It’s going to be a busy weekend in Oak Ridge.
There is an Earth Day festival and Battle of the Teen Bands at the Civic Center, a Community Share Day in Scarboro, and Celebration of the Young Child at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.
Chicago opens at the Oak Ridge Playhouse on Friday, the Oak Ridge Chorus performs Saturday, and the Dogwood Sprints regatta will be at the Oak Ridge Marina on Saturday and Sunday.
Rowers race Saturday in the Southeastern Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta at the Oak Ridge Marina. Sixty-four rowing clubs from 22 states competed in the weekend regatta.
Coal Creek OHV is having a spring jamboree that started at 8 a.m. Thursday, April 19, and runs through Sunday, April 22. Numerous activities are scheduled, such as guided rides, a rock crawl and an ATV rodeo. A one-time $10 fee covers participation in all events except the Poker Run.
The Coal Creek Off-Highway Vehicle Area is 72,000 acres of off-road trails and is located in Oliver Springs. The trails are open to everyone and just about any type of vehicles, such as ATVs, motorcycles, mountain bikes and jeeps.
Oak Ridge Bowling Center is hosting Bowl for Kids’ Sake on Wednesday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bowl for Kids’ Sake, which is presented by EdFinancial, is the largest annual fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee.
This fun event is for all ages to help ensure children have positive role models through Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The Oak Ridge Rowing Association will be hosting the 44th Annual Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championship Regatta on Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22. There will be many colleges attending, including the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Also this month, the Dogwood Sprints will be held on Saturday, April 28, and Sunday, April 29. For more information, visit the ORRA website.
Roughly 140 bicyclists rode Saturday in Oak Ridge during the second day of an awareness fundraiser for lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease.
Several hundred runners, walkers, and bicyclists participated in a two-day awareness fundraiser this past weekend for lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease.
The first-time fundraiser, called Butterflies for Hope, included a 5K run and walk Friday evening, and a 25-mile to 62-mile bicycle ride on Saturday afternoon. Organizer Donna Sullivan, co-owner of Hot Bagel Co., estimated that more than $7,000 was raised for the Lupus Foundation of America’s Mid-South Chapter.
The chapter covers Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky, where about 90,000 residents have lupus, said Sherry Hammond, president and chief executive officer of the Mid-South Chapter. She and Shannon Wagner, the chapter’s development manager, were in town for the fundraiser.
Lupus is an incurable autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. Hammond said the effects can range from mild to life-threatening.
Sullivan, whose 23-year-old daughter Katie has lupus, said the disease can be very expensive to treat. One of her daughter’s medicines, for example, costs $323 for a six-week supply.
