Customers who donate one new pair of pajamas (Children and Adult sizes) at the following Orange Leaf locations (Monroe, West Monroe, Natchitoches, New Iberia, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Sulphur, and Houma) will be rewarded with 3oz of free yogurt in exchange for their donation. The Orange Leaf Pajama Drive is a community-giving initiative that will take place in participating stores nationwide. The drive will last through Sunday, Dec. 16th.

Women & Children's Hospital will host two free bariatric seminars in the ICU Classroom located near the rear entrance of the hospital, located at 4200 Nelson Rd. Board-certified general surgeon, Keith Chung, M.D. will speak on Wednesday, November 14 and board-certified general surgeon Richard Shimer, M.D. will speak on Monday, November 19. Both of these seminars will be at 6pm. The doctors will discuss the three surgical weight loss procedures offered at WCH, a designated Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence and will help you find out if weight loss surgery is right for you.   Call 475-4716 to reserve your place for either of these seminars.  Feel free to bring a support person with you.

The SWLA Alliance is hosting an ITA workshop on November 15th on Employee & Volunteer Engagement: Increasing Results by Increasing Engagement. Could your staff and volunteers be more engaged in the mission of your organization? Increased engagement will increase morale, decrease turn-over, and increase your bottom line. This event is perfect for non-profit executive directors, board chairs, and team leaders. It will be held at the McNeese Alumni Center from 8:30am to 10:30am. RSVP to Gaye Courville at gcourville@allianceswla.org.

Andrew Foret, MD, hand and wrist specialist, will be the guest speaker at "Let Go of Wrist Pain," on Thursday, November 15, at Center for Orthopaedics in Lake Charles.  The seminar will begin at 5:30 pm. Seating for the seminar is limited and pre-registration is requested. Refreshments will be served. Call 721-7291 or register online in the event section of www.centerforortho.com. Center for Orthopaedics is located at 1747 Imperial Blvd. in Lake Charles.

Let's Be Totally Clear is hosting the Louisiana Express and Brian Racca at Luna Live (710 Ryan Street, LC). This event is co-hosted by the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation, the Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA, and Luna Bar & Grill. Music starts at 7pm and there will be gifts and free food throughout the event.

The Moss Bluff Harvest Festival has been planned for November 15, 16 and 17, at the Moss Bluff Recreation Complex. With many great events, games, food, pageants and more, there is something for everyone at this family-friendly festival. Admission for the festival is only $2, and the schedule of events is packed full of activities to keep you busy each day! Events for the 2012 Harvest Festival include Pageants, Gumbo Cookoff, Crafts, Music, Carnival Rides, Car Show, Magician and much, much more! November 15 and 16, festival hours are 5-9 p.m., and on Saturday, November 17, the hours are 10 a.m.- 9 p.m.   This event is sponsored in part by Cameron Communications.

Bolton Ford presents "Go Further with Ford Night" on Thursday, November 15 - a free fundraising event that will benefit Big Brothers/Big Sisters engaging consumers in the final "Random Acts of Fusion" adventure and offering them a chance to see the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion in person. For each person who attends Go Further with Ford Night on Nov. 15, Bolton Ford will donate $10 - up to a total of $500 - to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Lake Charles. While at the dealership, consumers will have a unique opportunity to compete to win a special VIP experience with American Idol®. A computer with a webcam will be set up in the dealership to allow consumers to view a special message from Seacrest and test their judging skills on camera, in true American Idol style. American Idolpremieres in January 2013 on FOX.

McNeese State University's Leisure Learning is offering the following classes: Getting Started with iPad (9 - 11:30am, Nov. 17); 300+ Online courses start Nov 14; Einstein Art Camp (Ages 6 - 12) (10 am to 2pm, Nov 19, 20); and Ballroom Dance (Waltz & Foxtrot) (6:30pm to 7:45 pm, Nov. 19, 26, Dec. 3, 10, 17). For more information, go to their website www.mcneese.edu/leisure for course descriptions, or call 337-475-5616 to register or for more information.

Call to reserve your place on the Lady of the Lake for the 1st 121 Wine Cruise. The cruise will take place on November 18, from 3pm to 7pm. Get on board of the Lady of the Lake at the Lake Charles Civic Center Marina at 3pm for an afternoon of heavy hors d'oeurves paired nicely with wine.   Tickets are $100 per guest and the cruise is limited to 150 guests. For reservations, call 310-7499.

The SWLA Alliance is hosting an ITA workshop on November 20, on Valuing Diversity. Today's managers face an increasingly diverse workforce with more women, minorities and immigrants.  While diversity can be a rich source of new perspectives and novel approaches to old problems, it also presents challenges to employees.  Participants will address issues related to understanding and capitalizing on diversity. The location of the course is still to be determined, but the time of the course will be 10am to 12pm.

Also on November 20, the Alliance is hosting Basic Supervision, from 1pm to 3pm. Proper training for new, front-line supervisors is essential.  Without the basic skills of supervision, this new role often results in chaos for supervisors, employees, and the organization.  This course will help new supervisors, and active supervisors looking for a refresher, develop skills to direct individuals and organizational work. To register for either or both of these classes, RSVP to Gaye Courville at gcourville@allianceswla.org or Brittany Hebert at brhebert@allianceswla.org, or by calling 337-433-3632, ext. 220. 

Performance Employee Assistance & Business Services is providing the following workshop as part of their 2012 Employee Relations Workshop Series: Crisis Intervention - Five Factors That Matter Most. Sooner or later, a crisis occurs. Depending on several factors, what happens next can be relatively manageable or even more frightening than the crisis itself! Learn what to pay attention to and how to move forward after the unexpected happens. This workshop will be on November 28, from 8:30am to 10:30am in the Family & Youth Conference Room. Register at www.fyca.org/erworkshops.html or contact Sue at 337-436-9533 or sue@fyca.org. 

The American Cancer Society invites you to join them at the 2013 Relay For Life Kickoff on Thursday, November 29, at Chick-Fil-A on Nelson Road from 5pm to 8pm. This event is open to the public. Meet their 2013 committee and learn more about Relay For Life and what you can do to be a part of this world-wide movement to end cancer. So don't worry about cooking that night and come eat out with your American Cancer Society and support a great cause; 10% of all sales will be donated to ACS. For more information, call Ariel at 337.433-5817 or ariel.caraway@cancer.org.    

The Hector San Miguel Memorial Fund will honor the late Shawn Martin at a luncheon to be held Thursday, December 6 at 11:30am in the L'Auberge Casino Resort Ballroom. Nationally known author Jeff Pearlman will deliver the keynote address. The award that will be presented posthumously to Martin is named for his former colleague at the Press, Hector San Miguel, who left an indelible mark on our community through an award-winning journalism career driven by his relentless pursuit of the truth. L'Auberge Casino Resort is the Presenting Sponsor of the luncheon. Luncheon reservations, available for $20 or $160 for a reserved table of eight, must be made in advance and purchased by check or cash. Contact the Community Foundation at (337) 491-6688 or dvaughan@foundationswla.org for further information. Reservations must be made by Thursday, November 29.

The City of Lake Charles will host Ida and Em Set the Stage, an exhibition honoring two ballet legends of Lake Charles, at the Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center. The exhibition will open with a reception on Friday, November 30 from 5:30-8pm and will hang through February 2.

The SWLA Alliance is hosting an ITA workshop on December 3, on Problem Solving and Decision Making. Repetitive problems consume large amounts of financial and human resources. How an organization addresses problems can mean the difference between finding permanent solutions and suffering future headaches.  The course presents a systemic approach to problem solving building upon consensus decision-making techniques.  Participants will work to solve problems in the session. The location of the course is still to be determined, but the time of the course will be 10am to 12pm.

Also on December 3, the Alliance is hosting Positive and Progressive Discipline, from 1pm to 3pm. An important part of a manager's authority involves disciplining employees.  Effective managers must be able to discipline others in an appropriate and positive manner.  Participants will discuss the barriers to discipline and learn techniques to improve their disciplinary efforts. To register for either or both of these classes, RSVP to Gaye Courville at gcourville@allianceswla.org or Brittany Hebert at brhebert@allianceswla.org, or by calling 337-433-3632, ext. 220. 

Lil' Band O' Gold's The Return of the Swamp Pop Christmas Pageant will be held on December 5, at 7pm at the Central School Theater in Lake Charles. If you missed LBoG's Christmas special last year here's another chance. Bask in the golden sounds of C.C. Adcock, Steve Riley, Warren Storm, David Egan, Tommy McClain and the gang in an all-new Christmas program Louisiana style! From covers like Dolly Parton's Hard Candy Christmas to Swamp Pop originals, LBoG will leave you swooning and in good the Christmas spirit. Get tickets early this show will sell out quickly. (http://www.facebook.com/lil.band.o.gold) Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Arts and Humanities Council of SWLA, second floor, Central School or on line through www.louisianacrossroads.org.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's PurpleStride Lake Area 2012 event takes place on Saturday, December 8, at Prien Lake Park at 7am. This year marks the eighth year of the walk and serves as an opportunity to raise awareness and money for pancreatic cancer research. The event also features a raffle, silent auction, children's activities, a sweets shop and food and refreshments. For more information or to register for the event, visit the event website at www.purplestride.org/lakearea.

Be an Exhibitor at the 2013 Southwest Louisiana Home Show! Booth sales have begun for the January 12th and 13th event at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Booth prices range from $350 to $500. Reserve your booth by contacting Vicki Broussard at 337-478-7893 or vickihba3@bellsouth.net.

American pop rock band, Matchbox Twenty, will hit the stage of L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles on Friday, March 22. Matchbox Twenty recently released its fourth album, "NORTH," which debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. Tickets will go on sale on Feb. 8, and can be purchased for $55 via www.ticketmaster.com. Must be 21. For more information on upcoming concerts log on to www.mylauberge.com or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/laubergedulac .