*Saturday, Jan. 26, the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin (NKFW) will host the 2013 Spotlight on Life Gala at the InterContinental Milwaukee, 139 E. Kilbourn Ave. in Milwaukee. The gala, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., will include cocktails, a silent auction, dinner, music and a ballroom dance competition. The competition, set for 7:30 p.m., will feature dances by area health care executives and physicians paired with professionals from Fred Astaire Dance Studios. The public will be able to watch the competition online via UStream and can then vote for their favorite dancer online at www.spotlightonlife.org. Each vote costs $1, and all proceeds will benefit NKFW’s organ donation awareness initiatives. Ticket sales will also benefit the foundation. Tickets cost $125 for individuals and $2,000 for a table of 10. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.spotlightonlife.org.
*Monday, Jan. 28, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) will help present the 2013 Hiring Our Heroes Veterans Event. The job fair, free for employers and candidates, will be open to veterans, active duty military members, guard members, reservists and military spouses. The fair will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the War Memorial Center, located at 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr. in Milwaukee. Interested employers can register to participate at https://hoh.greatjob.net/sc/index.action. Interested military members can register to attend at https://hoh.greatjob.net/sc/index.action. For more information about the job fair, visit www.mmac.org.
*Monday, Jan. 28, IndependenceFirst Mobility Store will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its store location, 12040 W. Feerick St., Unit N in Wauwatosa. During open houses, area residents can purchase like new equipment such as wheelchairs and bath aids and also donate mobile and medical devices. Donations will be eligible for tax deductions. People attending the open house will be entered into a drawing for an iPod touch and will receive an extra entry for bringing a friend. IndependenceFirst Mobility Store will hold open houses every Monday through mid-March. For more information about the store, visit www.ifmobility.org.
*Tuesday, Jan. 29, the Milwaukee Center for Independence and the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee will present “Transform the Agenda: Creating an Innovative Culture at Your Nonprofit.” The conference will feature BizTimes columnist and business strategist Christine McMahon, who will address the importance of developing new ideas and implementing measurable action plans within nonprofit operations. The conference will also feature a panel discussion by nonprofit innovators. The event will be held at the MCFI Conference Center, Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Building, 2020 W. Wells St. in Milwaukee, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Cost to attend is $45 for Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee members and $65 for non-members. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/npinnovate or call 414-344-3933.
*Friday, Feb. 1, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Urban Studies Program will present a panel focused on Urban Home Ownership and Neighborhood Vitality during the Foreclosure Crisis. The event will also feature an exhibit of student projects from the 2012 Buildings-Landscapes-Cultures summer field school, sponsored by Historic Milwaukee, Inc. The panel discussion will be held at the Milwaukee City Hall Rotunda, 200 E. Wells St., from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Carrie Beranek in UWM’s Urban Studies Office at 414-229-4751 or at beranekc@uwm.edu.
*Friday, Feb. 1, through Thursday, Feb. 28, Stan’s Fit For Your Feet will host its seventh annual “Share-A-Pair” shoe drive. Interested donors can drop of new or gently used shoes Mondays through Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at collection bins at Stan’s store locations in Brookfield, Glendale, Greenfield. Stan’s New Balance Stores in Brookfield and Greenfield will also be collecting shoes. Participants will be thanked with a $10 Stan’s gift card for donating adult shoes and a $5 gift card for donating children’s shoes. Shoes collected benefit homeless residents at Milwaukee’s Repairers of the Breach and Fr. Gene’s Help Center in West Allis. The drive also supports the Nashville-based charity Soles4Souls. For more information about the shoe drive and Stan’s store locations, visit www.stansfootwear.com.
