Find out all the events going on in your community, and plan your week's activities with The Times. Contact Valparaiso community coordinator Annette Arnold at (219) 548-4359 or Portage community coordinator Barbara Martin at (219) 762-1397, ext. 2227. E-mail: aarnold@nwitimes.com or bmartin@nwitimes.com.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST | Wanatah

The Wanatah Lions Club will host its annual pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 30 at Wanatah Elementary School, 309 School Drive. The event includes a craft fair. The menu is all-you-can-eat pancakes, fresh local sausage, scrambled eggs, juice and coffee. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children younger than 12 years, and are available at the door or in advance from Wanatah Lions Club members. The Wanatah Lions Club provides eyeglasses and hearing aids to local students, manages the town's Lions Park and contributes to state and national Lions projects.

FYI: Call (219) 733-2852.

MODERN DAY MIRACLES | Valparaiso

Portage resident Joyce Girgenti has an exhibit, "Modern Day Miracles," on display through April 30 at the Porter County Administration Center, 155 Indiana Ave. Exhibit hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Among Girgenti's work are "The Legend of the Dogwood," a mountain scene that represents the story about the Crucifixion. Girgenti's work often includes planned and unintentional hidden religious images. Images captured in "The Legend of the Dogwood" include an empty tomb with the stone rolled away and a little white lamb. There also are three crosses in the background and Jesus' name in the shadows around the stones.

FYI: Call (219) 841-9743.

LIVING WELL WITH LUPUS | Chesterton

The Lupus Foundation of America, Indiana chapter, presents a Living Well with Lupus seminar March 29 at the Waterbird Conference Center, 556 Indian Boundary Road. The program is designed for people with lupus, their family, friends and area physicians. The event features medical professionals, panels and lunch. Call for seminar times.

FYI: Call (219) 762-6575.

SPAGHETTI DINNER | South Haven

South Haven American Legion Post 502 will host a spaghetti dinner and dance March 29 at the post, 429 W. County Road 750 North.The cost is $10 per person. Cocktails with a cash bar will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 .m. A dance follows dinner. Entertainment will be provided by TS Express. The event also includes a silent auction, tip boards and a 50/50 raffle. Proceeds will benefit Alex "Johnny" Szmutko, a member of The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 502 for the past 11 years. He was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A bank account has been set up at Centier Bank to accept donations to the Alex "Johnny" Szmutko Benefit. Donations also can be made via Pay Pal or credit card at the Web site, www.szmutko.com.

FYI: Call (219) 759-2121.

TEXAS HOLD 'EM | Portage

Portage American Legion Post 260 will hold a Texas Hold 'em event beginning at noon March 29 at the Legion, 5675 Mulberry Ave. Doors open at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $50 in advance and $60 at the door. Proceeds go toward Legion and post projects.

FYI: Call (219) 762-3541.

CIVIL WAR TEA | Michigan City

A Civil War Tea will be held at 2 p.m. March 30 in Barker Mansion's drawing room, 631 Washington St, one block from Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets. Jill Brummett, a Civil War re-enactor and musical performer, will present "A Musical Walk Through the Civil War." Dressed in 1860s costume, her program includes glimpses of the Civil War through the eyes of the women of that era. Following the program, participants will enjoy tea and Civil War Hard Times Spice Cake, Grandma's Pound Cake and gingersnaps. The cost is $5, and phone registrations are required.

FYI: Call (219) 873-1520.

VETERANS' FUNDRAISER | Lowell

A family fundraising event will be held March 30 to benefit Military HEROS, a newly formed foundation aimed at helping military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The fundraiser will be held from noon to 7 p.m. March 30 at D.C.'s Country Junction, 3599 W. 161st Ave. The event will feature bands such as Scamp, Shud Up and Drive, Flint Lock, Country Junction, Spare Time and Nick Danger. Raffle prizes will include a guitar autographed by country singer Mark Chestnut and two front-row tickets to any country concert at the Midwest Amphitheater in Tinley Park, Ill. There also will be activities for children, including face painting and balloon animals. Tickets are $10 per person with ages 15 and younger admitted free. Sondra Julian, of Chesterton, started the foundation after her son was deployed to Iraq last year. She formed the Military HEROS Foundation, Inc., also known as M-HEROS, which stands for Mental Health Extras Restoring Our Soldiers. Julian is trying to form a

national network of doctors outside of the Veterans Administration who would agree to treat returning vets with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She also would like the foundation to raise enough money to pay for that treatment.

FYI: Visit the Web site at www.mheros.org, send e-mail to contact@mheros.org or call (219)

728-9440.

REBUILDING VOLUNTEERS | Portage

Volunteer applications for the April 26 Portage Rebuilding Together are available at Horizon Bank, 6504 U.S. 6; Portage Township trustee's office, 3484 Airport Road; RE/MAX Hometown Professionals, 3200 Willowcreek Road, Suite C; Portage Township YMCA, 3100 Willowcreek Road; Portage City Hall, 6070 Central Ave.; Portage Public Library, 2665 Irving St.; South Haven Public Library, 403 W. County Road 700 North; Schoop's Hamburgers, 3285 Willowcreek Road; Centier Bank, 3220 Willowcreek Road, Portage; Centier Bank, 390 W. U.S. 6; NorthShore Health Centers, 3564 Scottsdale St., and 6450 U.S. 6, Portage; Lowe's Home Improvement, 6221 U.S. 6; and Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 356 W. County Road 700 North, South Haven.

Rebuilding Together also is looking for donations. Checks can be sent to Portage Rebuilding Together at P.O. Box 2511, Portage, IN 46368.

FYI: Call (219) 764-2187.

PLANT SALE | Chesterton

The Friends of Indiana Dunes will hold the 12th Annual Native Plant Sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 5 at the Indiana Dunes State Park Bath Pavilion, Ind. 49 at Lake Michigan. The sale includes bulbs, plants, shrubs and trees. Prices range from $5.50 to $48. All 128 varieties are certified as native to Lake, Porter, or LaPorte counties. Admission to the park and sale is free. Gardening experts will be on hand to answer questions. Vendors with books and gardening miscellany also will be available. Some varieties will be gone before the doors open, so participants are encouraged to order early. All profit is used to fund public programs and activities of the Friends of Indiana Dunes at the state and national dunes parks.

FYI: Call (219) 926-7561, ext 230.

CHILI SUPPER | South Haven

Boy Scout Troop 452 will hold its annual all-you-can-eat chili supper from 5 to 7:30 p.m. April 7 at South Haven American Legion Post, 429 W. County Road 750. Tickets are $4 per person and includes chili and homemade cornbread. Pop and dessert are 50 cents each. All proceeds benefit Boy Scout Troop 452. Call for tickets.

FYI: Call Scoutmaster Jeff Podgorski at (219) 763-2813.

OE WEEKEND | Valparaiso

In honor of Indiana Disabilities Awareness Month, Barnes and Noble Bookstore is sponsoring an Opportunity Enterprises weekend, March 28-30.

At 4 p.m. on March 28, OE training specialist, Tera Evans, will provide a Disability Awareness Workshop for children in the adolescent book section.

Client artwork, which is done through the ARTability initiative at OE, will be available for viewing at Barnes and Noble during this weekend. In addition, a percentage of designated sales will go towards the OE. Those who wish to support Opportunity Enterprises Inc. must inform the sales associate that their purchase goes towards the organization. The bookstore is located in the Valparaiso Marketplace, 150 Silhave Road

FYI: Call (219) 464-9621, ext. 230.

EGG HUNT | Chesterton

Crocker Bible Baptist Church 275 W. County Road 1050 North, will have an Easter egg hunt immediately following the 11 a.m. service on Easter, March 23. Children will be divided into two age groups. There will be special gifts awarded for the prize eggs. All children will leave with some candy filled eggs.

FYI: Call (219) 395-6607.

FACULTY RECITAL | Valparaiso

Valparaiso University faculty member Stacy Maugans will present a saxophone recital at 3 p.m. March 30 at the Center for the Arts on campus. She will play soprano, alto and baritone saxophones during the performance.

The recital will feature the world premiere of "Counterpoints" by Karen Olson, an instructor in Valparaiso's Core program for freshmen.

Other works featured in the recital will include Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano by Robert Muczynski, Sonata for Baritone Saxophone and Piano by Ronald Caravan and Tsunagari for Soprano Saxophone and Saxophone Quartet by David Kechley. Maugans will be accompanied by piano, viola and other saxophonists during the recital.

Maugans teaches saxophone, woodwind chamber music, musicianship and humanities. She has presented solo and chamber music recitals in Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Arizona, California, Georgia and Florida as a guest artist and as a participant of regional and national conferences of the North American Saxophone Alliance. As a member of the Arizona State University Saxophone Quartet, she won the Coleman Award for Woodwinds or Brass at a national chamber music competition in Pasadena, Calif.

FYI: Call (219) 464-5114

HUB RUN | Crown Point

Southlake YMCA will host its 28th Annual Hub Run 5K/2K race at 1 p.m. April 6 at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 889 S. Court St. Entry fee is $15, and $8 for each additional family member, until March 28, and also $8 for all children in grade and younger until March 28. Fee is $20 for each participant after March 28. Race applications are available at the Southlake YMCA, 1450 S. Court St., or can be downloaded at www.slymca.org. Proceeds help low-income families and individuals participate in YMCA membership and programs.

FYI: Call (219) 663-5810.