NOTES AROUND TOWN Running Rabbit Family Theatre (RRFT) will present "A Winnie the Pooh Christmas Carol" Dec. 9 at 2 p.m., and Dec. 10 and 11 at 10:30 a.m. at Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University, West Long Branch. The adaptation of the Dickens novel is retold with the A.A. Milne "Pooh" characters, and recounts the events of one Christmas Eve for "Rabbineezer Scrooge." Cast members will meet children after each performance, sign autographs and pose for photos. Tickets are $14; group rates are available. RRFT will provide services such as sign-interpretation, assistive listening devices, and advance copies of scripts. For tickets, call RRFT at (973) 744- 3309 or visit www.RRFamilyTheatre.org. Family and friends of Oceanport resident Rick Gager are hosting a benefit Dec. 8, 3-7 p.m., at the Headliner in Neptune Township. "Rock for Rick" will feature entertainment by bands including Ziggy Shock, The Do Dads, Charlie Don't Surf and The Bruce Wacker Band. Gager, a longtime community volunteer and lifelong borough resident, is undergoing cancer treatment, and proceeds of the benefit will allay medical and living expenses. Cover is $15. The Headliner is located at 1401 Route 35. For more information, or to donate, call (732) 865-1615. ***** The Coastal Monmouth Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse, which provides Long Branch, West Long Branch and Oceanport community members with prevention, intervention and referral services, is scheduled to meet Dec. 10 from 9-11 a.m. at the Monmouth Medical Center on Second Avenue in Long Branch. For more information, call (732) 571-6512. ***** Any adult interested in signing Christmas carols at the Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch on Dec. 13 or at the Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune on Dec. 10, can call Mike Ellis at (732) 870-1893. Both caroling events will be held at 6 p.m. ***** Camp Sunshine is presenting the second annual New Jersey Polar Plunge Feb. 2 at Avenue Beach Club in Long Branch at 2 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the top fundraisers and costume contest winners. For more information, call (207) 655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org. ***** The Natural Healthcare Center will be collecting school supplies until Dec. 15 for disadvantaged children in the Long Branch Public School system. The school officials in the district have asked for the following items: writing instruments, such as pens, pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils and erasers; notebooks; colored index cards and calculators. Items should be new and unwrapped, and can be dropped off at Natural Healthcare Center on West End Court. ***** Pier Village in Long Branch is scheduled to host "Chanukah at the Boardwalk" Dec. 9 at 4 p.m. One of the largest menorahs in the state will be lighted from a fireman's bucket by local politicians and community leaders. ***** Barbara Horter, Wanamassa section of Ocean Township, was named "Volunteer of the Year - Chapter Level" by Special Olympics New Jersey at its annual awards dinner at the Westin Princeton in mid-November. The organiwww. zation honored individuals and groups for dedication and commitment to the mission of Special Olympics. ***** Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, will hold a "Holiday Safety Fair" Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in its ground-floor lobby. Sponsored by the center's Safe Kids Chapter, the fair will feature information on child safety products, home safety recommendations, inclement weather driving, pet safety and holiday decorating guidelines. Representatives from the Long Branch Police Department and the St. Barnabas Burn Education Department will also be on hand, and free blood pressure screenings will be provided. For more information, call (732) 222-5200. ***** Santa Claus will visit United Teletech Financial (UTF), Tinton Falls, on Dec. 8, and UTF's Holmdel branch on Dec. 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days. Jolly Old Saint Nick will listen to children's requests for Christmas gifts and pose with the children for photos free of charge. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and light refreshments will be provided. For more information, call (732) 530-8100 or visit utfinancial.org. ***** The choir at Kensington Court Assisted Living Facility and Adult Day Club, Tinton Falls, perform a concert of holiday carols Dec. 12 at 10:30 a.m. at Jersey Shore Center, Eatontown. *****