This Week
Thursday
State Dinner — 6 p.m. in the Keller Gallery of the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, Canton. Cocktail hour with “President McKinley,” dinner in the Keller Gallery, presentation based on historical speeches. $45. 330-455-7043 or go to www.mckinleymuseum.org.
Kidney Foundation of Summit County Reverse Raffle — 6-8 p.m. at the Getaway, 1462 N. Portage Path, Akron. Sideboards, cash prizes and 50/50. Grand prize is $500. Hot dogs $1, draft $1. Tickets $25. Call Carolyn at 330-864-1236.
Friday
Lehman Alumni Association Polar Bear Party — 6 p.m. at Meyers Lake Ballroom, 3218 Parkway St. NW, Canton. Buffet dinner and silent auction. $25. 330-494-8253.
Friday-Saturday
Hospice of the Western Reserve Warehouse Sale — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Hospice of the Western Reserve Headquarters, 17876 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland. Gently used home furnishings, accents and accessory pieces. www.hospicewr.org/.
Friday
Portage Lakes Polar Bear Jump — Portage Lakes State Park at the Beach, 5031 Manchester Road, New Franklin. Registration begins at noon, jump at 2 p.m. All proceeds benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. $25 minimum donation, $100 for T-shirt, $500 for VIPB. www.portagelakespolarbearclub.com.
“Carnival of Life” Heart Ball — 6 p.m. at Hilton Akron/Fairlawn, 3180 W. Market St., Akron. Black-tie event with cash bar, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, live and silent auctions, dancing. Benefits American Heart Association. $200. Reservations due Tuesday. http://akronheartball.heart.org.
Plan Ahead
Canton Chamber of Commerce 103rd Annual Dinner — 5:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Canton Memorial Civic Center, 1101 Market Ave. N., Canton. Speaker Alex Molinaroli, chairman and CEO of Johnson Controls. $100. Reservations due Tuesday. 330-458-2070 or www.CantonChamber.org.
Humane Society of Summit County Bow Wow Bingo — 6-9 p.m. Feb. 23 at St. George Family Centre, 3204 Ridgewood Road, Akron. Bingo, silent auction, $500 grand prize raffle, drinks, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and desserts. $50. Reservations due Thursday. Raffle tickets $10; need not be present to win. www.summithumane.org.
Greenleaf Family Center Night at the Races — 5 p.m. Feb. 25 at Presentation of Our Lord, 3365 Ridgewood Road, Fairlawn. Barbecue dinner, prizes, name a horse, raffles. $20; $30 includes entry to win two tickets from Southwest Airlines. BYOB. 330-376-9494, ext. 241, or www.eventbrite.com.
Voices of Canton Celebrates Mardi Gras — 5:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Cultural Center for the Arts, 1001 Market Ave. N., Canton. Dinner by Mr. Mike’s Catering, $1,000 reverse raffle grand prize with buybacks and sideboard tables, a fortune teller, magician, games. $55. 330-455-1000 or www.voicesofcanton.org.
Battle of the Badges — 6 p.m. March 3 at Cuyahoga Falls High School Gym, 2300 Fourth St. The police and fire department of Cuyahoga Falls will square off in a charity basketball game. Proceeds benefit the Falls Cancer Club. $5 adults, $3 ages 3-17, $20 family. Call Bonnie Severt at 330-929-2506 or the Falls Cancer Club at 330-929-2796.
Celtic Club St. Pet’s Day Bulldog Lift-a-thon — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 4 at Stow-Munroe Falls High School. Student/athletes will perform four lifts and receive donations per pound for their best lift. Food, beverages, performances by Celtic Rush and the MacConmara Irish Dancers. Benefits Stow Police K-9 Fund. $5, children 12 and under free. 330-689-5204; 330-689-5700; 330-867-0485.
A Day at Hogwarts — 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 4 at Wayne Center for the Arts Auditorium and Building, 237 S. Walnut St., Wooster. Courses include Potions, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transformation. Proceeds support arts programming accessibility through Wayne Center for the Arts. $30 members, $35 nonmembers. Registration deadline March 1. 330-264-2787, ext. 201, or www.wayneartscenter.org.
Victim Assistance Program Mardi Gras Gala — 5:30 p.m. March 4 at the Tangier, 532 W. Market St., Akron. Open bar, gourmet dinner, auctions, raffles, music and dancing. $95 before Feb. 15, $110 after. 330-376-0040 or www.victimassistanceprogram.org/events/mardi-gras-gala.aspx.
Northeast Ohio Foundation for Patriotism: Red, White and Groove Gala — 5:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. March 4 at the Astrodome, 5720 State Road, Parma. Veterans will share stories of how NEOPAT has helped their families. Live music, open bar, dinner and live entertainment. $140. www.neopat.org/news-events.
Canton Ballet Touchdowns & Tutus — 6 p.m. March 4 at Umstattd Performing Arts Hall, 2331 17th St. NW, Canton. Performance by high school students and Canton Ballet dancers with celebrity judge panel. VIP Tailgate Party at 7:30, tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame with food, drinks and cash bar. Performance $25, $15 student, $35 preferred seating. Tailgate Party $25, $15 student. www.cantonballet.com or 330-455-7220.
Send information about social and charity events to The Scene, c/o Lynne Sherwin, Features Department, Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309. Or email lsherwin@thebeaconjournal.com with ‘‘The Scene’’ in the subject line. Event notices should be sent at least two weeks in advance. Merits of all organizations have not been investigated by the Beacon Journal, so potential donors should verify the worthiness of a cause before committing.