing the Sunset Stage.  The Amica Family Fun Area featuring chef hat decorating, kidSTOPs throughout the site with activities and giveaways for children, Ron the Balloon Man with his twisted creations, Pirate Captain William Kidd & The Freemen of the Sea, fundraising activities for local non-profits and a Marketplace with a variety of crafts and specialty items will only add to the festive atmosphere.

Ticket prices for the Knorr^® Great Chowder Cook-Off are $20.00 in advance for adults (which also includes automatic Chowdahead Club membership detailed above) with a $25 price in effect after Friday, May 27. Children under the age of 12 are admitted to the event for FREE with a paying adult.

 For more information and tickets, please visit newportwaterfrontevents.com or contact the Newport Yachting Center at (401) 846-1600.  For advance tickets and special discounts please visit newportwaterfrontevents.com.  Tickets can also be purchased as walk ups seven days a week at the Newport Yachting Center Box Office on 4 Commercial Wharf (off America’s Cup Avenue) in downtown Newport.

 5. Keep your eyes peeled…

…For the likes of Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, and Wes Anderson as Moonrise Kingdom stars and producers are headed back to South Kingstown for a re-shoot at the Bayfield Farm off Camp Fuller Road this weekend.  It seems they can’t get enough of our town!