Around Ascension for Oct. 19, 2012

The Advocate's River Parishes Bureau: Bret H. McCormick, left, Darlene T. Denstorff and David J. Mitchell.

Girl Scouts Louisiana East Prairieville Service Unit 131 is hosting Scout Family Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Duplessis Park on La. 621 in Gonzales.

The program will include activities; booths for health, safety and education; and prizes.

The event is open to the public, and the first 300 children will receive a treat bag.

All attendees are asked to bring a nonperishable food item or toiletry item to assist Girl Scout Cadette Troop 10247 in its quest to replenish local food pantries emptied during Hurricane Isaac.

A donation of $3 per person will be collected for entry.

For information, send an email to [e-mail].

Church sets Fall Festival

Ascension Baptist Church’s Fall Festival and Health Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the church, 13432 Airline Highway, Gonzales.

The festival will include food, games, a jumbo slide, cupcake walk, football toss, petting zoo and other games and activities.

Christmas Crusade

The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office is accepting applications for its annual Christmas Crusade for Children.

The program provides Christmas gifts for eligible children through age 12, Sheriff Jeff Wiley said.

Applications are available at the sheriff’s offices at the Donaldsonville courthouse, Ascension Courthouse East and Family Services Division in the Gonzales courthouse annex. The deadline to apply is Nov. 16, Deputy Janet Fontenot said.

Wiley said his office is also accepting donations, which will be used to purchase toys and other items for area children. For more information, call Fontenot at [phone] or send an email to [e-mail].

Youth basketball sign up

Registration for the 2013 Ascension Parish basketball league will be held from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday and Oct. 27 at the Dutchtown, Galvez, Prairieville and St. Amant middle school gyms, a league official said.

Boys and girls ages 6 to 15 are invited to register. Parents are asked to bring their child’s birth certificate and registration fee of $60 per child.

For more information, go to http://www.ayba.info.

Calling all chili cooks

The Gonzales Fire Department is looking for a few good chili cooks.

The cooks are needed for the department’s third annual Chili Cook Off for Project Kidz Kove set for Nov. 15, Fire Chief Tracey Normand said.

Project Kidz Kove is dedicated to building an “all access” playground and park in Gonzales, which will be utilized by children with special needs and other children from the area. The cook-off, set from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gonzales Public Safety Center on Orice Roth Road, costs $25 to enter and quarts of chili will be sold for $10.

For entry or pre-order information, call Jessica Breaux at [phone] or email [e-mail]; Leslie Ickes, [phone] or email [e-mail]; or Stacey Parker, [phone], [e-mail].

Contact Darlene Denstorff: phone, [phone]; fax, [phone]; email, [e-mail]. Deadline is noon Wednesday.