SAVE SUNDAY, OCT. 21 as the date for the grand opening of the new space for the Jewish Family and Children’s Service Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry. As one of the St. Louis Jewish community’s most successful projects, the Pantry has outgrown its present facility and has moved to larger quarters at 10601 Baur Boulevard in Creve Coeur. The event will be paired with the annual Feed the Pantry –Feed the Soul open house from noon to 4 p.m. and is family friendly, free and open to the public. However everyone is encouraged to bring a bag of groceries.

Committee Chairs Fred Steinbach and his daughter Sally King  (how’s that for a new combination?) tell me that the afternoon will be filled with both meaningful and fun activities.  There will be tours, live entertainment and children’s activities such as crafts and face painting, food demonstrations, and a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Grand Opening marks the fruition of a long and extensive process to assess the needs and the possible locations for a new building.  “Without a dedicated committee to accomplish these tasks (capably chaired by Carol Staenberg) not to mention those who worked so hard to raise funds for its purchase and operations, (overseen by Mark Rosen) none of this would have been possible,” King explained. “We hope this day will be a tribute not merely to   our donors, supporters and staff but to all the committed people who made the new building possible.”

See you there on October 21.

THE SIGNATURE CHEFS EVENT FOR THE MARCH OF DIMES will be held on Thursday, Sept. 6 at the Ritz Carlton at 6 p.m. Although this is the 20th anniversary of the fundraiser, it is in a special way different and very meaningful as the co-chairs of this year’s event are Pam Toder and Paige Noel, mother and daughter who have championed this cause over the years. It was not until recently that they personally experienced firsthand how March of Dimes helps babies and families. Noel faced some complications during her pregnancy, was monitored the entire time, and delivered the baby boy early. Today, five -plus months later, Sawyer Ross Noel, after some time in the NICU at Missouri Baptist, is fit as a fiddle and his parents and grandmother know that the research funded by the March of Dimes has led to the good health for the many babies who have been born prematurely or have health issues at birth.

Toder, long a member of this committee and also a former chair, is more than enthusiastic.  “This is actually one of the only charity events that I don’t have to ask my husband twice about attending. You don’t need to get dressed up, you ‘graze’ around the Ritz eating all of that delicious food and you bid on terrific auction items like a golf experience for four at the prestigious Prairie Dunes in Kansas,” she said.  She has the support of an outstanding committee, which includes her mother, great-grandmother, Peggy Ross.  To purchase tickets or to make a donation, contact Missy Tillman at 314-513-9955.

SUSAN FADEM IS ETERNALLY CREATIVE. A talented journalist, she was so impressed with Marshall Cohen when she interviewed him as one of the 2012 Jewish Light Unsung Heroes, she immediately decided to make his Lift for Life schools the opening night beneficiary of a photographic exhibit of Marian Brickner’s fun-filled “Cats Being Cats Being Cats.”

The event opens with the benefit on Friday, Aug. 24 at City Studio Dance Center, 8 N. Newstead Avenue in the Central West End. Donations made at the opening party from 6 to 9 p.m. will benefit the Lift for Life Academy.  Among the pictured felines will be Cohen’s Pookins Cohen as well as Skeets Keyser whose owners, Nancy and Steve Keyser, assure me that he is Jewish. The exhibit will be open by appointment after the opening.  Call 314-564-5855 to view it.

FROM LORRY BLATH — “Lois, this is not a Jewish story per se, but it is a hopeful cancer story and a St. Louis story, which could prove to be very exciting. I am co-chair of the Research Advisory Committee Komen St. Louis and we are providing an event free and open to the public on Thursday, Aug. 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Missouri History Museum. There’s no fundraising element to the event.” The flyer announcing the event declares “Turn Off That Gene! Transformational Research for Breast Cancer and Beyond.” To that I say come listen to this compelling discussion off new research in genetic profiling that may offer hope to survivors of all cancers. The panelists consist of two oncology physicians, an attorney and a professor of genetics. To reserve a spot, visit http://bit.ly/R9BRUM.