n Frackville: St. Joseph Church will hold its parish festival from 2 to 11 p.m. Aug. 3 and 4 at Frack and Nice streets. On Friday, music will be provided by "Pee Wee Damiter," followed by "Karp, Palina & Swartz. On Saturday, "Waking Up Dead' followed by "Another Side," with featured guests Joe Jordan, of the Jordan Brothers and Mike Maker, formerly of The Mud Flaps. There will be ethnic and picnic foods, refreshments and games.
n Mahanoy City: The Active Christian Teens in our Neighborhood Youth Group of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Roman Catholic Church, Mahanoy City, and St. Richard Roman Catholic Church, Barnesville, will celebrate its 30th anniversary Aug. 19. To mark the event, the Very Rev. John O. Barres, bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, will be the main celebrant at a special 3 p.m. Mass in Blessed Teresa church. Following the Mass, there will be a banquet in the church hall with dinner and "surprises," according to a release from Deborah Walker, ACTION Youth Group director. Everyone is welcome to join the celebration. "We are putting a special shout-out to our alumni, families and friends to come to this reunion of Christians from the past 30 years." The cost is $16 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger. Attendees are asked to wear something red "as our banquet will be filled with fiesta fun." ACTION was formed in 1982 with a mission to keep teens connected to their church and their faith. Sponsored by the Catholic Church, it welcomes welcomes teens of all religions and has three dimensions: A social dimension to help teens form friendships that can last a lifetime; a service aspect that teaches teens it is important to help those less fortunate, the elderly, children and community, and the spiritual aspect that God is the center of our group. For tickets, call Walker at 570-773-0813 by July 30.
n Pine Grove: Hillside SPCA Poker Run & Party for Paws will be held Aug. 4 with registration from 8 to 11 a.m. at North End Fire Company, 118 N. Tulpehocken St. The event is sponsored by The Coal Region Brotherhood Riding Club. The fee for cyclists is $20 and for passengers, $10, which includes meal, cash prizes, door prizes, refreshments, four bands and guys from the TV show, "Rescue Ink!" Proceeds will benefit the SPCA. The Party for Paws, which is open to the public, will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes music and meal. For more information, call Troy at 570-590-8501.
n Ringtown: A benefit fundraiser to assist Ashley Frederick and her family with medical expenses will be held by her friends from noon into the evening Sunday at Semanchyk's Banquet Hotel Bar and Restaurant. A Ringtown resident, Frederick has gastroparesis, which is a paralysis of the muscles of the stomach, and other medical conditions. She depends on a feeding tube for all nourishment since she cannot ingest food by mouth. The fundraiser will include food, basket auction, 50/50 and live entertainment featuring Leighann Burke, lead singer of the band Y.M.I. The $10 cover charge includes admission, food and first drink, alcoholic or nonalcoholic. Everyone is welcome.
n Tamaqua: Tamaqua Area School District students participating in sports and/or any extracurricular activities, or who have a school parking permit, are subject to random drug and alcohol testing, as established in 2010. Random drug testing of nonparticipating students is also available if the district receives a parental request. Students must provide a signed parental consent form before participating. For the 2012-13 school year, initial registration/testing will take place in the athletic center locker rooms of the middle school from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday for male students and Wednesday for female students. Any student who cannot attend on the dates provided should contact Mike Hromyak, athletic director, at 570-668-1901 or mhromyak@tamaqua.k12.pa.us for other arrangements. More information is provided on the school district website under athletics.