Wonderland on Ice is back bigger and better than ever - ice skating at L'Auberge Casino Resort runs through Tuesday, January 1, 2013, with a larger rink. Skating sessions are three hours long and are $15 per person/per session. For more information, visit https://www.llakecharles.com/entertainment/wonderland-on-ice.

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.  

Lives are touched everyday by the generous gift of blood donors. We are calling all businesses to participate in the new LifeShare Donor Appreciation Program. The program will offer discounts, bogo, or other appreciation to almost 2000 donors in SWLA. If you would like to participate by saying THANK YOU to our donors, the deadline is November 30th. The program will be launched at the "Be A Holiday Hero" party at LifeShare on December 14th.   Please contact Kristi Morris/LifeShare, 337-436-4932, kristi.morris@lifeshare.org or Erin Davison/Business Health Partners, 337-626-1011, edavison@businesshealthpartners.com for additional information or to sign-up.

Max Air Helicopters, located in the Million Air Complex at Chennault Intl. Airport, recently announced that they have received a Part 135 Air Taxi/Air Carrier Certification awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration. This now allows Max Air Helicopters to operate as a full service Air Carrier/Charter Service for passengers and cargo for the entire 48 contiguous United States. To celebrate this milestone, Max Air is discounting, up to 50% on all aerial photos located on their website, at www.maxairhelicopters.com . If you can't find what you want, please contact Max Trost at 337-802-4209 for assistance and pricing for charter flights.

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 Southwest Louisiana's Aids Council is marking the Annual World AIDS Day with a memorial service on Saturday, December 1st  at 6pm.  Call 337-439-5861 for more information.

Cataracts are an eye condition that will affect everyone at some point as they age. Symptoms include clouded, blurred or dim vision; problems with night vision; sensitivity to light or glare; frequent changes of lens' prescription; and double vision, among others. If you think you have symptoms of cataract, or already know you have them, you can get more information about the condition and your treatment options at this free community seminar starting at 7:30am on Monday, December 3.   The Eye Clinic's board certified ophthalmologists, Dr. Alan Lacoste, Dr. Jon Yokubaitis, Dr. Mark Crawford, Dr. A.J. O'Byrne and Virgil Murray, will discuss the latest diagnostic and treatment methods for cataracts, along with the newest advances in surgical techniques and premium lens implants. The event will take place at The Eye Clinic's Lake Charles office, located at 1717 Oak Park Blvd. Breakfast will be served but seating is limited. Door prizes will also be given away. Call 478-3810 for more information or to pre-register, or register online at www.theeyeclinic.net.

The Calcasieu Parish Public Library will host four authors in December. On December 3, at 5pm, Ross Edwards, author of The Mathemagicians, will speak about his experiences as a new writer at the Central Library. A senior at Jennings High School, Edwards is a Student Council member and is active in football and track. He is also the National Novel Writing Month Winner. On December 5, at 2pm, Louisianan Lori Leger, described as a contemporary romance novelist with a Cajun flair, will share her experiences and inspirations as the writer of the La Fleur de Love series and her latest series, Halos and Horns, which is set in a fictional Louisiana town. A book signing will follow. On December 10, at 10am, author of The Visionary, Pamela Thibodeaux, will talk about her new book, the events in the story that take place in Lake Charles, and how the writing development came about. An open discussion will take place afterward, with refreshments. Please register to participate. For more information please call 721-7101. On December 17, at 5pm, author Jennifer Thibodeaux will talk about her first book, Static, which is set to be released in December. The heroine of the novel lives in an alternate reality unbeknownst to even herself. Set in present-day Louisiana, the book is an epic romance with a supernatural twist. Thibodeaux will read from the book and speak of her experiences as a new writer.  

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.

The Frame House & Gallery is having their Holiday Art Bash on December 8, from 10am to 3pm. There will be artists, music, food, and an art demonstration with Reajean Clark who will be doing a Gyotaku fish rubbing.   You can also pop a balloon for a Holiday Gift Prize - $300 handcrafted necklace. The Frame House & Gallery is located at 1640 Ryan Street in Lake Charles.

Mediated Solutions & Coaching, LLC is offering three (3) hours of Free Coaching (Divorce or Negotiation) for 2 adults, valued at $375/person. Divorce Coaching helps individuals/couples with financial and property division. Our Negotiation and Divorce Coaching saves you time and money in resolving disputes by helping you create a workable plan with alternative options along with preparing you for mediation if required. The drawing will be on December 8th. Register at www.mediatorandcoach.com.

Do you support a Calcasieu Parish School? Elementary, Middle School, and High Schools, whether public or parochial - area schools have the chance to win -- and YOU can make it happen for your favorite school! Chick-fil-A at Lumpkin Plaza wants you to get the word out to your co-workers, PTOs/PTAs, teachers, staff and any student who has a facebook account!    

1. Visit their page on facebook: Chick-fil-A at Lumpkin Plaza
2. "Like" the page and post the name of your school on the page!
3.  Share with all your facebook friends, asking them to do the same
   That's all it takes!The contest ends on December 14th, at midnight! They will tally all the schools submitted, along with the number of people who posted that school's name on our facebook page. 

On Oct. 30, Habitat for Humanity, along with representatives from Billy Navarre Chevrolet, City of Westlake, and the Isle of Capri Casino celebrated the home groundbreaking of Kade and Brittany Kibodeaux at 1220 Laurel St. in Westlake, La. The slab is now in place and the framing will begin soon, so we are asking for volunteers to commit to one day (or more) of working on site with us. Available dates at this time are December 17-20, 2012. If you would like to come as an individual, or as a group, please contact us as soon as possible since we are expecting available times to go fast. Contact HFHCA's Volunteer Coordinator to reserve an available date for you or your team: volunteer@hfhca.org.

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. Also available this year: Exhibitor Badge Sponsorships!  Every exhibitor will be wearing the badges during the entire show with possibly your logo on the back. Contact Vicki for more information.

The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau is honored to host the Lieutenant Governor's Tourism Summit in Lake Charles January 22-24, 2013 at L'Auberge Casino Resort. Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne has declared 2013 the Year of Music, so the conference theme will be "Louisiana Strong - Tourism Jam Session." The Louisiana Travel Promotion Association has planned one of the largest educational opportunities for tourism professionals across the state at the Summit. Attendees will hear from the Lieutenant Governor and other legislators on the state of the industry; Roger Dow, the President and CEO of the US Travel Association; and the Louisiana Office of Tourism. Breakout sessions will be held for sales, marketing, leadership and communications. To attend the entire conference, the Early Bird Rate is $325 until December 31. Or, consider coming for a single day for $195. To find out more about the conference, go to www.ltpa.org.

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 hang through February 2.