Marietta Puts on the Ritz for Humane Society

1. With this third annual benefit gala, the Humane Society of Cobb County's "Hearts & Dreams" officially becomes a tradition. As always, the event is a variety show to showcase local talent and includes everything from song to dance, all under the theme of "Puttin' on the Ritz."

Tickets for this black tie-optional event at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre is $75. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the stage show beginning at 8 p.m. For information, call 770-293-0080.

2. The Junior League of Cobb-Marietta is sponsoring its annual Marietta Mardi Gras Run at 8 a.m. this morning at Marietta Square. Races include a 5K, a 1K and a Tot Trot. Registration will be $30 for the races or $15 for the Tot Trot. Visit www.marietta5k.com for information or head to the square to cheer on the runners.

3. The Four Lads, a leading quartet of the 1950s, performs at 8 p.m. today at the Jeannie T. Anderson Theatre of the Cobb Civic Center as the latest installment of the 2011 Encore Season. Their hits include "Standin' on the Corner," "Istanbul" and "Moments to Remember." Tickets are $25. Call 770-528-8490 for information.

4. The Marietta Tree Keepers are planting trees at Victory Park, 823 S Park Drive, beginning at 8:30 a.m. today. Tools and gloves will be provided. Call 770-424-4664 for information. Dress for the weather!

5. Today celebrates many a famous person today, both real and fiction. Of course, it's President Abraham Lincoln's birth date, but the day also honors Charles Darwin, Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe, who landed in Savannah, Ga. on this day in 1733, and Paul Bunyan, who was "born" Feb. 12, 1834 in Bangor, Maine.