PLAY BALL: Experience old-time baseball when teams from the Essex Base Ball Association play at the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in Newbury Saturday, Sunday, and Aug. 26.
The teams play by rules from 1861. Games feature underhand pitching, and no gloves are allowed. Players use equipment and wear uniforms appropriate for the period.
Visitors can learn about the game’s origins, including customs, styles, and etiquette of its formative years, as well as period slang such as “cranks,” “aces,” and “cloud-hunters.”
The Essex Base Ball Club battles the Brooklyn Atlantics 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Spectators can then stay for an open recruitment game in which they will have a chance to stand at bat. A full lunch menu is available.
The Lynn Live Oaks take on the Lowell Base Ball Club noon to 2 p.m. Sunday. Lowell plays the Newburyport Clamdiggers noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 26.
Hot dogs, popcorn, Ipswich Ale, baseballs, and cards are available for purchase.
The Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, a property of Historic New England, is the official home of the Essex Base Ball Association. Seating is on a grass field so spectators should bring blankets and lawn chairs. There is no reserved seating.
Games are $5; free for Historic New England members and under 3. Visit www.essexbaseball.wordpress.com.
Jewish Community Center of the North Shore
While filming “Grown Ups 2” in Marblehead recently, Adam Sandler visited the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore.
PONY UP: Visitors to the Jumper Classic, an equestrian event in Hampton, N.H., Saturday, can enjoy special luncheons and help nonprofits.
The Jumper Classic luncheons, presented by Fidelity Investments and Audi of America, support New England Equine Rescue North, based in West Newbury, and the University of New Hampshire Therapeutic Riding Program.
“This is a great way for people to enjoy the show in the VIP tent with ringside seating for the full day of equestrian sporting, and also support a cause they really care about,” said Melissa Lovasco, Classic president and chief executive.
New England Equine Rescue North has been saving horses from abuse and rehabilitating them for adoption for five years. All work done by the nonprofit, which is all- volunteer run, is funded through donations. The UNH therapeutic riding program has been helping people with physical, emotional, and cognitive disabilities for more than 20 years.
Jewish Community Center of the North Shore
Sandler’s co-star Chris Rock also visited the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore.
The Jumper Classic is the largest international equestrian event in New England, featuring world-class competition on the grounds of the Silver Oak Equestrian Center.
Tickets include a full day at the show, an elegant luncheon, VIP parking, and a souvenir program book. For those who have not yet reserved seats, tickets for the New England Equine Rescue North benefit are $65; and $50 for the UNH event. Visit www.neernorth.org, www.equine.unh.edu, or www.jumperclassic.com.
AT LOCAL HOSPITALS: Hallmark Health System, which includes Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford and Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, hosts its annual 5K Stride for Health walk on Aug. 18. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the walk starts at 9 a.m. This year, participants can walk or run along Revere Beach to raise money for Hallmark Health’s cardiology, orthopedic, and sports medicine programs. The walk also pays tribute to the late Dr. Robert Harney, an orthopedic surgeon at Hallmark who died earlier this year. Registration fee is $20 and pledges are accepted. To register, call 781-979-6100 or visit www.hallmarkhealth.org. . . . The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, a national nonprofit dedicated to strengthening relationships between patients and health care providers, has awarded Cambridge Health Alliance a $35,000 grant to promote compassionate care. With the grant, Cambridge Health Alliance, a network of primary- and specialty-care practices in Cambridge, Somerville, and communities north of Boston, will develop a compassionate care core curriculum for medical residents and clinical staff.
WHO’S WHAT WHERE: Roca, a program that helps high-risk young men end criminal behavior, has a new director, Thomas McKenna, to lead its 24-year-old Boston-area programs and a three-year-old program in Springfield. McKenna is a longtime educator from New York City. Roca has programs in Revere, Chelsea, and East Boston, as well as Springfield. . . . The Beverly Cultural Council has two new members: Garrett Brown, a singer-songwriter and barista at the Atomic Café in Beverly; and Barbara Broudo, director of the archives and museum at Endicott College in Beverly, who recently received the fellow award from the Costume Society of America. Also, Bea Modisett, gallery director and studio manager of Porter Mill in Beverly and a council member since 2011, was selected as cochairwoman of the council along with Gail Eaton, who has provided council leadership since 2009. Last year, the council granted more than $11,000 to a range of projects by 22 artists or groups. The council is now accepting 2013 grant applications from organizations, schools, and individuals. The deadline is Oct. 15.