ROXBURY – The North Oxford Unit of the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life committee will host its first Family Ice Fishing Derby at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, March 5, on Ellis Pond. There will also be a cash payout for the largest fish caught by a child age 12 or under. People may preregister at the Ellis Pond Variety Store and also pre-order bait for that day. Registration is $5. Registration the day of the derby is from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Ellis Pond Variety Store. The Relay For Life committee is planning a scavenger hunt for the children that day.

Workshop for farmers

RUMFORD – Farm Marketing and Image Building, a free workshop for farmers and value-added agriculture producers will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, at the River Valley Technology Center. In addition to basic marketing, it will cover the value of developing a business and marketing plan and discussions of how to plan and design farm promotional materials. Participants should take their current farm promotional materials and marketing plan to the workshop, if available. Workshop facilitators will be Kerri Sands, a coordinator for the Farms for the Future program at Coastal Enterprises Inc., and Gabe McPhail of Image Building Concepts, which provides farms with graphic design, logo illustration and other promotional materials. Preregistration is advised, organizers said. For more information or to register, people can contact the Western Mountains Alliance, 778-7274. It is sponsored by the alliance, Coastal Enterprises and the River Valley Growth Council.

Daffodil bouquets

RUMFORD – The American Cancer Society is offering the Gift of Hope during its Daffodil Days campaign. The Gift of Hope is a bouquet of 10 daffodils in a glass vase, which is given as an anonymous gift to cancer patients or others in need. Individuals may place their orders by March 11 by calling the Cancer Society’s office at 800-464-3102, and pressing 3. Ray Kautzman, community executive for development at the Cancer Society, said, “These first flowers of spring remind cancer patients that someone is thinking of them as they recuperate and that there is hope in the fight against cancer.”

When thousands of daffodils are shipped to Maine the week of March 21, volunteers throughout the state will bundle them in bunches of 10, wrap them and deliver them. Proceeds will help continue patient services, research and advocacy programs as well as the society’s 24-hour, toll-free information line, (800) 227-2345 and Web site, www.cancer.org.

Bottle drive

PERU – The Peru Baptist Church Youth Group will hold a bottle drive from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12, to help the Peru Families in Crisis Task Force. The Good Shepherd Food-Bank will match the amount that is collected.

Jazz/hip-hop dance workshop

RUMFORD – Expressive Movement Performing Arts Center Inc. will be sponsoring a jazz/hip-hop dance workshop for dancers ages 6 years to adult, beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday, March 13, at Mountain Valley High School. This workshop will feature New York choreographer Dena Rizzo. Rizzo and her students have appeared in movies, television commercials and MTV and VH-1 music/dance videos. She teaches cutting-edge, high-energy master dance classes and seminars throughout the country that fuse hip hop and break dancing as well as a technique that she has created that is truly her own. Other featured choreographers will be Leah Madigan, who is currently an apprentice dancer with Jacqui Young’s professional dance company, Push Factor of New York City; and Jade Dunn, a choreographer and dancer with the Bowdoin College Dance Program and jazz dance company, VAGUE. Applications and registration forms may be obtained by calling Expressive Movement Performing Arts Center of Rumford at 364-2543. Registration will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

Chamber dinner

RUMFORD – The annual River Valley Chamber of Commerce membership dinner meeting and presentation of awards is scheduled for Saturday, May 14. There will be an auction. To donate contact Robert Denson at 364-3241 or e-mail [email protected]. Donations may be dropped off at the chamber office, 60 Lowell St., or if needed they can be picked up. Sponsors are also needed. The sponsorships are: Mountain $500; Valley $300; River $150. The sponsorships provide various forms of recognition/publicity in news articles about the event and at the event.

Egg hunt sponsors sought

MEXICO – The Easter egg hunt here is scheduled Saturday, March 26. The Chamber of Commerce is looking for sponsors for the 250 eggs that will be hidden. Children will locate the eggs using clues broadcast by WOXO. The eggs are then redeemed at the Fire Station for a fully decorated Easter basket. People who would like to sponsor an egg may contact the chamber at 364-3241.