IF YOU WERE PROMISED THE END OF BREAST CANCER BY 2020 would you agree to support the effort? I know that I would and now we all have the opportunity to help make that come true. St. Louis Breast Cancer Coalition (SLBCC) is inviting you to take such action on Nov. 13 at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in Creve Coeur beginning with a 5 p.m. reception and presentation to follow at 6. The speaker will be Fran Visco, “the most influential nonscientist ever in the field of breast cancer research,” according to Science magazine. 

Why a deadline? 

According to Mary Lynn Faunda Donovan, a SLBCC and National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) board member, “A deadline changes everything by urging scientists to pursue ambitious goals such as preventive vaccine and halting metastasis. Having a deadline shifts dialogue about breast cancer from awareness and screening to prevention and saving lives.” The NBCC launched Breast Cancer Deadline 2020 to end breast cancer by Jan. 1, 2020. That means we must understand how to prevent people from getting breast cancer in the first place, as well as how to prevent them from dying from the disease.

Visco will discuss the fact that in the United States alone 39,620 women and 410 men will die of breast cancer.  She will present the strategies leading to the understanding as to how to prevent individuals from developing breast cancer and how to prevent the spread of the disease to other parts of the body. 

For reservations to the November event, which costs $20, call 314-989-1111 or go to slbcc.org.

PIANOS FOR PEOPLE will hold its “100 Fingers” benefit Sunday, Oct. 5, from 4-9 p.m. at the Wine Press, 4436 Olive Boulevard in the Central West End.  This casual evening of high energy will feature 10 performances and 100 fingers flying. Proceeds from the evening will go to this St. Louis based not-for-profit that refurbishes quality, donated pianos and delivers them to families and community organizations that could otherwise not afford them. Since December 2012, Pianos for People has delivered more than 70 pianos throughout the St. Louis region. 

Tickets to the benefit, at $45, can be purchased at Jackson Piano, 4354 Olive Street or [email protected] or by calling 314-882-6143. Beginning in October, the organization will offer free pianos lessons at its new Piano School on Cherokee Street. Applications for a free piano or lessons can be made at pianosforpeople.com.

THE 8^th ANNUAL MEMORIES AND MELODIES event is to be held this year on Thursday evening, Nov. 6 at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis. This is a benefit for Memory Care Home Solutions, which provides help for families and caregivers of individuals with memory loss, dementia or Alzheimer’s and does a wonderful job of doing it. There is no charge for these services, thanks to the generosity of individuals like you. For reservations to Memories and Melodies starting at $185 per person, call Erin Kelly at 314-645-6247 x226 or online at [email protected]. 

 

THE WORK OF ARTIST BARBARA HOLTZ will be on exhibit at the Sheldon Art Galleries, opening Friday, Oct. 3 with a free gallery opening and reception. Barbara’s work is beautiful, with expressive use of line and color, often with collaged elements that illuminate very personal narratives about family and her own inner-world. A multiple award winner for her work, she has been included in numerous group exhibitions, both nationally and internationally. The show is up until Jan. 17.

THE REGIONAL ARTS COMMISSION (RAC), at 6128 Delmar Boulevard, presents “Back Lot at the Big Top,” a current exhibition of artwork created during the 2013 and 2014 Artist Day at Circus Flora. It’s a special glimpse of the back lot at St. Louis’ own magical one ring circus, interpreted through the visual arts. The exhibition will be on display through Dec. 31.

“STAIRS TO THE ROOF” by Tennessee Williams, was written in the early 1940s when he lived in St. Louis. It’s been produced only once by the Pasadena Playhouse early in William’s career. From Nov. 6-23, Sudden View Productions will present the play at the newly renovated Boo Cat Club, formerly the Artists’ Guild at 812 Union Boulevard. The Boo Cat Club has been renovated and revived by artists Carol and Pat Schuchard. Carrie Houk is serving as artistic director of Sudden View and will direct “Stairs to the Roof.”

When his residence was St. Louis, Williams lived in the 4600 block of Westminster Place and occasionally appeared in works at the nearby Artists’ Guild. Director Houk claims that “Stairs to the Roof” deserves a place in the pantheon of great Williams plays. For tickets   at $25 to $50, call Brown Paper Bag Tickets. 

“OPENING THE DOORS TO SPIRITUALITY,” sponsored by the Alliance on Mental Illness-NAMI St. Louis takes place Sunday, Oct. 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman Avenue. People affected by mental illness have the same spiritual needs as anyone.  The program is an opportunity to include spiritual support and understanding as a component of recovery for individuals and families experiencing mental illness. Several religious communities will be represented and will express their diversity through music, prayer, readings from sacred texts and personal testimonies. Registration is free of charge and can be done by calling NAMI St. Louis at 314-962-4670 or by emailing [email protected].