First Posted: 5/1/2014

Who

…will be a part of the Scranton Cultural Center’s popular fundraiser “Dancing with the NEPA Stars” 10th and final round?

On May 8 at 5:30 p.m., watch as four of NEPA’s finest local celebrities take to the floor, including Julie Jordan, owner/photographer at Julie Jordan Photography; Joseph J. Macciocco, Jr., of Villa Maria Restaurant; Dr. Dipti S. Pancholy of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education; and Dr. Russell Stahl, a surgeon at Geisinger Heart and Vascular Institute.

All of the dancers have been hard at work, not only with dance lessons, but also in raising funds, each hosting dedicated fundraisers to help them win.

Fans and event attendees can vote for their favorite prior to the event by visiting sccmt.org and locating the “Donate Now!’ button on the homepage. The cost is $1 per vote, with all proceeds benefiting the SCC. Online voting will be available until 4 p.m. on May 8.

Music will be provided by Jack Martin of Dance Craze DJs, and the performances will be produced and choreographed by Debbie Koshinski-Urban of Step By Step Dance Studio and Ballroom. In addition, Jeff D’Angelo of Jeff D’Angelo Design Group will design the set, and there will be special showcases by students and teachers of Step By Step Dance Studio & Ballroom and performances by students of the Scranton Music Academy.

Show tickets are $20 and include drinks as well as light fare that is provided by Constantino’s Catering. They can be purchased at the SCC Box Office, by calling 570.344.1111, at ticketmaster.com, by calling 1.800.745.3000, or at select Wal-Mart, Boscov’s, or Gallery of Sound locations.

What

…can you do to help out those in need?

Local company Kane Is Able, Inc. is supporting the 22nd annual Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive on May 10, where postal carriers in more than 10,000 communities across the country will collect non-perishable food donations for community food banks and shelters. The event is sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

To donate, place a box or can of non-perishable food next to your mailbox before your letter carrier delivers mail on May 10. Please donate items that have a current sell-by date and do not require refrigeration, such as canned meats, fish, soup, bottled juice, fruits, vegetables, pasta, cereal, and rice. The carrier will do the rest. The food is sorted and delivered to a local food bank or pantry, where it is available for needy families.

Kane is encouraging its more than 1,100 associates across the country to support the event. Locally, Kane is donating a trailer to collect food at the post office in Clarks Summit. The following week, a Kane driver will deliver the trailer to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Archbald where a group of volunteers will move the items to the Christ the King Food Pantry.

Where

…can you go to enjoy even more live and local music?

Make sure to be at Breakers inside Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on June 3 from 7 to 8 p.m. for the beginning of “Music on the Menu Live: An Original Music Series.”

The monthly music showcase will spotlight a different local artist each month, giving them the opportunity to perform original compositions to a wide audience. In addition to performing at Mohegan Sun, the artists will also receive radio airplay, as each show will also be broadcast live on 105 The River (104.9-FM). There will also be a webcast at 105theriver.net.

There’s no cover charge, and the shows will be hosted by Alan K. Stout, a longtime music journalist and DJ whose weekly radio show, “Music on the Menu,” also features local talent.

The first artist scheduled to perform is the band SUZE. Future scheduled shows include Eddie Appnel, Dustin Drevitch & the Electric Gentleman, and Graces Downfall.

For more info, call 570.262.8249.