Family Briefs

DivorceCare is non-denominational and features Biblical teachings for recovering from divorce and separation.

There is no charge to participate. For more information, call 419-693-1150.

Zoo offering free weekend Admission for Lucas Co. residents
To thank Lucas County voters for their ongoing levy support, the Toledo Zoo is offering free admission to all Lucas County residents throughout the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, from 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 until 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20. Valid proof of residency is required.

Highlighting the weekend will be free access to the zoo’s new free-flight butterfly exhibit inside the historic Museum of Science. Dazzling butterflies from all across the Americas glide around visitors – including many species that visitors would never have a chance to see otherwise.

In addition to the new butterfly exhibit, Saturday, Jan. 18 will feature “shocking” fun at the Science Day in Nature’s Neighborhood. The exhibit, located next to the Museum of Science, invites visitors to explore electricity through interactive, hands-on experiments.

The zoo will offer a similar Lucas County Appreciation Weekend over President’s Day weekend (Feb. 15-17). Details, including a full schedule of events, are available at toledozoo.org.

Junie B. Jones Comes to Toledo Zoo on Feb. 8
Everyone's favorite first-grader, Junie B. Jones, is coming to the Toledo Zoo’s Indoor Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 8, for an exclusive, live one-hour musical from New York.

Outspoken, lovable Junie B. Jones will star in a fast-paced musical about new friends, new glasses, sugar cookies, the annual kickball tournament and other first-grade mix-ups.

The musical is based on Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones series of books, illustrated by Denise Brunkus and published by Random House. The 60-minute performance is recommended for audiences age 5 and up.

Show times are 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.; limited tickets are available in the zoo’s box office at the Anthony Wayne Trail Entrance. Zoo admission is not required to purchase tickets or attend the show. Toledo Zoo members save on ticket processing fees and parking in the Anthony Wayne Trail lot. Details are at toledozoo.org/junie.

For more information, visit toledozoo.org or call 419-385-4040 or visit www.toledozoo.org.

Couples Date Night
Chateau Tebeau Winery will present a “Couples Date Night” Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 7-9:30 p.m. The winery is located at 525 SR 635, Helena.

The evening will include a chocolate and wine pairing featuring Dove chocolates offered by Julie Gentry, independent chocolatier from Dove Chocolate Discoveries. There will also be hors d’oeuvres and chair massages by licensed massage therapists Lou Ann Brandeberry and DeaLynn Keckler. A cash bar by the glass will be available during the event.

The cost is $39.95 per couple plus tax. For more information, call 419638-5411 or visit www.chateautebeauwinery.com.

Engaging Men
“Engaging Men” a forum designed to encourage men in a discussion about the problem of domestic violence in our community, will be held Feb. 5 at the Educational Service Center, 2275 Collingwood Blvd., Toledo.

Breakfast and sign-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. The forum, which will run from 9-11:30 a.m., will include opening remarks by Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins and a presentation by Rus Funk, co-founder and executive director of MensWork: Eliminating Violence Against Women, Inc. – a community-based organization out of Louisville, Ky., focusing on developing male leadership to prevent all forms of gender-based violence.

Space is limited. RSVP to Darla McCarty, Family & Child Abuse Prevention Center at 419-244-3053, ext. 221.

Re-connecting dads with kids
Father-centered, free, and available to all fathers, the Pathways to Fatherhood program at WSOS Community Action Commission aims to help men develop healthy, lasting relationships with their children and give them the tools to maintain those relationships.

There is no income eligibility for this program and all services are free to all participants residing in Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa, and Seneca counties. It is made available through a federal grant to WSOS.

According to George Dupey, the family advocate for the program, all information fathers share while in the program is confidential. “What’s said in the room stays in the room.”

All fathers, regardless of economic status – custodial and non-custodial fathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, fathers-to-be, father figures, grand-parents serving as fathers, disabled fathers and others can participate in this program.

Parenting skills and information are only one aspect of this program. Other services include job development, economic stability workshops, financial education training, life skills training, referrals to other needed services, basic and occupational skills advancement, educational certificate programs, and support services.

For more information on the program, call Dupey at 419-334-3332.

Mark your calendar…
The Color Run – the “Happiest 5k on the Planet” will be returning to Ypsilanti on June 21 at 8 a.m. at Riverside Park and will begin at 8 am. Registration is open for teams and individual runners.

This year, The Color Run is introducing their new Kaleidoscope Tour. Kaleidoscopes demonstrate the beauty of motion and change. Whether it’s new runners getting ready for their first 5k, or seasoned athletes remembering what it feels like to just run for fun, the Kaleidoscope Tour will be an unforgettable event that will be filled with 5k magic.  

With no winners or official times, The Color Run celebrates healthiness, happiness, and individuality, bringing the community together to create a five-kilometer canvas of colorful fun in which thousands of participants are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer.

For more information, visit www.visitypsinow.com/Color-Run.

Event to benefit mental health services, programs
“Heart & Soul: Caring for our Community” will hold its 10th Annual Benefit to raise awareness and help erase the stigma associated with mental illness Saturday, Feb. 8 from 6:30-10 p.m. at “The Birdcage” on the second floor of Fifth Third Field (above home plate).

Admission is $40 per person in advance or $50 at the door, which includes dinner, live entertainment and free parking. A silent auction will be held, along with a Live auction by Karen Rose.

Proceeds raised will go toward patient facility upgrades for the Wellness Management & Recovery & Education Programs at NOPH (Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital); and programs and services for the members of the Thomas M. Wernert Center.

Honorary Co-Chairs are Mary Beth Zolik from 101.5 The River, along with Honorary Chair Teri Eigensee. Master of Ceremonies for the evening is Shaun Hegarty from 13abc Action News.

For tickets or more information, contact Denise Benton at dmmbenton@aol.com or 419-290-6097. Visit www.heartandsoultoledo.com or on Facebook at Heart & Soul: Caring for our Community to learn more about the organization.