Rio Rancho toy run

The 17th annual Rio Rancho Toy Run will take place today at 11:30 a.m. at Rio Rancho High School, 301 Loma Colorado Dr.

Riders participating in this motorcycle rally must donate one new toy and two non-perishable food items, or make a $20 per person donation. From the high school, the rally will travel along Northern Boulevard, Unser Boulevard, US 550, NM 528, and east on Sara Road, ending at the Italian-American Association, 1565 Stephanie Street.

At the Italian-American Association there will be music, a bike rodeo, refreshments and a raffle.

For more information, call 604-4326 or visit RioRanchoToyRun.org. This event is made possible by Rio Rancho Toy Run Inc., the Rio Rancho Convention and Visitors Bureau and the City of Rio Rancho.

PC Workshop

The Loma Colorado Main Lib-rary is hosting “Getting to Know Computers: PCs Workshop” on Wednesday, from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. in the computer room.

This class is designed for the beginner and will explain the very basics of using personal computers. Admission is free, but space is limited and registration is required. One must have a valid Rio Rancho Public Library card and a Mouserobics Certificate of Proficiency to participate. Call 891-5013, ext. 3033 for information.

Feng Shui your life

Women Make a Difference will be hosting a conference titled “Feng Shui Tips for Assuring Holiday Harmony: Six Gifts to Avoid Giving & Six Things to Take with You Into the New Year,” at Chamisa Hills Country Club from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Dec. 4. The speaker will be Carol Olmstead from Feng Shui for Real Life. The cost is $30 per person; reservations are required. Contact Val Romero at 362-8546 for questions or reservations.

Thanksgiving closures

City of Rio Rancho offices and facilities will be closed on Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

St. Felix, McDonald’s Thanksgiving dinner

On Thanksgiving Day, St. Felix Pantry in Rio Rancho will serve a free Thanksgiving dinner at McDonald’s, 1390 NM 528. The free turkey dinner with all the trimmings will be offered from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

No reservations are required. There will be no hamburgers served at McDonald’s on Thanksgiving Day. This year, St. Felix Pantry and McDonald’s owner Julian Garza celebrate their 16th anniversary of jointly sponsoring this community event. The dinner is open to anyone who will be alone, needs food, or needs a place to go on Thanksgiving Day. Contact Sister Edna Esquibel or Susan Bligh at 891-8075 (8 a.m. to noon, Mon.-Sat.).

Grief Center open

The Children’s Grief Center of New Mexico (CGC), a nonprofit organization providing free, open and ongoing support groups for grieving kids and their families, will now hold groups in Rio Rancho at Maggie Cordova Elementary (1500 Veranda Rd SE) for young people ages 5 to 14 and their caregivers on alternating Thursday evenings.

To join the Rio Rancho groups, families need to call CGC headquarters (323-0478), at Sunset Mesa School in Albuquerque. Monthly orientations for new families are held at Sunset Mesa, then families can choose to attend either Tuesday or Wednesday night groups on the Sunset Mesa campus, or Thursdays in Rio Rancho. The next orientation will be on Monday, Nov. 30, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The mission of Children’s Grief Center is to provide a safe and supportive environment where children, teens and their families can share experiences while grieving a death.

To learn about Children’s Grief Center, visit childrensgrief.org.

Give the gift of warmth

During this economic recession, thousands of people in New Mexico are in need of food and clothing. The holiday season is particularly difficult for many families. This year, the New Mexico Rail Runner Express has teamed up with the Storehouse of Greater Albuquerque to sponsor a holiday coat drive. In that spirit, collection barrels have been placed on each Rail Runner train through Nov. 30. Bring jackets, coats, sweaters or anything considered “outerwear.”

Rail Runner passengers are encouraged to bring an outerwear donation on the train. For information, go to nmrailrunner.com or call (866) 795-RAIL.

Weekly support group

SOUPS is a support group for parents and caregivers of young children that will meet weekly on Thursdays. The meetings will feature supervised crafts for children while parents engage in a different activity in a separate area.

A $5 donation per parent is requested, but not mandatory. The dates and locations are as follows for the remainder of the year: Thanksgiving Day — no program; Thursday, Dec. 3, at First Unitarian Church — 3701 Carlisle Blvd. NE in Albuquerque. Call 884-1801 (Daylene) for more information; Thursday, Dec. 10 at Unitarian Universalist Westside Congregation — 1650 Abrazo Road NE in Rio Rancho. Call 896-0834 (Cynthia) for more information.

Help CASA help kids

On Dec. 5, Sandoval County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) will be holding a holiday party for all children in the Sandoval County foster care system.

This annual event provides lunch, gifts and a visit with Santa to over 50 children who are in foster care due to abuse or neglect. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency, CASA has provided advocacy and support services to Sandoval County foster children for more than 11 years. CASA would like to ask Rio Rancho residents to support its mission by making a donation of a new, unwrapped toy for this event. Tax-deductible donations may be dropped off before December 1 at CASA offices, at 4011 Barbara Loop SE Suite 107 in Rio Rancho, or by calling Tammy at 720-7030 for pick up.

AARP driving class

AARP is hosting a driving class on Dec. 12, at 5103 Santa Fe Hills Dr., ste. 5, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost for non-members is $14 and for AARP members $12. Call Calvin Cross at 867-6096 to register.

Blue Star Mothers

The Rio Rancho Blue Star Mothers need the public’s help with donations to pack and send to troops overseas. The next mailing will be Dec. 12.

Blue Star Mothers needs donations of the following items to send to troops: beef jerky (individually wrapped), beef sticks, bean dip (pop-top container), beef-a-roni (pop-top container), chicken/corned beef hash (pop-top container), lasagna (pop-top or easy to open container), sun screen, shaving gel/cream, sanitary wipes/gel, batteries, seasonal items, drink packets to add to water (Crystal Light, coffee, tea, cider, filler candy, tootsie roll pops), small canned fruits (pop-top cans), canned SPAM (pop-top), Hormel chile (pop-top), tuna/salmon packets, travel size body and foot powder, toothbrush covers, travel size mouthwash, pocket-size notebooks and carpenter’s pencils.

Winterfest Parade

Registration forms for Rio Rancho’s Winterfest Parade are now available via the city’s Web site, ci.rio-rancho.nm.us/winterfest, or can be obtained at the City Hall offices of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department.

Forms must be received no later than Dec. 2 to participate. This year’s parade will take place on Saturday, Dec. 12 and will begin at 5:15 p.m. The parade will start at the intersection of Golf Course Road and Southern Boulevard, and travel east where it will conclude near the intersection of Southern Boulevard and NM 528/Pat D’Arco Highway.

At the conclusion of the parade, spectators are encouraged to visit Haynes Park, 2006 Grande Blvd., for the city’s annual Luminaria Tour. More than 12,000 luminarias will be arranged along several different walking paths. This event ends at 9 p.m.

The Winterfest Parade is sponsored by Mayor Tom Swisstack, the Joiner Family and the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. For more information about either event, call 891-5015. Rio Rancho City Hall is located at 3200 Civic Center Circle NE.

Grants available

The city of Rio Rancho’s Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful (KRRB) Division is now accepting grant applications for recycling, litter prevention, beautification and environmental education activities which serve the community.

Mini-grants up to $1,000 are available to schools, churches, community-based groups and nonprofits. In total, $4,000 has been provided by New Mexico Clean and Beautiful under the New Mexico Litter Control and Beautification Act.

The grant application, as well as additional guidelines for how grant funding can be used, is available on the city’s Web site, ci.rio-rancho.nm.us, by clicking on KRRB’s Kerby Coyote mascot icon and link located on the right side of the main home page. For more information or questions, contact Jennifer Scacco, KRRB coordinator, at 896-8389 or jscacco@ci.rio-rancho.nm.us.

Applications must be submitted to the KRRB offices located at Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE, by 5 p.m. on Dec. 21. Applicants will be notified about the status of their application no later than Jan. 15.

Holiday lights

Enchanted Hills Neighborhood Association (EHHA) will sponsor its annual “Holiday Lights” decorating contest for home holiday displays in the subdivision. The deadline to nominate your home or a favorite display in the neighborhood is Friday, Dec. 18. Judging will be on Saturday, Dec. 19, after 6 p.m. All Enchanted Hills residents are encouraged to turn on their light displays.

Any Enchanted Hills home and any holiday observance (Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, Ramadan or other December holiday) are eligible for the awards. E-mail nominations to holidaylights@ehha.us. Be sure to include the the address of your favorite home display.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three winners, and will be presented at EHHA’s general membership meeting on Thursday, Jan. 14.