Children invited to design a St. Patrick's Day Parade logo

The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will take place March 17 in Crown Point and the Department of Special Events needs help from the children of Crown Point in designing a logo for the parade.

The contest is open to all Crown Point residents 17 and younger. The winner will have the opportunity to be the Junior Grand Marshal of the parade.

Each entry must be submitted using the template that can be found at www.crownpoint.in.gov. All entries must be received by the Mayor's Office of Special Events, 11065 Broadway, Crown Point, IN 46307 by Feb. 24.

The lighted parade hosts 32 juried entries, the Lake County Pipe and Drums Band, emergency vehicles, and Grand Marshal and Mayor David Uran. For more information, call the Mayor's Office of Special Events at (219) 662-3290.

Grow your business

NWI Small Business Network Club invites business people to attend a free workshop at 8 a.m. Feb. 9 at Café Divine, within Living Hope Church, 9000 Taft St., Crown Point.

The workshop will show business owners and managers how they can grow their business free by using local community websites. This is an excellent networking opportunity as well.

Attendees will have the opportunity to create a 30-second commercial about their business and distribute their business cards and promotional materials.

Reservations are available by calling George Vogrin at (219) 769-2349.

Daffodil Days

American Cancer Society is seeking volunteers and donations to support its Daffodil Days campaign that is conducted through February.

Daffodil Days offers an opportunity to help support efforts to find a cure for cancer. One of the first flowers of spring, this beautiful yellow bloom has come to symbolize hope for cancer patients and their loved ones.

The most unique component of Daffodil Days - a Gift of Hope - is a donation made to the American Cancer Society that supports its mission to eradicate cancer and allows the society to deliver fresh daffodils anonymously to cancer patients during the month of March.

Companies and organizations seeking greater community awareness can sponsor Daffodil Days through cash or in-kind sponsorships. Coordinate a Daffodil Days campaign in your company, school, neighborhood or place of worship by collecting orders and managing distribution of flowers on delivery day. Volunteers are also needed to solicit sponsorships, fill orders, help with logistics and deliver flowers.

For more information, call (800) 227-2345.

Sue Reed is president and CEO of Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce. Reach her at (219) 769-8180 or geninq@crossroadschamber.org. Opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.