Current events
Free food
The hunger Committee of Columbia County is coordinating a day of free food giveaways Saturday.
The Golden Harvest Food Bank manna truck will be at the following locations:
* 9 a.m., Dream Center on Wrightsboro Road in Grovetown
* 10 a.m., New Hope Baptist Church on G.R. Tucker Road in Harlem
* Noon, Gospel Water Branch, Fury's Ferry Road in Martinez
* 1 p.m., Second Mount Carmel on Rosemount Road in Martinez.
Food will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.
Animal control ribbon cutting
A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at the Columbia County Animal Control facility in Appling to open several new building additions and improvements there at 10 a.m. Oct. 19. The facility, located at 6337 Columbia Road, will be followed by an open house until 3 p.m. New additions include a pet visitation room, additional puppy kennels, an expanded quarantine area and improved ventilation systems. A special adoption rate of $10 will be offered during the open house for dogs, puppies, cats and kittens.
Seat inspection
The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service's Occupant Safety Education Program and the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety will hold a child safety seat check at Babies-R-Us from 2:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Friday.
Chili dinner event
The fourth annual Chili Bowl event will take place from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Peter S. Knox Conference Center in Augusta. Those attending will receive a hot bowl of chili for a $10 contribution, which will benefit the Augusta Task Force for the Homeless. for tickets, call 723-0040.
Church chorus concert
First Baptist Church will be hosting a concert featuring the United State Army Chorus of Washington, D.C. at 7 p.m. Oct. 24. The music performed will include traditional military and patriotic standards as well as pop, broadway, folk and classical tunes. For more information, call 733-2236, ext. 223.
Children's chorale concert
The Augusta Children's Chorale 11th annual Dessert Concert will take place Nov. 1 at Sacred Heart Cultural Center. Tickets will be $10 and can be purchased at the door or by calling 826-4718. Desserts will be offered after the concert. Proceeds will help pay for a chorale trip by invitation to the Pacific RIM Children's chorus Festival in Hawaii.
Church auction
Martinez United Methodist Church will have a Taste of the Harvest and Tea Cup Auction from 5-7 p.m. Nov. 3 at the church. The cost will be $4 for adults, $2 for children age three to 10 and free to those younger than three. For more information, call 863-6541.
HR group meeting
The Augusta-Aiken Society for Human Resources Management will meet on Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 9:15 a.m. at the Morris Museum of Art. The $15 guest fee includes breakfast. Jacque Booker, an adjunct family member with the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government will speak on diversity. Reservations can be made by calling Regina Mobley at 739-1351.
Halloween event offered
The Columbia County Recreation Department will offer a ''trick-or-treating" event Oct. 30.
A costume contest and a haunted trail attraction also will be offered. Businesses interested in purchasing a booth for $15 to pass out candy and publicize their business should call Stacie Adkins at 868-3458.