On Wednesday, February 13, Chick-fil-A on Nelson Road is offering their bead exchange program for the 2nd year in a row! Between 3:00 and 5:00 PM, area residents are encouraged to bring in a grocery sack of beads collected during the Mardi Gras parades.  Chick-fil-A will give each donor a fresh-baked Chocolate Chunk Cookie in exchange!

Over a dozen high school students representing schools and libraries across Southwest Louisiana will come together on Thursday, February 14, to compete for top honors at Poetry Out Loud's Annual Southwest Louisiana Regional Competition in the Central School Theater at 6 p.m. The students who compete at the Regional level have already made it through the first round of competition at their schools or local library. The program is facilitated regionally by the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana.

A new exhibition, "Second Life of Plants", will hang at Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center from February 15 through April 6, 2013. 

The Empress of Soul, Gladys Knight, will perform at L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles on February 15, in the Event Center. Gladys Knight is an eight-time Grammy winner and has performed as a solo and group artist over the past 50 years.Tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.com. Floor tickets will be $60, and stadium tickets will be $50. Must be 21 to attend.

Evergreen Life Services and Painting with a Twist invite you to a fun evening of painting, refreshments, and good company on Sunday, February 17, from 2 -5 p.m., all to benefits the individuals served at Evergreen who have disabilities. Cost to attend is $45, of which 50% is donated back to Evergreen. Call 337-478-0955 to reserve your seat. Door prizes will be given out! http://www.paintingwithatwist.com/events/viewEvent.aspx?eventID=65883

The Foreman-Reynaud Community Center, located at 215 Albert Street in Lake Charles, will be hosting Life Guard Classes for ages 15 and up beginning on February 18. For more information, call 337-436-2500. Class registration will be $200.00.

Women & Children's Hospital will host a free Heartburn/TIF seminar Tuesday, February 19, at 6 pm in the First Floor Classroom of the hospital, located at 4200 Nelson Rd. Board-certified general surgeon, Keith Chung, M.D. will discuss common symptoms experienced by patients who suffer from GERD including moderate to severe heartburn, chronic cough, chest pain, difficulty or painful swallowing, sore throat and more.  Attendees will also gain a better understanding of the various treatment options available. For more information about the TIF procedure or to register for the free seminar, call 475-4075.

The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Continuum of Care (CoC) is asking for volunteers to assist with its annual "Point in Time Homeless Count Survey" taking place Tuesday, February 26, 2013. The count is taken across the 5 parish region of Southwest Louisiana and will help determine the amount of federal funding available for homeless assistance in the State of Louisiana and each CoC region. Between 50 to 100 volunteers are needed and are asked to take part in an important pre-count training session on Saturday, February 23, from 8:30am to noon. The training session will be held at the First United Methodist Church on 812 Kirkman Street in Lake Charles, LA.Training will be conducted by The Calcasieu Medical Reserve Corps. To sign up as a volunteer please contact their office at (337) 656-0839 by Thursday, February 21, 2013.

McNeese's Small Business Development Center is hosting Starting and Financing a Small Business on February 21. The seminar will be at the Burton Business Center, Room 121 on campus. Registration begins at 4:30pm and seminar runs from 5pm to 7pm. Participants will discover if they are really an entrepreneur, get information on financing, learn how to write a business plan, and understand what a banker really wants to know. This seminar is free. Pre-register by phoning 337-475-5529 or emailing lsbdc.msu@lsbdc.org.

All members of the Chamber Southwest are invited to attend the February 26, meeting of The Technology Council to learn more about Two-Factor Authentication. Protecting your digital life on the internet is becoming increasingly difficult. Hackers are actively attempting to steal information from both people and businesses, and they are succeeding by an astonishing margin - often due to weak password policies. Two-Factor Authentication is a technology that solves the password problem by combining your normal credentials with an additional security mechanism. Join the Technology Council as they discuss the state of password security and how you can take advantage of the rising availability of Two-Factor Factor Authentication to get ahead of hackers and help protect yourself and your business. The Technology Council meets on the 7th Floor of the Magnolia Building (1011 Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles) at 7:30am. For more information, contact R.B. Smith at rsmith@allianceswla.org.

The agriculture industry is a vital part of the economy in Southwest Louisiana.  The SWLA Economic Development Alliance would appreciate your input on ways that we can collaborate to continue to grow this segment of our regional economy.  We invite you to share your thoughts and ideas at the following sessions: Calcasieu Parish, February 28, from 10am to 11:30am at the LSU Ag Center (7101 Gulf Highway, Lake Charles) and Cameron Parish, Thursday, March 14, from 10am to 11:30am at the LSU Ag Center, 180 Henry Street in Cameron. Please let us know of your participation by calling the SWLA Alliance/Chamber office, 337-433-3632 or emailing lclark@allianceswla.org. 

The Arts Council of SWLA has announced that the application for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Arts Funding Grant is available for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. This competitive grant program is funded annually by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and administered by the Arts Council, and provides up to $5,000.00 for cultural events and projects staged within the Parish each year. Applications may be downloaded at www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org or picked up at the Arts Council office, located at 809 Kirby Street, Suite 202 in Lake Charles. Applications must be received, not post-marked, by Friday, March 1, at 5pm in the Arts Council office; applications may not be submitted to the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury.

Women & Children's Hospital is proud to present Girl's Night Out on Saturday, March 2, from 4:30 - 8:30 pm. Girls ages 9-16 are invited to come hear physicians, nurses and other professionals engage in direct and honest dialogue concerning a wide arrange of topics including anatomy, puberty and hygiene, fitness and nutrition, self-esteem, sexual health and more. Pre-registration and a signed parental consent is required. Cost is $20.00 per person, which includes dinner. For more information or to register, call 475-4075 or visit www.Women-Childrens.com/GirlsNightOut

Big Brothers, Big Sisters is hosting The Big Easy (It's easy to be a Big!) Bowl for Kids Sake fundraiser on March 3, at Petrol Bowl. Enjoy a fun-filled hour with five of your friends while raising money for the children of Southwest Louisiana. All money raised stays in the region. Bowl a game with a team of 6 ($30 minimum per bowler) and win prizes! Click here for info or to register. http://www.bbbs-swla.net/index.php?id=73

Women & Children's Hospital will host their next free Healthy Woman event on Thursday, March 7 from 5:30pm to 7pm at the Lake Charles Country Club located at 3350 Country Club Drive. Board-certified cardiologist Thomas Mulhearn IV, M.D. will discuss the topic of Women and Heart Disease. Attendees will learn about individual risk factors for heart disease and methods to reduce those risks. Free blood pressure and BMI screenings will be offered. Anyone interested in attending this event or in joining Healthy Woman should register at www.women-childrens.com/healthywoman or call Lisa Guerrero at 337-475-4064. Door prizes and refreshments will be provided following the program.  

The Arts Council of SWLA and the City of Lake Charles are proud to announce that the second season of Live @ the Lakefront Music Fest will take place on three consecutive Fridays on March 8th, 15th, and 22nd, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Lakefront Promenade. The 2013 season line-up includes City Heat (jazz/R&B) with the Barbe Show Choir (cover rock) on March 8th, Grammy-nominated Lost Bayou Ramblers (crossover zydeco) with John Guidroz (indie rock) on March 15th, and Ashes of Babylon (reggae) with the Lochness Mobsters (rock) closing the season on March 22nd. For details, visit www.facebook.com/ArtsCouncilSWLA or call (337) 439-2787.

Volunteers of America's Beats & Eats fundraiser will be on Friday, March 8, from 6 to 9 pm at Treasures of Marilyn's.  The casual event will feature live music and a buffet dinner.  As part of the fundraiser, there is a raffle for the Beats & Eats Gift Card Bundle, a  bundle of gift cards worth over $500 to these top retail establishments.  The raffle tickets are only $5 per chance.  Tickets for Beats & Eats are $30 for individuals or $250 for reserved tables of ten before February 25th.  Tickets are $35 per person after February 25th upon availability.  Sponsorships and corporate tables are available.  To purchase event or raffle tickets, call Volunteers of America at (337) 497-0034.

Goodwill Industries of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana is holding their Back to the Beginning Saturday Night Fever 40th Anniversary Gala on March 15, at the Holiday Inn Grand Ballroom in Beaumont. There will be a silent auction, dinner, and dancing. Tickets are $60 each. For more information or to register, call 409-838-9911.

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.

American Cancer Society is having its Bark For Life - A Canine Event to Fight Cancer on Saturday, March 23 from 9am to 1pm at the Lake Charles Civic Center. This event is $20 entry per dog. For more information contact BarkForLifeSWLA@gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/BarkForLifeSWLA.

Women & Children's Hospital is a presenting sponsor for the 2013 Lake Charles March for Babies Walk, which will be held on Saturday, April 20 at Prien Lake Park. Anyone interested in starting a company or family team can sign up at http://www.marchforbabies.org.  This is the 75th anniversary for the March of Dimes and the walk will include a big birthday celebration for the organization. Call Community Director, Martha Grant at (337) 233-8476 for more information.

Prien Lake Mall will host National Mom's Nite Out, presented by Lysol, Thursday, May 9, from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in Sears Court. Mom's Nite Out is a much deserved night out with the "girls". This free event for Moms is a great way for local moms to have a night out at Prien Lake Mall! It's also a great way for your business to advertise to this consumer! If you are interested in sponsoring or reserving a table for Moms' Nite Out please Contact Nikki Buxton at 337-477-7487 or email to abuxton@simon.com.

The 2013 Mac Burns/West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Foundation Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, May 11 at Frasch Golf Course in Sulphur.  The tournament will follow a 4-man scramble format with a double shotgun start at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.  This year's entry fee is $400 per team and covers food, drinks, shirts, range balls and mulligans.  Various levels of sponsorships are available.  For more information or to participate in the tournament, call (337) 527-4241.

Prien Lake Mall, KPLC-TV and Entergy are pleased to announce the Fifth Annual Hurricane Preparedness Event on Saturday, May 18, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., with presentations in Food Court and tables set up throughout the mall. If you would like to be part of this exciting event, please call Nikki Buxton at 337-477-7487 or email at abuxton@simon.com.