Heart association earns Community Spirit grant

The American Heart Association in Scarborough has received a $500 Community Spirit 9/11 Grant from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation.

To commemorate those Harvard Pilgrim members who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, Harvard Pilgrim and the foundation created the grant program, which allows Harvard Pilgrim employees to award $500 to the local charity of their choice each calendar year.

Since the program began in 2002, Harvard Pilgrim employees have directed nearly $4 million to thousands of organizations throughout Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Cancer center to offer nutrition workshop

Cancer Community Center is offering a workshop on Tuesday, July 21, at 10 a.m., entitled “Nutrient Rich Foods – Maximize Your Health,” at the Hannaford grocery store in Scarborough.

The event is free and open to the public and will feature a presentation by registered dietician Anne LaPierre. Then on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 10 a.m., Susan Gay will hold an “Eat for Energy” event at the Hannaford store on Forest Avenue in Portland.

Anyone interested in attending one or both of these programs should register in advance at www.cancercommunitycenter.org or 774-2200.

Since 1998, the Cancer Community Center has offered a wide range of programs designed to meet the needs of cancer patients and survivors, as well as their caregivers, family members and friends.

“(Proper) nutrition is an important part of cancer treatment,” according to Molly Stewart, the mission services director at the cancer center. “Eating the right kinds of foods before, during and after treatment can help a person feel better and stay stronger.”

Smart driver class, July 17

The AARP Smart Driver course will be presented on Friday, July 17, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the AARP State office, 53 Baxter Blvd., Portland.

Advance registration is required as class size is limited. To register, call John Hammon, volunteer instructor, at 655-4943. The registration fee is $15 for AARP members, $20 for others.

This refresher course is for experienced drivers 50 years of age and older. Topics include safe driving strategies, defensive driving techniques, new traffic laws and rules of the road. The class helps drivers adjust to age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time.