Community briefs for August 18, 2005

Thursday, Aug. 18, 2005 | 8:27 a.m.

Hosts wanted for foreign students

Foundation for Intercultural Travel, a designated exchange visitor program, is still matching international students, ages 15-18, with host families.

All families are eligible to host, retired couples to single parent families.

The students will be arriving soon and will bring their own spending money for clothes, entertainment and other expenses. In addition, all students have complete medical insurance.

Host families agree to provide room and board for their student, and to include them as a member of their family. All students speak English.

For more information about hosting a student, call (877) 439-7862.

Graduation planned for summer classes

The Clark County Business Development Division will hold a graduation ceremony Friday for high school students who participated in Clark County's 10th annual Summer Business Institute program.

The ceremony will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Texas Station in the Dallas Ballroom.

One-hundred high school juniors, seniors and freshman-year college students were enrolled in the eight-week institute, which offers the teens employment in a variety of fields including law, medicine, architecture, education and communications.

The program is a partnership between the county and more than 80 area businesses.

This year's group of high school students was assigned mentors and provided with on-the-job training. Additionally, all of the participants completed a community service project and attended financial management and life skills workshops.

Call 455-5534.

Benefit show is rescheduled

Because of the severe thunderstorms on Sunday, the American Red Cross, Southern Nevada Chapter's third annual "Red Cross Night at Spring Mountain Ranch" has been rescheduled for Sunday.

The Red Cross encourages the community to attend the event featuring an outdoor performance of the musical "Guys and Dolls." The net proceeds of the event will benefit the chapter's disaster relief and Armed Forces Emergency Services programs.

Spring Mountain State Park is located in Red Rock Canyon. The gates will open at 6 p.m. The performance begins at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $10; and children under six can attend for free.

Tickets can be purchased by telephoning the chapter at 791-3311 or paying on-line at the chapter's Website, www.redcross

'Girl Talk' subject at health center

The Barbara Greenspun WomensCare Center of Excellence, 100 N. Green Valley Parkway, Suite 330, is offering a class for mothers and their daughters, ages 10-14, to learn and discuss changes that a girl's body goes through during adolescence.

"Girl Talk" will be conducted by Dr. Rutu Ezhuthachan, a pediatrician, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 25.

For more information on the class, call WomensCare at 616-4900.

Backpack marathon for kids today

A bulldozer is to be buried by a donation of backpacks to benefit schoolchildren during an event until 7 p.m. today in the parking lot of the Pulte Homes/Del Webb main office in the Centra Point complex, 8345 W. Sunset Road.

All school supplies are in high demand, but backpacks aren't frequently donated at back-to-school drive.

In addition to burying the bulldozer under a heap of backpacks, the Pulte Homes event will also feature giveaways, music, and bottled water. For more information, call 914-4912.

Doug Conkin will speak on "Planning and Developing an Orchid Collection"

at the Greater Las Vegas Orchid Society meeting at 2 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Nevada Garden Club Building at the corner of Washington and Twin Lakes in Lorenzi Park. There will be refreshments afterwards and plants for sale as well as plants to look at. Call 251-1456.

The American Legion t will hold a meeting Sept. 10

in Pahrump at Post 22. There will be an executive board meeting at 9 a.m., followed by the regular meeting at 10 a.m. For more information, call Bill Erin at 293-7438.