Village Green Community Center is celebrating its 7th anniversary and the fact that 25 people contributed over $2,000 to the foundation during the recent Kitsap Great Give!

Meanwhile, the next free Heritage Concert at Village Green will be from 4-6 p.m. May 20 in honor of Norwegian Independence Day, which is May 17.

It features Nordic music specialists soprano Laura Loge and pianist Steven Luksan. They will perform a program celebrating Norwegian heritage through music. Songs and piano works by Norwegian composers will explore the beauty of Norway, from its music and art to landscapes and people.

Featuring music by Edvard Grieg, Agathe Backer-Grøndahl, Alf Hurum, Anne-Marie Ørbeck, Anne Lindemann, Christian Sinding, Steven Luksan and more, you will experience rarely-heard gems in the original Norwegian for an afternoon of music you won’t forget.

Also, thanks to a local donor and the dedication of a group of volunteers who are doing the research, the Village Green Foundation is exploring the feasibility of adding a splash pad to the park.

And, since the community center opened, the foundation has been committed to subsidizing exercise classes geared toward maintaining mobility and quality of life for our community’s elders. For just $2 per class, participants can attend Chair Yoga class on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and on Thursdays at noon. We also support a Full-Body Toning class on Fridays at 10 a.m.

The range of activities available at Village Green is growing by the day. To see what’s happening, go to sww.tinyurl.com/VGCCCalendar.

In other news, a group of civic-minded volunteers has launched a new podcast — the Kingston Cast. The goal is to provide another avenue for community members to learn about local activities, events and news. Hear it on Spotify.

If you’re into gardening, the Village Green Community Garden has three plots remaining and you still have time to plant. Plots are only $30 for (residents) and $35 (non-residents) for the whole season.

For details, send a message to vgcommunitygardeners@gmail.com or stop by the community center.

Finally, the community center is in need of more volunteers to make sure it can keep the building open and operating. Even if you’ve only got three hours a week, your help will be invaluable. For details, stop by the building or send an email to programs@myvillagegreen.org

Michele Laboda writes a monthly column on Village Green for this newspaper.