Briefs

Exchange toys for tickets to cactus lighting at Ethel M

This year, giving is receiving as Ethel M Chocolates invites the public to experience the Nov. 15 Cactus Lighting event by donating a new toy to a child in need. The 18th annual Cactus Lighting will be hosted by comedian George Wallace, with holiday performances by Strip headliners Human Nature and Zowie Bowie.

Tickets are required to enter the Nov. 15 event.

Starting Tuesday, a limited amount of tickets will be available at the Ethel M Chocolate factory in Henderson. Ethel M is asking guests to bring one new, unwrapped toy to the factory in exchange for a family four-pack of tickets to the event (limit eight tickets per family). The toys will later be donated in the annual KLUC Toy Drive.

Toy drop-off will run from Tuesday through Nov. 15 at the factory location only and tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests may also bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Cactus Lighting event in exchange for a family four-pack of tickets, while supplies last.

The Cactus Lighting event will take place from 5-8 p.m. at the Botanical Cactus Garden adjacent to the chocolate factory. The countdown to the lighting of more than half a million colorful lights will take place at about 6 p.m.

The holiday cactus garden will open Nov. 16 and run through Jan. 1; the public is welcome at no charge.

The chocolate factory and cactus garden are located at 2 Cactus Garden Drive, Henderson.

Walker Furniture seeks names for annual holiday giveaway

For the 18th consecutive year, Walker Furniture is seeking letters on behalf of individuals and families in need in Clark County for its annual Home for the Holidays program. As in years past, the company will supply recipients with a houseful of brand-new furniture .

Larry Alterwitz, CEO of Walker Furniture, announced that this year the company is expanding the program to help 26 families.

Anyone with an individual or family in mind should send a letter to Walker Furniture describing the situation. All letters are reviewed by outside, independent panels. The preliminary panel consists of representatives of HELP of Southern Nevada, which has assisted individuals and families to become self-sufficient through direct services, training and referral.

Letters should be sent to: Larry Alterwitz, CEO Walker Furniture, 301 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89106. They also can be faxed to 702-384-7772, emailed to kcantor@walker
furniture.com or hand-delivered to the store.

All letters must be received by Dec. 5.

The recipients will be announced at a luncheon Dec. 14, with deliveries of furniture set to begin Dec. 17.

The program began in 1994 with deliveries to 12 families. Recipients have included single parent households having difficulty making ends meet, many of them with children suffering from physical or mental disorders; families that lost their homes to fires; and families that have been affected by illness or domestic violence.

Laundry experts offer tips
to remove Halloween stains

Halloween is just days away and that means there will be plenty of sticky fingers around the house.

Whirlpool's Institute of Fabric Science, www.instituteoffabricscience
.com, an informational hub for everything laundry, helps make stain removal a cinch. First rule of thumb, read the care label. After that, follow the instructions below .

Sticky caramel from an apple? Rinse the costume in warm water to dilute the stain, and then rub liquid detergent into the stain, followed with a wash in the warmest water safe for the costume. If necessary, follow up with a wash in color-safe bleach or liquid chlorine bleach. Air dry and check for any remaining stain before drying in the dryer.

Gooey chocolate chunks? Rub liquid detergent into the stain and then wash in the warmest water safe for the costume. If necessary, follow up with a soak in a mixture of detergent and water, then rewash. Before drying the costume, air dry and check for any remaining stain.

Face paint coloring your clothes? First, make sure to use the makeup remover recommended by the makeup manufacturer or rub liquid detergent into the stain and allow it to work for as long as 30 minutes. Next, wash the costume in the hottest water safe for it. If necessary, follow up with a wash in color-safe bleach or liquid chlorine bleach. Air dry, followed by the dryer, as long as the stain is gone.