ISLAND CITY — The Lighthouse Apostolic Academy will hold a back to school rally on Friday.

The rally will start at 7 p.m. at the school, 10501 Island Ave. in Island City.

Two free bikes, backpacks full of school supplies and more will be given away at the community event.

Pizza will be served, there will be games and people will have a chance to play basketball and volleyball.

MERA hosts Drug Free Run

The Union County Safe Communities Coalition will hold the Drug Free Run (formerly the Drug Free Relay) Saturday at Mount Emily Recreation Area.

For the past 18 years, the Drug Free Relay has raised funds to support substance abuse prevention activities in Union County. Historically, the Drug Free Relay was held at the La Grande High School track, but it was moved to MERA with construction going on at the high school.

The run will begin and end at Owsley Canyon Trailhead. This year participants will have the option to choose between a 5K, 10K or a family-friendly one-mile fun walk/run. The 5K and 10K events will be professionally timed. There is still time to register online at www.drugfreerun.itsyourrace.com or the morning of the run at the event. Late registration at the site is from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., with the 10K beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Discussion focuses on climate change

ECHO — A discussion about climate change and what individuals can do to reverse its global ramifications is planned in Echo Sept. 1. The speaker will be Peter Haug, a retired journalist, systems ecologist and ESL teacher in China. After sitting on the fence about global warming, Haug began researching the topic and taking online courses and has become a climate change educator. He will speak from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Echo City Hall, 20 Bonanza St. The presentation is free. For more information, call Joe Ramos at 509-366-3980.

Games for kids, families Saturday

Saturday is game day at the library and the Hobby Habit in La Grande. Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon the Cook Memorial Library, 2006 Fourth St., offers LEGO Play, a free, open building time for all ages. LEGOs are provided. Call the library for more information at 541-962-1339 or go to www.cityoflagrande.org/library.

Every Saturday evening, the Hobby Habit hosts a Game Night at 5 p.m. This weekly family event is free and open to all. Feel free to bring your favorite board or card games. Games are played at 411 Fir St. Call 541-963-9602 for more information.

Artistic teens gather Friday at ACE

The last Friday of the month, a “Social Drawing Group” for teens is held at Art Center East, 1006 Penn Ave., La Grande. The free gathering is for artists age 13 and older and runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. This month, the event takes place this upcoming Friday. To register or for more information, go to www.artseast.org or call 541-624-2800.

Block party promises food, entertainment

Celebrate La Grande XXI, the annual end-of-summer community block party, is set for Sept. 8 in Max Square. The family-friendly celebration runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and area residents will be treated to free hot dogs, ice cream, soda and chips while enjoying great music on the Max Square stage. K.C. Kunkle will provide the musical entertainment this year. Nonprofit groups will be on hand to explain their roles in the community, and children will be given free fire truck rides or invited to join in games and activities.

Celebrate La Grande XXI is sponsored by the City of La Grande in partnership with 24 La Grande agencies, businesses and individuals. For a sponsor list or for more information about Celebrate La Grande, call Di Lyn Larsen-Hill at 541–963–5341.

Dog pool party marks end of summer

Sponsored by the Blue Mountain Humane Association and held at the Veterans’ Memorial Pool in La Grande’s Pioneer Park, Saturday’s “Doggy Splash & Dash” raises money for the pet rescue center and gives dogs a chance to cool off.

Owners and their dogs are welcome anytime, and the canines will be allowed into the splash pool in groups according to size: small dogs from 11 a.m. to noon, medium dogs from noon to 1 p.m., and large dogs from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. The family event is free for spectators, and $2 per dog to splash. For more information go to www.lagrandeparks.org or call 541-962-1352.

UCSO offers concealed handgun class

Registration is now open for the next Union County Sheriff’s Office concealed handgun class, which will be held Sept. 10 at 1109 K Ave., La Grande. The class begins promptly at 8 a.m. and costs $50. Pre-registration is required. To register or for more information, contact UCSO at 541-963-1017, options 2 and 3.

Slow down, read a poem at Poetry Post

Thanks to Sharon Bullock, a 3rd grade teacher at Central Elementary School, and the La Grande Education Foundation, Art Center East is now home to a Poetry Post. The center’s poetry post is located next to the bench facing Fourth Street. The post is a box on a pole with a lid. Inside the box is a sheet of paper containing a poem (or, sometimes, prose or a photograph). The idea behind a Poetry Post is simple: take a poem, give a poem, or just take a moment to slow down and read a poem.

The boxes may contain homegrown poetry, famous poetry, favorite poetry/poet or poetry from local schoolchildren.