One Last Summer Shindig
Family Picnic and Swim Party
5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 12
Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club, 4001 N. Country Club Road
325-8688; www.eeftucson.org
School is just around the corner, but first, there is one more summer party you can attend—and you can help a good cause while doing so.
The Educational Enrichment Foundation and the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club will be hosting the party at the club. Guests will have access to club's pools, basketball courts, volleyball courts and playground equipment. General admission is $12; Racquet Club members get in for $10, and children are admitted for $5.
The EEF is a nonprofit organization that raises money to provide a "quality public education" at Tucson Unified School District schools. The organization helps both teachers and students in a variety of different ways—for example, by providing funds for field trips and school supplies, and by helping with extracurricular-activity needs.
Lissa Gibbs, the EEF executive director, has a passion for helping TUSD schools.
"Poverty is a very significant challenge for kids to even access education. We want to aid in removing those barriers," Gibbs said.
The EEF first approached the Racquet Club last year, deciding the club was a good match for the back-to-school party, because the club's management wants to help the Tucson community.
"It's a great opportunity for people who have been gone all summer to reconnect," Gibbs said.
Adrian Korosec, assistant general manager at the club, said the Racquet Club is an important part of the community.
"It's very important that TUSD gets more support from local businesses," Korosec said.
The specially priced offerings will include burgers, veggie burgers, chicken breasts and bratwursts, with two side dishes, ice tea or lemonade, and a cookie. Attendees should bring picnic blankets, towels and swimsuits. —K.C.
The King Lives!
Remember the King: Celebrating the Music of Elvis Presley7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 17
Quail Creek Country Club, 2055 E. Quail Crossing Blvd., Green Valley
(520) 393-5822
7:30 p.m., next Thursday, Aug. 18
Desert View Performing Arts Center,
39900 S. Clubhouse Drive, SaddleBrooke
(520) 825-2818
Few icons can match the mystique of The King himself, Elvis Presley. More than three decades after his death, he still reigns as the undisputed king of rock 'n' roll.
Every August, fans all over the world gather to mark the anniversary of The King's death and celebrate his music with a week of tributes and performances.
Tucson fans are no exception. For two nights, devoted fans can celebrate his extraordinary musical legacy thanks to the work of Robert Shaw and the Lonely Street Band.
Shaw, who prefers the phrase Elvis "performer" over "impersonator," has been doing Elvis concerts since 2005.
"What we do is more theatrical; it's more like telling a story. We talk about what influenced Elvis, and what was going on in his life," said Shaw.
This year's performance will be broken up into three distinct parts, one for each "era" of Elvis' career. The first centers on the music of the young rockabilly Elvis, when he belted out classics like "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Blue Suede Shoes."
The King's famous '68 comeback special inspires the second part, during which he wore nothing but black leather. The performance ends with the flash and dazzle that Elvis had toward the end of his career as a performer in Las Vegas.
"You get the greatest of the great," said Shaw.
When asked what it is about Elvis Presley that people keep falling in love with, Shaw said he thinks it is a combination of having the right charm and the right moves—at the right time.
"It was what the world was waiting for," said Shaw.
Tickets are $25. —A.F.
A Chimp's Tragic Life
Science on Screen: Project Nim with post-film discussion
7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 12
3233 E. Speedway Blvd.
795-7777
Science geeks and film buffs alike can rejoice as the Loft Cinema revs up its new series, Science on Screen, which aims to get people engaged in scientific thinking through film.
The Science on Screen series was born thanks to a grant from the Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Loft is one of only eight cinemas in the country to receive the grant.
The series kicks off with the award-winning documentary Project Nim, which chronicles the tragic and fascinating life of Nim, a chimpanzee taken from his mother as a baby and raised as human, as part of a controversial experiment in the 1970s.
"It's really provocative and interesting," said Loft program director Jeff Yanc. "The movie is just so rich with so many ideas."
The film raises ethical and scientific questions about, among other things, the treatment of chimpanzees.
After the screening, a panel of experts from the UA's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences will discuss some of the issues raised in the film, and take questions from the audience.
"The idea is to create a creative connection between the film (and the audience)," said Yanc.
Stacey Tecot, an assistant professor of anthropology, will speak on the panel and has worked with chimpanzees in the past. "It's an intense biography about an individual, a really unique documentary about a nonhuman," Tecot said about Project Nim.
Tecot said she hopes that people will walk away more aware of what they are seeing when they see a chimp in a zoo or on TV: That's not their natural habitat.
Tickets are $9 for adults; $7 for students and military members; $6 for children 12 and younger; and $5 for Loft members. —A.F.
A New Family Member?
Dog Days of Summer dog-adoption event
10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 13
Royal Buick GMC Cadillac
815 W. Automall Drive
624-0481
A good day to adopt a dog has been set: Saturday, Aug. 13, at the second annual Dog Days of Summer event.
Royal Buick GMC Cadillac will host dogs from the Humane Society of Southern Arizona and the Pima Animal Care Center—and Royal will be picking up all adoption fees. In addition to picking out a new member of your family, you can get pet portraits, free barbecue, and information from pet boutiques and other vendors.
Sara Gromley, public relations coordinator for Humane Society, said this event really helps out.
"It's perfect timing, because during summer, we're really full, and litter season is in full swing," Gromley said.
Royal Buick is also offering customers a chance to get a 10 percent discount, up to $75, on any service when you bring a dog to visit the pet-friendly service department.
If you aren't ready for a new addition to the family and want to help in another way, Royal is also holding a donation drive. Through Aug. 13, you can bring new or used dog toys, blankets and unwrapped treats to all Royal Tucson locations.
"It's great that they've got animal-lovers who support our mission in the community," Gromley said.
The animals will be ready to go home with their new family the day of the event: The animals will be microchipped, neutered or spayed, licensed and vaccinated. For more information, visit the event's Facebook fan page at on.fb.me/royaldogdays.
One more thing: The Humane Society is always looking for volunteers. To help, e-mail sgromley@hssaz.org. —K.C.
