Monroe County Schools’ Coordinated School Health and Family Resource Center will host the annual High Fives and School Supplies event at Madisonville Primary School on Thursday, July 28 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The first 500 students to come through will receive free backpacks, school supplies, and a T-shirt. This event is open to all Monroe County and Sweetwater City students. If your church, business or other organization would like to volunteer, sponsor a table, or make a donation, please call Lacey at 423-420-9678.

The City of Madisonville will hold a Back to School Block Party on Thursday, July 28 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Memorial Park across from Madisonville City Hall. Celebrate the final days of summer break before school starts back with food trucks, karaoke, a splash zone, dance music, door prizes and more!

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office will host a Community Fun Day on Saturday, July 30 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Monroe County Justice Center, located at 4500 New Highway 68 in Madisonville. There will be bounce houses, water slides, games, fee hotdogs, corn hole, basketball, fun and fellowship with Sheriff's Office deputies. Everyone is invited.

The Monroe County Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Chamber Classic Golf Tournament on Saturday, July 30 at Rarity Bay Golf Course in Vonore. Registration and breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. with tee time at 8:30 a.m.

The cost to participate is $400 per four-person team, and includes the round of golf, green fees, a golf cart, a complimentary beverage cart, continental breakfast and lunch, plus the chance to win prizes. There will be contests for the longest drive, closest to the pin, hole in one, and first and second place, and seventh-place team prizes.

Sponsorships are also needed for the golf tournament. Sponsorships range from $150 to $1,500.

For more information, to register, or to learn more, visit the event page on Facebook: GOLF TOURNAMENT-33rd Annual Chamber Classic, or call the Chamber at 423-442-4588.

Join Ranger Savannah Couser at Fort Loudoun State Historic Area in Vonore on Saturday, July 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to celebrate Christmas in July. Attendees will learn how to make an 18th century Christmas meal. Pre-registration is required for this event. The cost per participant is $10. To reserver your spot, call the fort at 423-442-2331 or visit reserve.tnstateparks.com/register/18th-century-christmas-in-july-

The Red Sand Project, a statewide human trafficking awareness initiative, is scheduled for the week of Aug. 1 through Aug. 5 in Monroe County. World Day Against Trafficking is July 30. Molly Gochman’s The Red Sand Project is an interactive art exhibition designed to raise awareness of human trafficking. By spreading red sand in the sidewalk cracks, the project brings attention to those who have “fallen through the cracks” in society. This initiative is being led locally by Monroe STOPe and the Monroe County Health Council. To learn more or to request a red sand installation at your place of business, call 423-545-3015.

The City of Madisonville and the Downtown Madisonville Alliance will host a Pep Rally at the Park on Monday, Aug. 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Memorial Park in downtown Madisonville. There will be food trucks, live music by Cole Sitzlar, an opportunity to meet the new Sequoyah High School football coach and team, performances by the Sequoyah High School band, majorettes and cheerleaders.

Join Ranger Savannah Couser at Fort Loudoun State Historic Area in Vonore on Tuesday, Aug. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for a flower bed maintenance volunteer project. The park needs volunteer help to keep the native flower beds and English garden maintained. Work will include cutting back last year’s growth, trimming plants, blowing fall leaves out, pulling weeds and general TLC.

If you have knowledge in native plants, the fort could use your help in making plant identification placards to place next to the plants. If you have an available electronic device, such as a laptop, tablet, or smart phone, please bring it to look up information.

This is a great opportunity to earn volunteer hours for scholarships, school or scouting badges.

Please wear appropriate clothing and closed-toe shoes. If you have work gloves and hand pruners, feel free to bring them; all other tools will be provided.

If you’re interested in helping, please register online at tnstateparks.com/parks/event_details/fort-loudoun

Participants should meet at the Visitors Center.

For more information, contact the park office at 423-420-2331.

The East Tennessee Arts Center will host free pop-up art camps for children ages 10 through 17 this summer.

Remaining camps will be held on the following:

Sign in will begin at 10:30 a.m. A drawing session will start at 11 a.m. Lunch will be served at noon, followed by a painting session at 12:30 p.m. Clean up will be from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Pre-registration is required. To pre-register, email easttnartcenter@gmail.com. Please include the names, ages, addresses and phone number of all attending children, along with the names of their parents or guardians.

Please provide a sack lunch for your child. All art supplies will be provided, but it is asked that participants make a contribution to the art supplies as the East Tennessee Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization.

Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore will celebrate Sequoyah Remembrance Day and Sequoyah's contribution to the Cherokee people by creating a writing system, the Cherokee Syllabary, with free admission to the museum from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7.

The printing press and blacksmith demonstrations, along with others, will be running throughout the day.

Monroe Sweetwater Valley Citizens for the Arts will present a new Summer Music Concert Series at the bandstand at Sweetwater Duck Park. These concerts are free to the public. Food trucks will be on site. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Concerts begin at 7 p.m.

The remaining line up is as follows:

Join the Charles Hall Museum & Heritage Center in Tellico Plains as they welcome car enthusiasts on the second Saturday of each month, April through October, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The next event is on Saturday, Aug. 13. Network with like-minded admirers and view their priced possessions. Bring a chair, swap stories, share a hot cup of coffee, shop a while, enjoy the museum and the local scenery. Check the museum's Facebook page for updated information in case of heavy rain.

Are you busy during the day and need an evening class to learn how to manage your diabetes? Take Charge of Your Diabetes is a free six-week class that can help and is taught by the Monroe County Health Department and the University of Tennessee Extension. The class will be held at the Cora Veal Senior Center in Madisonville from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays starting on Aug. 18.

During the six weeks, a variety of methods that will help you better manage diabetes including: meal planning, monitoring blood glucose levels, ways to cope with high or low blood glucose levels, talking to health care providers, and much more. Each week, you will practice the skills learned during class and receive encouragement from others who suffer from diabetes. Past participants in this class report lower A1C’s, weight management, greater understanding of meal planning, how to manage their blood glucose levels and have a better understanding of the diabetes and its complications.

Please pre-register for Take Charge of Your Diabetes by calling the UT Extension Office in Monroe County at 423-442-2433 or the Monroe County Health Department at 423-442-3993, ext. 1010, by Aug. 16. This will ensure there are enough copies of the educational materials for everyone.

UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

United Way of Monroe County will hold its annual golf tournament on Saturday, Aug. 20 at Rarity Bay Golf Course in Vonore. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with a shotgun start at 9 a.m.

The cost to participate is $400 per four-person team, and includes 18 holes of golf, a golf cart, a “thank you” gift, and lunch. There will be contests for the longest drive, closest to the pin, winning team, losing team, and more. Team registration and payment deadline is Thursday, Aug. 4.

Sponsorships are also needed for the golf tournament. Sponsorships range from $150 to $1,500. The sponsorship and payment deadline is Friday, July 29.

Payments and forms for both sponsorships and registrations can be mailed to: United Way of Monroe County, P.O. Box 722, Sweetwater, TN 37874. Checks should be made out to United Way of Monroe County.

For more information, to register, or to learn more about United Way, visit the website at www.myunitedwaymonroecounty.org/golf-tournament or contact Caylen Matoy at 423-337-7690 or caylen.matoy@unitedway.org

Smash the Stigma Community Water Balloon Fight

To assist in the awareness efforts of International Overdose Awareness Day, the Monroe County Prevention Coalition (PWC) is partnering with the City of Madisonville and the Downtown Madisonville Alliance in hosting the First Annual Smash The Stigma Community Water Balloon Fight on Saturday, Aug. 27. The fight begins at 6 pm. Come early to grab a spot and BYOB (balloons, that is). Food trucks will be on-site set up in Memorial Park from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Come with your filled water balloons/water guns ready to go (no other items will be permissible). Line up along both sides of the Tellico Street. Ready, aim, and launch (and expect to get wet)!

First responders will drive along the route, so be prepared for return fire!

Coordinators hope the event will bring awareness to the stigma associated with substance misuse and aid in smashing that stigma.

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