Restaurants join fundraising program; mutts on parade and a block party

NORWALK, Conn. — Some Norwalk announcements for you:

• Visit ‘Restaurant Hive,’ support new mothers
• NRVT hosts Mutt Strut
• Family & Children’s Agency holds block party

Eat out, support new moms

If you dine at any of Norwalk’s eight “Restaurant Hive” locations on Thursday Oct. 20 from 5 until 11 p.m., a portion of your check will be donated to a new pre- and post-natal support basket program for Fairfield County women, according to a news release. The newly organized team of dining spots is partnering with social service provider “Help for Kids-The Exchange Club Center for Prevention of Child Abuse” to offer resources supporting the State Office of Early Childhood’s new mothers’ in-home services initiative.  The support baskets contain informational brochures, a children’s health and grooming kit, a stuffed teddy bear, and a copy of Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey’s book What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing,

The Restaurant Hive:

• BanC House 16 River St.
• BJ Ryan’s 57 Main St.
• BJ Ryan’s East 1 Cove Ave.
• Magic Pie 5 Co. 230 East Ave.
• O’Neill’s 93 North Main St.
• The Spread 127 Washington St.
• El Segundo 3 North Water St.
• Washington Prime 141 Washington St.

The event’s website is at www.helpforkidsct.org

Mutt Strut

Pet owners are invited to enter their furry friends in the Norwalk River Valley Trail’s Mutt Strut & Friends Howl-O-Ween Contest on Saturday Oct.22 from 3 until 5 p.m.  A news release says separate prizes for cutest, best costume, and biggest personality will be awarded at each of three individual judging locations on the trail:

Norwalk

• Mathews Park Parking lot
• 295 West Ave.

Wilton

• Quarry Pond Trail
• Routes 7 & 106 Commuter Lot

Ridgefield

• Future Ridgefield Ramble
• Route 7 & Simpaug Turnpike

Winners will be honored with prize baskets valued from $75 to $150 at the Awards Reception, Wednesday Nov. 16 at Cactus Rose Restaurant in Wilton.  Food and drinks will be included.

Register at https://www.nrvt-trail.com/muttstrut-registration-in-person .  The entry fee is $25.

Friends of the NRVT, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reports a 245% trail use increase since the pandemic’s onset.   With more than 11 miles of trail finished plus three new miles ready to build in Wilton and Ridgefield, grant requests for further northward construction were recently submitted.

Mutt Strut & Friends Howl-O-Ween Contest Business Title Sponsor is BLT LiveWorkPlay.  Other sponsors include the Pforzheimer, Jansen, Goldman, and Foster families, Spinnaker Real Estate Partners, Ancona’s Wine & Liquors, Bayer & Black PC, Eco Evolution, Norwalk Animal Hospital, PAWS, Pet Pantry, Ranger Ready, Ridgefield Veterinary Center, Total Body Performance, Union Savings Bank, Village Market, and Ken and Alice Bernhard.

FCA celebrates 80^th anniversary

More than 1,000 celebrants attended Family & Children’s Agency’s recent 80^th anniversary Community Block Party, where the human services organization received accolades from Mayor Harry Rilling, First Lady Lucia Rilling, State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, State Representatives Lucy Dathan, Stephanie Thomas, and Travis Simms, and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy’s outreach assistant Jonathan Smalls.

Held at Norwalk Community College, the party featured carnival games, a petting zoo, Norwalk Public Library’s pop-up library, touch-a-truck,  and bingo.  Sponsors included First County Bank and GenRe.

“Many of FCA’s services take place in the home, so we are delighted to have been able to provide this event for our community,” Agency President/CEO Robert F. Cashel said.  “ I’m proud that FCA has been supporting our neighbors in need for 80 years.”

FCA’s outreach includes behavioral and mental health programs, addiction recovery, foster care, early childhood home visiting, seniors’ home care, housing services, and more.

The Agency’s website is at Family & Children’s Agency | Together We Change Lives (familyandchildrensagency.org).