The Monmouth County Park System is sponsoring a variety of trips for residents looking to get away for a few days.

A trip to the Berkshire Mountains is scheduled for July 13 and 14 to visit the Hancock Shaker Village and the Norman Rockwell Museum. The cost is $375 for single occupancy, $270 for double, $255 for triple, and $245 for quad. The program number is A2953X.

A trip to Boston is planned for Aug. 14-16. The cost is $390-$255 and the program number is A3053X. An “Ocean Vistas of Cape Cod” trip is set for Sept. 6-9 and the cost is $500-$400. The program number is A5154X.

Boothbay Harbor and Ogunquit, Maine, will be the destination Oct. 8-12. The cost is $650-$475 and the program number is A5054X.

A trip to Connecticut to see the fall colors and Mystic Seaport is set for Oct. 19-20. The cost is $325-$225 and the program number is A5254X. “Colonial Massachusetts Tour” is scheduled for Nov. 11-13 and will include a visit to the John F. Kennedy Library, dinner at Cheers, and tours of Plymouth, the Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II. The cost is $455-$240 and the program number is A5354X.

All trips require preregistration and will leave from Thompson Park, Newman Springs Road, Lincroft. For more information or to register, call (732) 842-4000. For persons with hearing impairment, the TDD/TTY number is 711.

Local educator to ride in marathon for charity

On July 9, Brandy Krueger, a Millstone Township assistant principal, will join approximately 200 cyclists and support crew members from the local area on a one-week, 500-mile marathon ride from McHenry, Md., to Trenton to raise funds for Anchor House in Trenton. The funds are needed to keep the doors of Anchor House open, along with its many programs and services to thousands of youngsters and their families. Anchor House Foundation is a multi-service agency for runaway, homeless, abused, and at-risk youths and their families. For the past 27 years, Anchor House has committed its efforts to providing comprehensive, life-saving assistance to children. Its programs include Angels’ Wings, which provides around-the-clock care to children ages birth to 12 years who have been abused or neglected; Anchor House, providing emergency shelter for ages 10-17; The Anchorage, providing a transitional living program for ages 16-21; Anchor Link, which provides street-based counseling programs for youths; school-based counseling; a variety of teen and parent support groups and violence-prevention programs; runaway counseling programs; and community education and awareness presentations. All contributions to Anchor House are tax deductible. For more information, visit www.anchorhouseride.org.

Host families needed for students from Spain

Twenty-two students from Spain will be visiting the local area for the month of August.

Global Friendships is looking for families to host each of the students, who range in age from 15 to 18. The students will be attending classes three days a week and will have planned activities (host families are welcome to join in).

Students need to have their own bed, three meals a day, and transportation to and from activities (car pooling is invited.).

For more information, call Ann Suraci at (732) 792-8020 or (800) 762-2918.

Millstone girl to attend Pre-Teen America finals

Jacqueline Ferrè, daughter of Dolores and Jack Ferrè of the Perrineville section of Millstone, has qualified as a national finalist in the 2005 Pre-Teen America Scholarship and Recognition Program to be held July 2-7 in Baton Rouge, La.

In order to qualify for participation, the entrant must have won her state title (junior or senior), placed as a runner-up, or won the speech or talent categories. The programs are by invitation for girls ages 7-12 based on their academic records, awards and honors won, and their participation in outside activities including volunteer services and creative talents.