SCHEELS is holding a grand opening celebration on Saturday, Sept. 30, for its new store at Chandler Fashion Center. Arizona's first SCHEELS features 220,000 square feet of one-of-a-kind retail experience. This includes 75 specialty shops catering to sports fans, outdoor enthusiasts, and customers seeking a wide variety of fashion, footwear, and home decor. There are also family-friendly attractions, including an indoor Ferris wheel, 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, a wildlife mountain, interactive arcade games and sports simulators, rollerball (miniature version of bowling), and Fuzziwig's Candy Shop.

Grand Opening Celebration

Saturday, Sept. 30

Festivities start at 7:00 a.m., doors open at 9:30 a.m.

Chandler Fashion Center, 3199 W Chandler Blvd.

• Food Vendors: Pit Boss and Von Hanson's Meats, Gozney Pizza, and more
• Score NN' Event Inflatables, Mini Golf on the Go, and more
• Giveaway drawings through the morning and in-store
• Mascot appearances: Baxter from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sparky from Arizona State University, and Big Red from the Arizona Cardinals
• Special appearances from: the ASU Spirit Squad, Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders, and Arizona Cardinals Alumni players

SCHEELS Facebook Event Post

The Chandler Endeavor Venture Innovation Incubator program is holding an orientation event for entrepreneurs and innovators on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 4:30 p.m. Visit the ASU Chandler Innovation Center, 249 E. Chicago St., to learn how this free program can help you launch or grow your business. After the orientation, stick around and immerse yourself in the program by attending the monthly workshop from 5 to 7 p.m. This month's topic is customer discovery and lean decision making.

The first monthly workshop was held on Sept. 6 and focused on crafting a compelling value proposition for your business. If you missed it, you can get up to speed by checking out the Training and Development Resource (TDR) Module. Chandler Endeavor participants typically go through the module before the workshop to help prepare for the in-person group and breakout sessions.

The Chandler Endeavor Venture Innovation Incubator is a partnership between the City of Chandler and Arizona State University (ASU). It is managed by community entrepreneurship experts from ASU's J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute. The program is co-located at the ASU Chandler Innovation Center with the E+I@ACIC coworking space, which offers access to free workspace and amenities.

Earlier this month, Grand Canyon University (GCU) celebrated the opening of its new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in Chandler. The accelerated, 16-month program is designed for students who have a degree in another field or have some college credits and want to re-career. It offers a hybrid learning platform in which students do online coursework and then travel to lab sites, like in Chandler, to get their hands-on experience. The Chandler facility is located in West Chandler at One Chandler Corporate Center, 4100 W Chandler Blvd.

The program's 16-month timeframe means that students enter the workforce sooner, which is a boon to a healthcare industry with a growing need for skilled nurses. "Arizona alone will have greater than 195,000 RN (registered nurse) openings between now and 2031," said GCU College of Nursing and Health Care Professions Dean Dr. Lisa Smith.

GCU reported that 47 nursing students have already started their training at the new Chandler location. Students will do their clinical rotations at Banner Ocotillo Medical Center in Chandler.

Full news release