What are these kids wishing for? To bring hope and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. The St. Joseph Church Youth Group are sponsoring “A Wish Come True“; a fundraising event to remember for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, on Friday, February 10, 2012 from 6 pm to 10pm in the Marion Hall at St. Joseph Church (400 S Andresen, Vancouver).

Enjoy all you can eat appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages, dancing, bingo, a silent auction and a live auction, as well as FREE on-site childcare! Tickets are available for $15 per couple, or $10 individual; to purchase, please contact Laura at 360-513-6799.

Since 1980, the Make-a-Wish Foundation has given hope, strength and joy to children (and their families) with life-threatening medical conditions. For more information on the Make-a-Wish Foundation, click here.

You can! Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services may not be able to meet the demand for these services. Factors such as number of victims, communication failures, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment’s notice through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life saving and life sustaining needs.

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens will be initially on their own and their actions can make a difference. Through Basic CERT training, citizens can organize themselves and use spontaneous volunteers to manage utilities, put out small fires, provide basic medical first aid, search for and rescue victims calmly, safely, and efficiently.

Clark County Fire District 6 will begin CERT training classes on Thursday, February 16, 2012. The classes will be held at Clark County Fire District 6, Hazel Dell  (8800 NE Hazel Dell Avenue).  Cost to participate is $30; knowledge gained, priceless.

For more information, contact Dave Sinclair at 360-576-1195.

This post: “When Disaster Strikes Your Community” was originally featured at Salmon Creek Live!

For more detailed neighborhood coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events in your Salmon Creek neighborhood, please visit Salmon Creek Live!

“The shift is about to hit the fan.” The movie documentary “I Am“ will be shown at the Kiggins Theatre Downtown Vancouver (1011 Main Street, Vancouver) at 7 pm on Monday, January 16 and Tuesday, January 17, 2012; admission is FREE!

“I AM is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better? The filmmaker behind the inquiry is Tom Shadyac, one of Hollywood’s leading comedy practitioners and the creative force behind such blockbusters as “Ace Ventura,” “Liar Liar,” “The Nutty Professor,” and “Bruce Almighty.” However, in I AM, Shadyac steps in front of the camera to recount what happened to him after a cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged with a new sense of purpose, determined to share his own awakening to his prior life of excess and greed, and to investigate how he as an individual, and we as a race, could improve the way we live and walk in the world.” ~ I AM

The Kiggins Theatre, named after former Vancouver Mayor JP Kiggins and a downtown landmark since 1936, reopened in 2011 after a year and a half of extensive renovations. They offer not only movies, but community events, art and music are also an integral part of the Kiggins schedule in the heart of downtown Vancouver.

For more information, visit The New Kiggins Theatre or call 360-816-0352

The Downtown Camas Association is welcoming the First Friday of 2012 with Games, Crafts and Cocoa (and jewelry!). Visit local downtown Camas merchants on Friday, January 6, 2012 from 5 pm to 8 pm for some hot cocoa, fun games for the entire family and crafting for all ages!

You’ll want to start your evening at Bead Paradise, where you will receive your free “Pandora type” bracelet. Then, make your way around Downtown Camas, visiting participating merchants and pick up a bead or charm to add to your bracelet, play a game, do a craft, even win a raffle ticket!

When you are done for the night, be sure to make one last stop into The Uncommon Gift to enter your raffle tickets into a drawing for a chance to win a gift certificate at your choice of participating Downtown Camas merchants.

I say…Game On!

Don’t run away from New Year’s Resolutions…just RUN! Join Get Bold Events for their Resolution Run on Sunday, January 8, 2012 beginning at 10 am with a Start and Finish at Battle Ground Village (802 SE 14th Ave, Battle Ground).

If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to “exercise more”, this is a great, fun way to start out! Choose either a 5K or 10K, both runners and walkers are welcome. You’ll enjoy a fun run/walk, get a commemorative Tech T-shirt, goody bag, race photos and a great after party!

The post party will take place at Battle Ground Village and will include a live DJ, beer from Laurelwood, food by Bones Steak and Chop House, a Polar Bear Slide (this is a 70 foot slip-n-slide), and a soak in a Hot Tub. Maybe even a Hot Air Balloon!

This event will also benefit the Clark County Fire & Rescue Fire Cadet Program.

For more information, including registration, visit Get Bold Events.

Clark College will be the celebrating the best young musical talent in Clark County and surrounding areas, and honoring an American art form at the 50th Anniversary of the Annual Clark College Jazz Festival January 26-28, 2012. This Festival attracts over 60 high school vocal and instrumental jazz ensembles for a three day competitive event, with special 50th Anniversary events you won’t want to miss.

Competitions and performances will begin on Thursday and three high school vocal jazz ensembles will  be invited back to perform in the evening Clark College Jazz Festival Vocal Jazz Showcase. On Friday and Saturday, high school jazz ensembles will perform for the privilege of returning to perform in the evening finals competition where they will be ranked for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. On Saturday evening of the festival, one band from the entire festival will be selected to receive the Clark College time honored tradition, the coveted Sweepstakes Trophy.

“As we celebrate this once in a lifetime event, we want to recognize the generations of families from the community who have participated in the festival on and off stage as well as honor the man who founded the festival, the late Mr. Dale Beacock. To honor the generations of community involvement, we are extremely excited to host, The Clark College Golden Alumni Jazz Band under the direction of retired Clark College Band Director, Mr. Chuck Ramsey.

The Clark College Golden Alumni Band will perform at 5 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday after the last high school performance in the afternoon. This all-star big band will feature students from three generations of Clark band directors and will be a fitting tribute to the legacy of the festival.

Another special event for this year’s festival will be two jazz clinics presented by Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Washington State University in Pullman and Clark alumni, Dave Hagelganz. These clinics will take place on Friday and Saturday morning at 10 a.m. in the Ellis F. Dunn Community Room in Gaiser Hall. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this added bonus to our 50th anniversary line up.

Finally, please join us and members of the Beacock family on Saturday evening as we pay tribute to the man who started it all, Mr. Dale Beacock, with a historic special announcement.” ~ Richard Inouye, Clark College Jazz Festival Director

General admission to the festival is $5 per day. Clark College students and children under 12 accompanied by an adult will be admitted free of charge.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Gaiser Hall is located on the northwest corner of the main campus on Fort Vancouver Way, between McLoughlin Blvd. and Fourth Plain Blvd. Audience members should enter through the North entrance (by the Book Store) or the South entrance.

Welcome to Clark County Live!, all about the People, Places, Activities and Events that make Vancouver, USA and Clark County WA such a great place to be! Thanks for stopping by, we hope you’ll “Like” it.

Our Clark County Fire District 6 Firefighters are out in our neighborhoods every day saving lives. Now it’s our turn to help them save a few more!

Clark County Fire District 6 is having a Blood Drive on Friday, December 30, 2011 at the Hazel Dell Station (8800 NE Hazel Dell Avenue). The American Red Cross will be there between 11 am and 4 pm; call 360-695-8522 to schedule an appointment, or schedule online with the American Red Cross (mention code CCFD6).

Did you know that one pint of blood can save up to three lives? Or that every two seconds someone needs a blood transfusion, and every year about five million patients in the US need blood? That life saving blood cannot be manufactured; it can only come from volunteer donors. And, you can donate every 56 days!

So start hydrating, and roll up your sleeves! I’ll be there, will you?

If you are a business owner, or business professional, how do you let people know about your business, without spending so much money it may put you out of business? The best way to keep your business viable is through strong professional relationships; and one of the best ways to make (or maintain) those relationships is at the annual New Year’s Networking Extravaganza at the Clark County Event Center (17402 NE Delfel Rd, Ridgefield) coming up on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, admission and parking are FREE!

There were over 700 attendees at last year’s event, and “2012′s Networking Extravaganza promises to be even more dynamic this year!” Women in Networking will be co-hosting the event this year which will include over 30 networking groups from the greater Vancouver/Portland area, complimentary appetizer sampling provided by local caterers, stage entertainment, door prizes and give aways, cash bar and is a fantastic opportunity to make new contacts, meet business leaders, suppliers, vendors and promote your business.

“Networking and face-to-face sharing of ideas are two of the most effective tools in business today.  That’s why those looking to connect with different networking opportunities and experts in the Vancouver/Portland area should be at the Clark County Event Center to kick off the New Year with the biggest networking event of 2012!  The Clark County Event Center is inviting all SW Washington and Portland area networking groups and business professionals to attend the second annual Networking Extravaganza, on Wednesday, January 11th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.

Matthew Ferris, the Marketing Manager for the Event Center and Clark County Fair and Cindy Johnson, founder of WIN Northwest or Women in Networking NW are co-hosting to bring dozens of networking groups to promote the vast numbers of opportunities Vancouver and Portland offer to increase business resources on a grass-roots level.  “This is the largest business gathering and networking event in the region.  Last year was phenomenal, and I expect this second annual event to be even bigger,” noted Ferris.

Networking groups are invited to take part in this once-a-year opportunity for a nominal cost which will include a skirted table to display information and one minute to share about their group and why membership is beneficial.  Additional exposure through donations of door prizes to be given away during the event are encouraged and appreciated.  “This is how you increase business for yourself, you look for new opportunities, new connections, new customers and you do it as a community,” said Johnson.”

Come find out how fun (and beneficial) networking can be! For more information, call the Clark County Event Center at 360-397-6180, or email Matt Ferris at Matthew.Ferris@clark.wa.gov

I guess if it’s Fort Vancouver by candlelight, it should be titled “Shedding Old Light on Fort Vancouver.” Take a trip into the past and see what life was like at Fort Vancouver after dark.

Each adult attending the program will carry their own lantern (the Fort provides these) and tour with a Park Ranger and costumed interpreters. You will learn what activities would have occurred once the sun set at Fort Vancouver! These special tours will be offered December 17, 2011; January 7 and 21, and February 4 and 18, 2012.

As Fort Vancouver typically closes by 4 pm in the Winter, and 5 pm in the Summer (although their “Summer” hours begin in March), this is a unique opportunity to tour Fort Vancouver at night.

The Fort Vancouver Lantern Tours begin at 7 pm at Fort Vancouver (1001 E 5th Street) and last about an hour. Cost is $10 for adults and $7 for children under 15. Please call the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center at (360) 816-6230 to make your reservations.

The Couv’ Groove benefit concert with Alisa Williams & Friends will take place Friday, December 16, 2011, 7 pm at Mill Plain United Methodist Church (15804 SE Mill Plain, Vancouver) . This concert is FREE and open to the public.

People are encouraged to bring hard goods like canned foods to support the local food bank and HUGS which stands for new hats, undies, gloves and socks to support local homeless shelters. There will be a Love Offering where money gifts will support the Winter Hospitality Overflow (WHO) Shelter and the Friends of the Carpenter (FOC).

The WHO Shelter is a homeless shelter that provides a safe place for the homeless during winter’s coldest months. Not only are guests offered a warm place to sleep, but also food, a hot shower and the warmth of volunteers caring to provide the most basic of human needs. The Friends of the Carpenter is another local organization that supports the homeless population by providing a welcoming community in their 20,000 sq. ft. workplace. The FOC have numerous activities available some of which teach people wood working techniques and make beautiful wood pieces which are available for purchase through their workshop.

The Couv’ Groove benefit concert with Alisa Williams & Friends is one local community supporters’ offering to help our local homeless population during this time of year. Alisa says, “I have always been very grateful for everything I have and I know it does not take much to find another in a worse situation. I hope that this benefit concert will become a regular annual community event and that people will make it a part of their many holiday traditions.”

For more information, call Alisa Williams at 971-219-4991, or email alisa@acelineupathletics.com.