SOUTH PORTLAND – Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence fifth annual Fitzgerald Award Dinner will be held Thursday, Nov. 4, at the Sheraton Hotel. A silent auction will be held at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 7. Lois Galgay Reckitt, executive director, Family Crisis Service, will be presented the Buzz Fitzgerald Public Service Award. Former Congressman Tom Andrews will be guest speaker. Tickets are $45 to $100. Those interested should call 780-0501.

Fort program

AUGUSTA – Old Fort Western will kick off its 2004-2005 First Sunday program series from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7.

The focus will be traditional New England Thanksgiving preparations. Staff will demonstrate the making of mince meat pies using an authentic 18th century receipt (or recipe). Visitors are encouraged to bring and share traditional Thanksgiving recipes that may have been handed down in their families.

The fort will be open for winter visitation the first Sunday of every month from 1 to 3 p.m. now through April. Admission is free. Go to www.oldfortwestern for the full story and calendar of events or call 626-2385 for more information.

Foundation meet

AUGUSTA – The Maine Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, Nov. 6, open to all. The meeting will convene at 9 a.m. at the Pine Tree State Arboretum and include reports about several older American chestnut plantations around the state.

In the afternoon a hike on arboretum grounds will highlight gene-bank plantations of native chestnuts, and field trip participants will visit a chestnut breeding orchard at Deer Hill Farm in China. There will be an opportunity to taste American chestnuts as well.

Call the arboretum at 621-0031 for details. For more information about the American chestnut, go to the foundation Web site, www.acf.org, or the Web site for the Maine Chapter, www.me-acf.org.

Need volunteers

BATH – The Kids’ Project adaptive equipment program is seeking volunteers who can donate a few hours a month to sew cushions and straps for adaptive chairs. The project provides the materials; volunteers provide time and talent.

The program, a program of the Pine Tree Society, provides adaptive equipment to children with disabilities at costs much lower than commercially available equipment. For more information, contact Teresa Berkowitz at 443-3341, ext. 104, or e-mail kidsproject@pinetreesociety.org.

For more information about Pine Tree Society, its programs and services, call 443-3341 or visit www.pinetreesociety.org.