Charleston Selected for World's Largest UNO Game

Mattel, the toy and game manufacturer has selected Charleston to celebrate the 35th anniversary of UNO. The Alliance has been working on the preparation of this event. Please note you must RSVP to participate. It might be fun to say you were there "when they broke the world record."

On Saturday, Oct. 21, 2006, Charleston, WV, will play host to an attempt by UNO® to break the record for the world’s largest card game tournament, as America’s No. 1 family game celebrates its 35th anniversary!

The event will be held at our very own Appalachian Power Park, home of the West Virginia Power.

Be part of this history-making event and be sure to bring friends and family to watch!

Admission is free and limited spaces are available so sign up now!

Date: Saturday, October 21, 2006

Time: 11 a.m. – gates open at 9:30 a.m.

Location: Appalachian Power Park, home of the West Virginia Power

601 Morris Street

Charleston, WV 25301

RSVP: worldslargestunogame@golinharris.com

For more information, please call Lisa White at 213-438-8834

As part of the celebration, Mattel®, maker of UNO®, will be making a donation to
the YMCA of Kanawha Valley on behalf of the West Virginia Power

Local Company Leading in Internship Opportunities

4MOST, a local medical and dental cost savings company hosted several interns from local high schools this summer giving 4MOST an extra hand and providing much needed workforce experience to local students.
This past spring, 4MOST’s management team, led by CEO John A. Fischer, was evaluating business solutions for claims re-pricing and data entry positions. 4MOST was already partnering with Sissonville High School on other projects and John met with school officials to determine the possibility of using students to fill the positions. Sissonville High principal Calvin McKinney provided a list of students who had completed Advanced Computer classes and a solution was underway.

In April, four students began working at 4MOST as per diem claim re-pricers. After the school year, 4MOST decided there was additional work and candidates were interviewed and tested. For most of the students, this was their first interview. Seven students were hired; four from Sissonville High and three from Riverside High. The Riverside High students were referred from a business relationship with Leanne Stowers of the Charleston Area Alliance who works providing business training to Riverside High Finance Academy students.

The students worked forty hours per week for approximately two months. Throughout the course of summer projects, the student pool remained conscientious of their work by reporting on time, monitoring lunch breaks and achieving 100% attendance. Since the students performed well, 4MOST continues to utilize several students for work projects after school.
Internship opportunities are important to assist students in gaining practical experience that complements future university courses. In addition to giving students an idea of how the workplace operates, internships provide students with a competitive edge when seeking employment. Obtaining work experience during high school or college often results in more job offers, a higher starting salary, and more frequent promotions.
“I would encourage other organizations to consider using interns in their operations. It provides our youth valuable experience in an actual work environment as well as income,” noted John A. Fischer

4MOST is based in Kanawha County and serves all of West Virginia and surrounding states.

Charleston West Virginia Toastmasters

I had the opportunity, via an invite of Emily Bennington of Maple Creative to speak to the Charleston Toastmasters last week. I had really never heard of "Toastmasters" but now understand the group and its mission. Basically, the group meets and works together to help each member with improving their speaking abilities. Everyone can always use some work on public speaking no matter how good you are. Emily ask me to speak about the Charleston Area Alliance and its mission and specifically about the young professionals group.

Below, please find a recent e-mail from Emily indicating how anyone who is interested could join the Charleston Toastmasters.

Charleston Toastmasters

Open House Meeting

Wednesday, September 20th

5:30 - 7:00pm

Kanawha County Public Library

3rd Floor

We’re opening the doors to one of our meetings to demonstrate how you can become a better professional through the world’s largest communications and leadership program. Feel free to join in or just observe, but if you’re looking to improve your public speaking skills, this is something you don’t want to miss.

Questions? Please contact Emily Bennington at 342-6970 or emilyb@maplecreative.com

***Please forward to anyone interested in achieving their full potential***

www.toastmasters.org