Friday, April 27

COMMUNITY · Messages of survival, rebuilding, healing and hope will be shared as the Ringgold community gathers on the evening of Friday, April 27, to mark the one-year anniversary of the tornado. In a service organized by seven area churches and local officials, those who died will be honored and the community’s resilient spirit will be celebrated. The event, “Storm to Strength: One Year Later,” will begin at 6 p.m. in the Ringgold High School park-ing lot. Guests will be treated to a free hot dog meal and live music with a DJ. Beginning at 7 p.m., the event will move inside to the gym for a service. A community choir will perform two traditional hymn favorites and there will be several guest speakers, including storm survivors and local pastors, and a variety of videos. Anyone can come and sing with the choir. Those interested are invited to participate by arriving for a brief rehearsal at 6 p.m. on the day of the service. There are plenty of other ways to utilize volunteers wishing to help with the event. To help, email stormtostrength@gmail.com or call 706-935-4777.

ENTERTAINMENT · “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be presented by Silverdale Baptist Academy on The Colonnade stage April 27 at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $7 per person.

ENTERTAINMENT · A gospel singing benefit for Kim Dempsey Owens will be held April 27 at 7 p.m. at the Ring-gold Depot. Performers include the Jeff Hullender Family, Gene Lowery and Pipeline, and Ken Hicks and Testi-mony. A love offering will be taken at the door. Additional donations may be made at Gateway Bank and Trust to the Kim and Greg Owens Fund.

CHURCH · Cove Road Church of God will hold a spring revival April 27 at 7 p.m.. The speaker is Rev. Harry Reeves of Mt. Bethel Missionary Church in Menlo. Cove Road Church of God is at 620 N. Chattanooga Street in La-Fayette. James Brown Sr. is pastor.

COMMUNITY · Creatively Country will hold a spring gathering at 3674 N. Marble Top Road in Chickamauga Fri-day, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gathering will feature a variety of antiques, handmade crafts, plants, baked goods and more. Food will be available.

Saturday, April 28

COMMUNITY · Boynton Elementary School will host Run for Technology, a five-kilometer and one-mile fund-raising run, Saturday, April 28, at 8 a.m. at Heritage High School. All proceeds will fund technology at Boynton Elementary. Cost is $20 for the five-kilometer and $10 for the one-mile race. The fundraiser is the first hosted by the school after recently changing their mascot name from the Buccaneers to the Generals. For more information, visit www.catoosa.k12.ga.us/boy and go to Active.com to register online.

COMMUNITY · The Walker County sheriff’s office will be participating in the D.E.A. National Take Back Initia-tive, Saturday April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The drop off for this year’s “take back” is the LaFayette Elks Lodge, 3158 N. U.S. 27, LaFayette. A Walker County deputy will be present to take possession of prescription medication that consumers wish to have destroyed. For additional information, go to DEA.gov.

ENTERTAINMENT · Center Post Community Center will host a night of bluegrass gospel music featuring The Pells and Friends Saturday, April 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is free and refreshements are available. The com-munity center is in the old Center Post School at 8125 Ga. 337.

COMMUNITY · Rabies shot clinics will be held at three locations in Catoosa County on April 28, including the Animal Medical Center (AMC), Ringgold Animal Hospital (RAH) and the VCA Catoosa Animal Hospital (VCA). Cost is $10 for rabies vaccine and $5 for pet registration, both mandatory for Catoosa County pets. April 28: 10 a.m.-noon: Lakeview Middle School (AMS); 12:30-2 p.m.: Westside Elementary School (AMS); 1-2 p.m.: Heritage Middle School (RAH); 2-3 p.m.: Harmony Stables (VCA); 3-4 p.m.: Graysville Elementary Scool (RAH); 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Ringgold Ele-mentary School (VCA). May 5: 10 a.m.-noon: Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High school (AMS); 12:30-2 p.m.: Boynton Elementary School (AMS); 1-2 p.m.: Ringgold High School (RAH); 2-3 p.m.: Woodstation Methodist Church (VCA); 3-4 p.m.: Tiger Creek Elementary School (RAH); 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Ringgold Elementary School (VCA). For more informa-tion, contact the Animal Medical Center at 706-861-0873, the Ringgold Animal Hospital at 706-937-7387 or the VCA Catoosa Animal Hospital at 706-937-4171.

COMMUNITY · Fairview United Methodist Church will hold its 26th annual spring sale Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine. The sale will feature flea market items, clothes, toys, and household items. The church is at 2112 McFarland Avenue in Rossville, at the corner of Schmitt Road and McFarland. For more information, call 423-488-4860 or 706-866-4194.

COMMUNITY · Bethesda Baptist Church will hold a turkey shoot fundraiser Saturday, April 28, at 10 a.m. The shoot will raise money for the church’s new fellowship building. Cost is $3 per shot with a 12-gauge shotgun. There will also be a powder puff shoot with 20-gauge shotguns allowed, and an archery shoot with a house bow. The church is at 600 Ga. 151 N. in LaFayette. For more information, call 706-537-9200 or 706-537-1681

COMMUNITY · Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Chief John Ross House Association will hold a non-perishable food drive to benefit the Rossville Community Ministry, and Ridgeland High School horticulture class will hold a plant sale at the Chief John Ross House in Rossville. The house will be open for tours.

COMMUNITY · The Chickamauga Woman’s Club 2012 Yard Sale will be held at the Chickamauga Civic Center April 28 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Donations for the sale can be brought to the center Tuesday through Thursday of sale week. Clothing donations should be in-season only. Proceeds from the sale support local and international charities. Some current and past projects include Clean Up Walker County, The Crisis Center, The Cottage, Walker County Fire Department and the Chickamauga Public Library. The Woman’s Club meets the third Monday of each month September through May in the fellowship hall of Elizabeth Lee United Methodist Church at 7 p.m.

COMMUNITY · Battlefield Parkway Church of the Nazarene youth will host a car wash at the church from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 28, weather permitting. Funds will go to World Vision to feed hungry children around the world.

COMMUNITY · A “We Are Women” march will be held in Atlanta Saturday, April 28, to show support for women’s rights and equality. Meet up will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Centennial Olympic Park, at the corner of Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Marietta Street. The march will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at the Georgia Capitol on Wash-ington Street. For more information, visit http://wearewomenmarch.net/.

COMMUNITY · The American Legion will hold a yard sale Saturday, April 28, and Saturday, May 5, beginning at 9 a.m. each day, at the American Legion Older Americans building next to the ball fields in Chickamauga. The Chat-tanooga Valley Lions Club will sell Vidalia onions at the yard sale both days. The onions are priced at 5 lbs for $5, 10 lbs for $10, and 25 lbs for $20.

COMMUNITY · The 6th Cavalry Museum will host a Memorial Ride Poker Run Saturday, April 28. The ride will meet at the polo field on Barnhardt Circle in Fort Oglethorpe. Registration is at 9 a.m., with the first bike at 10 a.m. and last bike at 11 a.m. The 80-mile ride through north Georgia will benefit the 6th U.S. Cavalry Veteran’s Memorial Garden. Donations will be gladly accepted, and there will be door prizes, refreshements and a raffle. For more information, visit 6thcavalrymuseum.org, call 706-861-2860, or email chris@6thcavalrymuseum.org.

COMMUNITY · The Walker County Animal Shelter will hold a “Fostering 101” seminar Saturday, April 28, at 10 a.m., for those interested in fostering dogs or cats. There is no charge and no commitment. The shelter is at 5488 North Marble Top Road. For more information about this seminar, call the shelter at 706-375-2100.

Sunday, April 29

COMMUNITY · Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park invites the public to attend a special 45-minute program about drummer boys in the Civil War at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center theater Sunday, April 29, at 2 p.m. “Drummer Boys – Fact or Fiction?” is an interpretive program that will address the subject of drummer boys and the numerous stories that revolve around their part in the Civil War. Join a ranger to explore the history of these juvenile soldiers, civil war musicians, regimental bands and the place of music in the Civil War. For more information, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241 or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/chch.

COMMUNITY · In observance of Georgia Confederate Memorial Month, the Sons of Confederate Veterans John B. Gordon Camp #599, LaFayette and the Private John Ingraham Camp #1977, Chickamauga, will conduct a memorial service at the Walker County Confederate Monument at John B. Gordon Hall in LaFayette Sunday April 29, at 2 p.m. to honor the 900-plus Walker County citizen soldiers who fought for the south in the American Civil War.

COMMUNITY · Descendants and friends of Richard Lafayette and Matilda Thomason Wimpy are invited to at-tend the annual Wimpy reunion Sunday, April 29. All Wimpy, Wimpey and Wimpee families are invited. The reunion will be held at the Nutrition Center at 5230 Evitt Street in Ringgold. Bring a covered dish or dishes to share. Lunch will be around 1 p.m.