(NewsUSA) - May is National Foster Care Month, and Marine Toys for Tots, America’s premier children’s Christmastime charity, continues its year-round mission of providing support to at-risk children, including those in Foster Care, through their Foster Care Initiative.  

More than 700 children in the United States enter the Foster Care system every day.  Through no fault of their own, these young people find themselves removed from everything they know, often landing in an unfamiliar setting with only a small bag for clothes and little else.

“When I became the President and CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, I knew we could be more than a Christmastime charity.  Part of that intent was to assist foster families and foster children. I wanted to involve the entire community to assist us in providing items such as backpacks and educational toys, books, and other gifts,” said LtGen James Laster, CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

In 2022, Toys for Tots launched its Foster Care Initiative to provide resources that support these children during extremely stressful and trying times. Their mission: to reduce anxiety for children in Foster Care and make a positive impact on their lives.

Marine SSgt James Caldwell knows from personal experience that seemingly small acts of kindness make a big difference. When SSgt Caldwell was a young boy, he experienced the uncertainty of Foster Care, but felt hope through the gift of a new toy from the Toys for Tots chapter in his community at Christmas.

Fast-forward to today, and SSgt Caldwell is giving back to disadvantaged children by volunteering with his local Toys for Tots chapter.

“If a kid is experiencing darkness all year long and then someone like me, dressed in a fancy uniform, comes along and says, ‘I think maybe we can help you a little bit,’ that may give them the hope they need to go on to do great things, and pay it forward,” says SSgt Caldwell.

SSgt Caldwell delivers more than just a new toy to disadvantaged children in his community – he also reminds children that brighter days are ahead, and Toys for Tots stands ready to assist whenever they need hope and joy the most.

Thanks to the generosity of donors across the Nation, Toys for Tots provided toys, books, games, and emotional comfort to more than 3,000 at-risk children, including those in Foster Care. Please join our continuing mission to help foster children find a path to a brighter future. For more information about the Toys for Tots Foster Care Initiative, visit https://www.toysfortots.org/programs/foster-children/.

(NewsUSA) - New and emerging technology continues to transform all areas of government activity, and the United States Intelligence Community (IC) is no exception, according to experts at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a bipartisan nonprofit organization.

As the geostrategic rivalry between the U.S. and the Peoples’ Republic of China intensifies, so does the need to harness the latest technology to improve the effectiveness of the IC. In SCSP’s second Intelligence Interim Panel Report (IPR), Intelligence Innovation: Repositioning for Future Technology Competition, experts highlight four priorities that can help the U.S. extend and retain its edge in IC with nimble use of technology and a focus on innovation.

Make the most of GenAI. Use of cutting-edge generative artificial intelligence has the potential to reinvent how intelligence is not only collected, but also analyzed, produced, disseminated, and evaluated.

Reimagine partnerships at home and abroad. Networked alliances are the future of intelligence cooperation, and technology can open up new inroads to identify domestic talent and novel intelligence tools.

Reinvent a team. Creating new public-private partnerships can help the IC access open and commercially available data and take advantage of technology being developed in the private sector.

Increase IC support. The right mix of expertise, technology tools, and private sector links can help the IC respond quickly to information and misinformation, and support strategic government communications in the digital space.

The SCSP report further recommends the need to identify and streamline communication channels across the elements of the IC and foster collaboration with any agencies that play roles in public communications, and increase expertise on the information operations used by adversaries.

For more information, including expert discussions of the report, visit scsp.ai.

(NewsUSA) - One lucky winner will score big when participating in Rockstar Energy's “Fuel Your Drive” promotion

PURCHASE, N.Y., May 20, 2024 – With people looking to get out and travel more this summer, Rockstar Energy Drink wants to come along for the ride and “Fuel Your Drive” to help summer road-trippers across the country get cash back and stay energized to get to their next destination.

Beginning with Memorial Day weekend, nearly 85% of Americans are anticipated to have travel plans throughout the summer season. In fact, 75% of Americans intend to take at least one road trip this summer, most driving somewhere within 100 miles of their home¹. 

“With summer travel on the rise, we know consumers will need that little bit of energy and mental boost to make it through long car rides, so we’re thrilled to be able to bring back the ‘Fuel Your Drive’ program,” said Sean Bonthuys, PepsiCo Senior Director of Brand Marketing, Energy Portfolio. “Meeting our consumers’ needs has always been one of our main priorities as a brand, and we’re happy to be able to provide new offerings and fan favorites, while putting cash back in their wallets at the same time.”

Now through the end of the year, customers who purchase any two Rockstar Energy products at and text ‘ROCKSTAR’ and a photo of their receipt to 73774, will receive $5 cash back – all courtesy of Rockstar Energy. 

That’s not all. Rockstar Energy will also be giving away a Rockstar custom-wrapped 2024 Jeep Wrangler, as well as $20,000, to one grand prize winner for the ultimate summer road trip. Participants can enter HERE for a chance to win the grand prize and earn bonus entries by redeeming the cash back offer. 

No road trip is ever successful without a road trip companion – which is where the latest Rockstar Energy product line, Focus, comes in. Available in three zero sugar flavors (Lemon Lime, White Peach, and Orange Pineapple), Rockstar Focus contains a unique blend of ingredients including Lion's Mane, a mushroom used in traditional eastern cultures. The zero sugar, calorie free beverage delivers functional energy and a mental boost to help get you through your road trip adventures.   Additional offerings from Rockstar Energy include Rockstar Original and Rockstar Pure Zero, which provide sustained mind-body energy for up to five hours, and are fully charged with B-vitamins and formulated with guarana, taurine, and caffeine.  

No matter where your summer plans will take you, Rockstar Energy has your back to take you on your next epic adventure. For more information on Rockstar Energy’s “Fuel Your Drive” promotion, visit https://www.rockstarenergy.com/pepsico-fuel-your-drive-offer-terms. 

(NewsUSA) - Leaning on Air by Cheryl Grey Bostrom

They last spoke as teens . . .

But a surprise encounter 12 years later reunites ornithologist Celia Burke with veterinary surgeon Burnaby Hayes, and they enter the most unusual romance of her life.

After a decade of marriage, tragedy strikes while Celia hunts for the nest of a research hawk. She’s certain Burnaby won’t understand her anguish or forgive the choice that initiated it.

She flees to kindness at a remote farm, where a wild prairie and an alluring neighbor convince her to begin anew. But when unexplained accidents, cryptic sketches, and a mute little boy make her doubt her decision, only a red-tailed hawk and the endangered lives of those she loves can compel her to examine her past―and reconsider her future.

A soaring tale of wonder, loss, redemption, and restoration from the award-winning author of Sugar Birds. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3UqIM1B.

Curing Death by Mark Rosenberg M.D.

Dr. Mike Royce has a problem. His patients keep dying. His skills as an ER doctor are unmatched, but he can’t save them all. With every death, his sense of failure grows.

With the help of a brilliant nurse—his sometime lover—Royce embarks on a controversial research project to challenge the inevitability of death. When he discovers a never-before observed energy in the body, he feels he has stumbled upon the soul itself. And he makes a tantalizing connection between the egress of this soul energy and imminent, certain death.

To forestall death, Royce must find a way to stop that soul-energy from leaving the body, before his own mysteriously erratic, increasingly unstable mind betrays him. "All in the backdrop of the continual traumas of a hospital emergency room headed by the unstoppable Dr. Mike Royce – you can’t put it down." Purchase at https://bit.ly/3uOHgvY.

The Queen of Steeplechase Park by David Ciminello

The absolutely, positively, practically, almost-true story of infamous burlesque queen and magic meatball maker Belladonna Marie Donato. Pregnant at 15 after gleefully losing her virginity to pansexual neighborhood strongman Francis Anthony Mozzarelli, she is robbed of her baby by a pack of nefarious nuns, and her embittered papa has her sterilized without her consent (legal in 1935).

With the help of Francis and her top-secret meatball recipe, a Bella embarks on a riotous quest through Depression-era Coney Island sideshows, the world of peek-a-boo striptease routines, a queer mob marriage, and tasty collection of wisdom-filled recipes to find her lost child, herself, and maybe true love. It all leads Bella back to the scene of her Original Sin, where she faces matters of life and death, questions of forgiveness, and a mess only the healing properties of great Italian cooking can fix. Purchase at https://bit.ly/4bWlfvE.

The New Testament, Second Edition: A 21st Century Translation by Michael Straus

A translation that brings some fresh turns of phrase to the New Testament's varied texts. Not designed to supplant prior translations but to shed light on obscure passages; capture the humanity of Jesus' personality as presented in the Gospels; intelligibly convey doctrine and experience as related in Acts and the Epistles; and reflect the atemporal nature of the Book of Revelation.

The translation seeks to be at once enjoyable, novelistic and at times poetic, avoiding the overly literal, freely adopting the colloquial, and taking grammatical license where the writer employed imagery not subject to standard linguistic limitations.

 As a whole it approaches Scripture as the viva vox evangelii, with ongoing linguistic presence through credal, liturgical, sermonic and other forms of expression. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3TlFOdH.

(NewsUSA) - If ever there was a story about a self-made man whose wealth can be measured more by the contents of his heart than by the contents of his bank account, this is it.

Everybody has heard of GoDaddy, but how many people know the real-life story of the highly successful, philanthropic, and colorful man behind the company? For the first time, GoDaddy and PXG founder Bob Parsons, in a highly confessional account, shares the story of his life, from his humble upbringing to his meteoric rise as one of early tech’s pioneers.

FIRE IN THE HOLE! The Untold Story of My Traumatic Life and Explosive Success (Forefront Books) is an unflinching yet inspirational account of his path to success, from a hardscrabble childhood to his combat service as a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War – and beyond.

A descendant of coal miners, Parsons grew up in the 1950s in a blue-collar, working-class neighborhood in East Baltimore. Money was tight, given his parents shared a mutual fondness for gambling and were not particularly good at it. In his book, Parsons talks about the financial struggles his family faced, as well as the emotional neglect he experienced as a boy.

He writes: “We were just getting by when Pop’s business failed … my dad racked up so much debt from gambling and credit cards that everything came tumbling down. In the end, he practically gave the business away. And, when he did, we went from not having much to having nothing. I mean absolutely nothing.”

An admittedly so-so student, he recalls the struggles he faced in learning, as well as the corporal punishment dished out by Catholic school nuns. But his early experiences reveal an innate resiliency that got him through a harrowing tour of duty in Vietnam, his early years at his first company, Parsons Technology, as well as his bold business decisions that would eventually make him one of the wealthiest people in the world. With a net worth of $3.6 billion, Parsons is No. 314 on the Forbes 400 2023 list of the richest people in America.

He's an everyman who has made it. He’s authentic. And his reflections on life, business, and giving back are heartbreaking, heartwarming, humorous, and inspiring.

In the book, Parsons:

• Shares how he survived his grueling tour of duty in Vietnam with the U.S. Marines infantry.
• Reveals the struggles he has faced throughout his lifetime because of PTSD, as well as the efforts he has made to treat it, including novel therapeutic uses of psychedelics.
• Offers the lessons he has learned during his career, from the launch of his first business, Parsons Technology, to the creation of his present-day business empire, which includes YAM Worldwide and Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG).

Since 2012, Parsons and his wife, Renee, have donated nearly $300 million to more than 96 charities and organizations worldwide. Having suffered from PTSD, he works to find new and effective treatments for himself and others. FIRE IN THE HOLE! encourages readers to dream big and imagine all that’s possible – even if the cards seem stacked against them.

Learn more at bobparsons.com and purchase the book at https://bit.ly/3TyNb0x.

(NewsUSA) - La Semana del Aprendizaje Juvenil, una iniciativa del Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU., presenta una variedad de eventos y oradores en lugares de todos los Estados Unidos para mostrar los numerosos beneficios de los programas de aprendizaje registrado para jóvenes y adultos jóvenes de 16 a 24 años.

La iniciativa a nivel nacional se lleva a cabo del 5 al 11 de mayo de 2024 e incluye más de 400 eventos y más de 110 proclamaciones destinadas a celebrar y educar al público sobre los aprendizajes registrados. Los aprendices actuales y graduados de programas de aprendizaje registrado compartirán sus experiencias e historias de éxito.

La Semana de Aprendizaje Juvenil es una oportunidad para que empleadores, asociaciones industriales, organizaciones laborales, organizaciones comunitarias, socios de la fuerza laboral, proveedores de educación y líderes gubernamentales organicen eventos, lancen nuevos programas y creen conciencia sobre estas oportunidades profesionales de Aprendizaje Registrado que cambian la vida de jóvenes y adultos jóvenes y cómo crean una fuente sostenible de talento diverso y calificado para los empleos de hoy y de mañana en industrias críticas.

Los asistentes escucharán cómo los jóvenes y adultos jóvenes pueden utilizar los aprendizajes registrados para ganar salarios competitivos mientras obtienen capacitación y habilidades para crecer y avanzar en carreras esenciales para la fuerza laboral actual y los empleos del futuro. Los aprendizajes registrados dan como resultado una credencial reconocida a nivel nacional y pueden incluir la posibilidad de obtener créditos universitarios y, a menudo, un título sin costo alguno para el aprendiz.

"La Semana del Aprendizaje Juvenil reconoce el compromiso de la administración Biden-Harris de crear oportunidades de empleo para jóvenes y adultos jóvenes y el papel fundamental que desempeñan en la infraestructura laboral de nuestra nación", dijo la secretaria interina de Trabajo, Julie Su, en un comunicado anunciando el evento. "Los aprendizajes para jóvenes no son sólo caminos hacia carreras profesionales; son puentes hacia futuros llenos de promesas, oportunidades y un potencial infinito", enfatizó.

El Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU. organizó dos eventos durante la Semana del Aprendizaje Juvenil, incluido un evento de inicio con jóvenes aprendices actuales el 6 de mayo y un evento especial del Día de la Firma con nuevos jóvenes aprendices el 9 de mayo. Estos eventos destacaron carreras en una variedad de campos importantes para el éxito de los Estados Unidos, incluida la construcción, el transporte, la manufactura avanzada y la energía limpia, la educación, la ciberseguridad, la robótica y la atención médica. El aprendizaje juvenil es una estrategia de ganar y aprender que brinda a los jóvenes un camino hacia un buen trabajo y un impulso hacia una carrera bien remunerada. Bajo la administración Biden-Harris, se han atendido a más de 1,4 millones de aprendices, incluidos más de 541.000 nuevos jóvenes y adultos jóvenes de entre 16 y 24 años, según la Oficina de Aprendizaje del Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU., la agencia gubernamental responsable de los programas de aprendizaje registrados.

Para obtener más información sobre la Semana del Aprendizaje Juvenil y cómo participar, visite www.apprenticeship.gov/youth-apprenticeship-week. Haga correr la voz en las redes sociales a través de #YAW2024 y #ApprenticeshipUSA.

(NewsUSA) - Recent Generac/Harris Poll survey provides insights into preparedness for widespread power outages*

With the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season expected to have the highest activity level in recent history, now is the time to prepare with a plan to protect your loved ones.

Colorado State University’s annual Atlantic hurricane season forecast predicts 23 named storms, with 11 which could become hurricanes and five possibly reaching major hurricane strength. This marks the highest ever outlook prediction the CSU team has issued since it began the forecasts in 1995.

When a hurricane or even a strong tropical storm strikes, it leaves a path of destruction that could leave homeowners without power for days – even weeks. Families are faced with difficult decisions like whether or not to evacuate, how to keep their pets safe and how to complete daily functions with no internet, household appliances, or even in total darkness.

A recent survey* commissioned by Generac and conducted by The Harris Poll illustrates that many Americans are not prepared for widespread power outages and are at risk for both their comfort and safety. More than half of Americans (52%) would only have enough food in their home for 1-2 days if there was a widespread extended outage in their area. 71% of Americans would be concerned with food spoilage if their home experienced an extended power outage, with half (50%) saying they would struggle financially to replace all of their perishable food lost due to an extended power outage. The survey data also revealed that 36% of Americans have medical devices powered by electricity that they or someone in their home use daily. Moreover, 77% of pet owners are willing to risk their own comfort to stay with their pets at home amidst extended power outages.

“With the highest-ever predicted hurricane season in nearly three decades, homeowners and business owners need to do everything they can to prepare now,” said Kyle Raabe, president of Consumer Power for Generac Power Systems, a global energy technology company. “Making a plan ahead of time that includes a source of backup power is an important step to ensure you and your loved ones remain safe and comfortable in the event of an extended power outage.”

Generac offers a free Hurricane Preparedness Guide to help homeowners prepare for the storm season. The guide not only highlights steps to take before, during and after a storm but also provides printable inventory checklists, comparisons on backup power options and power outage safety tips.

Power outage experts from Generac have provided tips on how to prepare for blackouts during hurricane season:

• Identify the safest location in the home to wait out a storm, and review emergency plans for evacuation, based on your local government’s recommendations.
• Identify when your nearest evacuation centers will open and, if applicable, which ones allow pets. As an alternative to an evacuation center, reach out to friends or family who live outside of the forecasted cone of impact and create a list of potential evacuation locations.
• Designate a main location and a backup location to meet after the storm.
• Gather local area maps in the event mobile devices lack service or electricity.
• Build an emergency kit with items such as a 7-day supply of non-perishables per person, three gallons of water per person, a fully stocked first aid kit and flashlights and extra batteries.
• If you are planning to stay in your home, ensure you have a backup power plan. Consider investing in a portable or home standby generator to back up critical components of your home.
• If you already have a generator, be sure it is well-maintained and you have an ample amount of fuel, so it is ready to work when you need it most.
• Review appropriate instructions on how to safely operate a generator to protect your loved ones and your home. Make sure to only run a portable generator outdoors, far away from any doors or windows and with the exhaust pointing away from the home.
• For more information on generator safety, visit https://www.generac.com/be-prepared/the-home/outdoor-power-equipment-safety.

With an expected 23 named storms forecasted for the upcoming hurricane season, it’s important to remember that it only takes one strong storm to cause serious destruction. In order to navigate a well-above average hurricane season, it’s crucial to plan ahead. Getting a home standby generator takes planning and a period of time to get installed, therefore you should reach out early for a free, no cost estimate so you are prepared with the information you need. https://www.generac.com/nationalpromo

*This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Generac from April 18-22, 2024, among 2,094 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].

(NewsUSA) - Writers of the Future Volume 40 by L. Ron Hubbard

Spine-tingling. Breathtaking. Mind-blowing.

Experience these powerful new voices—vivid, visceral, and visionary—as they explore uncharted worlds and reveal unlimited possibilities. Twelve captivating short stories from the best new science fiction and fantasy writers of the year, selected by Writers of the Future Contest judges. Each story has a full-color illustration. Three bonus stories and art and writing tips.

“This is where the next stars are born.” —Hugh Howey

“These are the people who are going to be creating trends.” —Brandon Sanderson

“One of the best anthologies of the year.” —Tangent

“Some of the most excellent speculative fiction that you can find anywhere. They’re cutting-edge. They’re new.” —Nnedi Okorafor

“See the best of the best culled for you, curated and selected in a single volume every year.” —Robert J. Sawyer

“The stories are wonderful.” —Orson Scott Card

Purchase at https://bit.ly/3varkUQ.

Volk by D. Werkmeister

FBI agent Terri Watson is working on the biggest case of her career. But as she tracks the flow of dirty money around the world and aims to take down a powerful Russian money launderer, her work collides with a series of horrific murders. Something is out there, stalking the streets of Philadelphia. When Terri comes face to face with the beast, she discovers an explosive secret—one that powerful men will kill to keep hidden.

Her investigation reveals there is more to this predator than meets the eye. Much more.

Volk is a supernatural werewolf thriller. If you like fast-paced novels with a twist, then you will love this book, written by a former Marine and retired FBI Special Agent. Says one Amazon reviewer, “Extremely realistic portrayals of detective work, wiretapping methodology, and weapons handling contrast nicely with the supernatural elements.” Purchase at https://bit.ly/3v1WdLn.

Dear God, Why Is It So Hard to Forgive by Imani

Is love ever too good to be true? That is a question Lydia struggles to answer in this romantic novel. She seemingly meets the perfect man and tries to make it work. However, haunted by the pain of past and present betrayals, she worries that her struggles will drive him away.

Is there such a thing as too much baggage? Can she use her faith to untangle the webs of pain and forge a path of forgiveness with those who have hurt her before her pain and anger rob her of her future? Find out in this recently released Book 2 in the “Dear God” series. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3TtPW2W.

Wolf’s Head Bay Book II: The Race for Home by Jeffery Allen Boyd

“Auction?” Richard repeated incredulously. “You mean a—an actual modern-day slave auction—in this country?”

The frightened yet determined group of teens led by Jeremy make a harrowing escape by helicopter, taking with them incriminating evidence exposing both the Colonel and the human trafficking global Network. With Jeremy at the controls, they are pursued by the black Scorpion. Owing to his limited piloting skills they are quickly forced down into the remote northern Michigan wilderness.

In Book II, the group is alone and isolated. Unable to communicate with the outside world and on the run not only from Spear, the lethal enforcer within the trafficking Network and the Colonel’s trained assassin, but also from deadly government operatives, what will save them? Jeremy’s resourcefulness and dogged determination, or younger brother Travis’ faith . . . and will it be enough? Purchase at https://bit.ly/4aoshbc.

BookBites is presented by BookTrib.com.

(NewsUSA) - Ongoing professional development for teachers is essential to meet the changing needs of today’s students, experts say, and further investment for teacher training is an opportunity to use remaining federal funds allotted to schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During the pandemic, many schools received funding through the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund, also known as ESSER; any funds yet unused must be committed by September 2024, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 

ESSER was an unprecedented infusion of funds to schools, and using remaining ESSER money for professional learning will help teachers enhance and adapt their methods to meet the needs of today’s students, according to experts at Discovery Education, one of the leading providers of educational technology and professional learning to educators. 

“Times change, and the classrooms of today demand new strategies for teaching and learning. Investments in professional learning are investments in the future, as participating educators will learn new ways to help this generation of learners prepare for success beyond graduation,” says Dr. Karen Beerer, senior vice president of strategic partnerships at Discovery Education. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools invested in educational technology to keep students learning in a remote environment. Although in-person learning has resumed, taking advantage of funding to enhance teacher training yields long-term benefits and helps school systems increase their return on pandemic resource investments, Dr. Beerer adds.  

Discovery Education’s professional learning supports teachers’ ongoing development and helps them make continuous improvements to their classroom instruction throughout their teaching careers. This helps them make better use of online resources that are designed to help teachers nurture curiosity and improve student engagement. 

“We know that learning opportunities for each educator will enhance learning opportunities for each student,” Dr. Beerer says. 

For more information about Discovery Education’s professional development, visit discoveryeducation.com/solutions/professional-learning/. 

(NewsUSA) - Being a mom can be challenging, but celebrating Mother’s Day and other spring events can be easy. What better way to celebrate moms and spring than with a brunch or an outdoor cocktail hour on the deck or patio?

Festive spring occasions call for a menu to match. For a spring party, think airy quiches, fruit parfaits, flaky croissants, and refreshing drinks.

Make Mom’s day or any spring celebration extra special with a Seagram’s Escapes Strawberry Mamarita featuring the perfectly sweet and tangy flavor of Seagram’s Escapes Jamaican Me Happy, a unique blend of lemon, watermelon, strawberry and guava.

The directions are simple; five minutes and a few ingredients and you have the perfect spring cocktail that enhances any event and adapts to any menu, from casual to elegant.

Seagram’s Escapes Strawberry Mamarita

-  1 strawberry

-  1 oz. tequila

-  1 lime, juiced

-  1/2 cup Seagram’s Escapes Jamaican Me Happy

-  Sea salt, for rim of glass

-  Watermelon slice and strawberry, for garnish                                                                                                                                         

To prepare the Mamarita, start by adding sea salt to a shallow dish. Take a lime slice and run it around the edge of a margarita glass, then dip the glass into the salt until the rim is well coated.

Slice the strawberry into a cocktail shaker and muddle until it is broken down, then add tequila, lime juice, and ice, and shake until chilled. Strain the chilled mixture into the prepared margarita glass over ice. For the grand finale, top with ½ cup of Seagram’s Escapes Jamaican Me Happy, and garnish with another strawberry and a watermelon slice, if desired.

As with any recipes in the Seagram’s Escapes collection, you can make this one your own. Create a unique drink for a particular event, customize with extra spirits or add your favorite fruits.

Enjoy at a Mother’s Day event, bridal shower, wedding, graduation, or any other spring celebration.

As warmer weather kicks in, try freezing Jamaican Me Happy or any Seagram’s Escapes flavors mixed with lemonade, then blend for the ultimate adult slushy.

Visit seagramsescapes.com for more information and other recipe ideas for spring and summer.