The Arcadians are staging the production at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre as part of the amateur theatre group's golden anniversary.

But the cast did a performance a few days before opening night at the Novotel.

The Illawarra Connection dinner was a fitting place for a masquerade performance in front of 230 business leaders.

The cast was introduced by Neryl East.

The season runs until August 24 and tickets are on sale through the IPAC box office and online at www.ipac.org.au.

Hero's legacy

The annual Legacy Appeal Week launches in Wollongong on August 28 with an Australian hero who still serves for his country attending the 2014 Legacy Business and Community Lunch.

Mark Donaldson VC is the speaker at City Diggers.

A highly decorated soldier, he is the author of best-selling book The Cross Road - a story of life, death and the SAS.

Top store named

Coles Fairy Meadow has just been named NSW Store of the Year for the supermarket chain.

Business has grown quickly at the store since it opened last August and it has been involved in many community activities.

In May Coles Fairy Meadow helped the Rotary Club of West Wollongong raise $1300 during the National Breast Cancer Foundation Charity Walk in Stuart Park on Mother's Day.

Scholarship offered

iAccelerate chief executive Elizabeth Eastland has announced a $5500 scholarship program to encourage female entrepreneurs.

Each scholarship is valued at $1560.

Power of prayer

Christians around Wollongong are uniting this Saturday at 4pm to pray for Iraq.

Prayer will be offered at St Michael's Cathedral Wollongong, for persecuted Christians and other minorities in Iraq.

The meeting will involve Christians from many denominations and prayers will also be said for people struggling elsewhere in places such as Ukraine and the victims of MH17 and their family, those affected by South Sudan famine and the Ebola outbreak, the Palestine-Israel conflict in Gaza and people in North Korea.

Data centre reform

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) South Coast chapter meeting on August 26 features Metronode general manager Malcolm Roe as speaker.

Mr Roe is speaking about the NSW Government Data Centre Reform Project.

As part of the NSW Government's ICT infrastructure transformation in 2012 Metronode was awarded the $182 million contract to migrate the government's 130 data centre facilities into two big data centres at Unanderra and Silverwater.

Get fit and help

The University of Wollongong Recreation and Aquatic Centre is hosting its seventh annual Monster Fitness Class fund-raiser for a cause on Saturday. The 90-minute session starts at from 9.30am under the direction of seven professional instructors. Anyone over 16 can take part for a gold coin donation. All profits go to the Cancer Council NSW.

Car expo pays off

Autorama Illawarra Car and Bike Expo has been nominated in the Dobija World Events and Tourism Award category of the 2014 NSW/ACT Regional Achievement & Community Awards.

The muscle car and motor bike expo has also raised funds for post-suicide support in the community and helped organisations who help support abused children and local refugees.

Op shop week

Illawarra VIEW Clubs are participating in the 2014 National Op Shop Week from August 24 to 31. Zone Councillor Yvonne White said members enjoyed getting involved and found donating to Smith Family retail stores an easy way to help young people in need.

Amazing pink

This Thursday Novotel human resources manager Emily Squires is dyeing her hair pink in the lead-up to the Amazing Race Wollongong on September 5.

Mrs Squires is going pink to raise money awareness for the Light and Hope Foundation and mental health. Donations can be made at racegong.com.au/teams.php?team=emily-chantelle-and-julies-hair-drive.

Les Mis on way

Michael Cassel's first theatrical production under his new company the Michael Cassel Group is coming to Sydney's Capitol Theatre in March 2015.

Tickets will soon be on sale from August 25 for the Sydney season of Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed Les Misérables presently playing in Melbourne.

Career choices

Jobs in trades will be the focus for Years 9 and 10 students attending an Illawarra Trades Roadshow at Five Islands Secondary College in Port Kembla on September 3 and 4.

The event is being facilitated by Workplace Learning.