I spoke with Lou Monteleone of the Corner Shop in Eldred about his upcoming St. Baldrick's Day which is scheduled for Sunday September 13th from noon until 6 p.m.

Given the continuing Covid-19 pandemic protocols, 2020 which is the fifteenth year Lou has been sponsoring the event to raise funds for the St Baldrick's Foundation to find a cure and new treatment options for pediatric cancer will be very different this year.

Gone is the live bands, the costumed Princesses supporting the shavee's, the Salute to our Veterans and the Conga Line of Hope.

What this year's event will do is still honor the children in our area, and Lou told me he ordered a special banner for Isabelle Giglio #Team Izzy which will be placed on the deck of the Piazza along with other remembrance banners and the commemorative pinwheels which can be purchased with a $10.00 donation to the Foundation.

The head shavings which is the signature event of St Baldrick's will still take place but virtually. The shavees will take a video of their head shaving, and the people sponsoring them can go to www. stbaldricks.org/events/Lineof hope2020 and sign up as a shavee sponsor. According to Lou, some shavees will be streaming their event live on Facebook so check that out as well.

The national component of the St. Baldrick's Day is the Line of Hope Across America and so far Lou has signed up twenty states to participate with several more in the works, and this will be virtual with participants sending in in videos of their local event honoring loved ones from their State.

All the individual state's videos will be put together in a presentation for the Foundation and posted online. Lou will also be selling St. Baldrick's Foundation merchandise and #Team Izzy wristbands as well on the Pizza Piazza.

Given that this will be a very difficult time for donations and the unusual circumstances of this year's event, Lou will be collecting donations starting now until the end of November so please be as generous as you can.

So far doing pop-up fundraisers on Facebook, Lou has raised a little over $2,000 which is nowhere near the $10,000 he usually raises at his St. Baldrick's Foundation Day events. Over the past fourteen years, Lou has raised over $150,000 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

For more information go to www.stbaldricks.org/events/lineofhope2020. If you would like to sign up to be a shavee or want additional information, you can email Lou at lineofhope@hvc.rr.com or call The Corner at (845) 557-3321.

It's now half past St. Patrick's Day, and I still have not recovered from the cancellation of the Yulan Fire Department's St. Patrick's Day Dinner. I was thrilled to see that Hectors Inn in Bethel will be celebrating this half past St. Patrick's Day concept with a take -out only corned beef and cabbage dinner.

The dinner will be held on Sunday, September 6th and the Inn will start serving at 1 p.m. until it is all sold out and the price of the dinner is $12.00. Hector's Inn is located at 14 Dr. Duggan Road in Bethel and the Management of the Inn wishes “everyone stay safe and healthy and may the luck of the Irish be with you throughout these challenging times.”

St Ann's Church in Shohola will be holding their annual chicken barbeque on Sunday, September 6th from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and it's takeout only. The barbeque will be held at the Lackawaxen Volunteer Fire Department on Route 590 in Lackawaxen not far from the church.

Tickets are $12.00 for adults and $5.00 for the kiddos. You can buy your tickets at St. Ann's after Mass, at the Parish Office next to the church or online at www.stannshohola.org. Happy Labor Day everyone and have as much fun as is virtually possible!