Visit Veterans, play Bingo
Every month from September to June on the second Tuesday, a motorcoach departs at 6:30PM from the Judd Kendall, VFW Post 3873, 908 W. Jackson Ave. with folks eager to spread good cheer to veterans receiving treatment at Hines VA Hospital in Maywood.
The public is welcome to help fill the motorcoach on Tues., Mar. 12, and next month on Tues., April 9. (Election Day! And what an appropriate place to say thanks to the nation’s veterans.)
For more information about visiting Hines V.A. Hospital, call organizer John Shaw at (630) 961-3479, Mike Barbour at (630) 240-1645 or Jan Barbour at (630) 247-9007.
Serendipity Shop seeks donations year-round
The Serendipity Resale Shop is a volunteer-run shop, located at 12 W. Jefferson Ave. in downtown Naperville.
Donations of clean, gently-used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing of all sizes are welcome. Donors are asked not to include items that are stained or torn. The resale shop is in need of linens and home decorating items, such as lamps, dishes and clocks as well as household items, jewelry and collectibles.
Donations may be dropped off anytime during regular hours. For information, call Serendipity at (630) 357-3610.
Naperville Ale Fest announces second round of breweries
The inaugural Naperville Ale Fest will take place on Sat., July 20. Located on the grounds of Naper Settlement, with Downtown Naperville as a backdrop, it is the ideal setting to experience craft beer. The festival will feature more than 180 unique beers from craft breweries around the country.
The second round of breweries:
Abita Brewing Company, Anchor Brewing, Argus Brewery, Central Waters Brewing Company, Dogfish Head, Finch’s Beer Co., Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Founders Brewing Co., Goose Island, Greenbush Brewing Company, Kona Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing, Oskar Blues Brewery, Pig Minds Brewing Co., Revolution Brewing, Samuel Adams, Shiner Beers, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Tenth and Blake Beer Company, Three Floyds Brewing, Tyranena Brewing Company, Virtue Cider, and Widmer Brothers Brewing.
The festival will feature 60 craft breweries from all over the U.S.
Cress Creek Garden Club hosts Annual Plant Sale
The Cress Creek Garden Club members are now accepting orders for their Annual Plant Sale.
The event is open to all local residents and provides a wide variety of beautiful plants, hanging baskets and soil nutrients at competitive prices. All profits from this plant sale are directed in the form of scholarships to students in the School Districts 203 and 204 majoring in horticulture, land scape design or a related subject.
Order forms for the plant sale are available at www.cresscreekgardenclub.org.
The deadline for submitting all plant sale orders using the online form is March 26, 2013. All orders can be picked up at a Cress Creek residence to be announced from 1PM to 7PM on May 9, 2013.
DuPage PADS Taste of Hope
Tickets are now available for the 7th Annual DuPage PADS Taste of Hope that will be held on Thurs., March 14 from 5:30PM-9:30PM at Abbington Distinctive Banquets in Glen Ellyn. 25 area restaurants will cater the event.
Tickets for the event are $75 per person purchased on or before Feb. 28 and $85 per person afterwards. Tickets may be purchased online at dupagepads.org. Funds raised will support DuPage PADS programs that provide housing and support services, including education and employment to assist individuals and families who are homeless in DuPage County.
Park District online registration for Spring Programs, Summer Camps now open
Naperville Park District resident online registration for spring recreation programs and summer camps is now open. To view the virtual Spring Program Guide and the Summer 2013 Camps Guide, visit www.napervilleparks.org. Online registrations will be processed along with previously submitted paper forms in the order in which they are received. Non-resident, phone-in, and walk-in registrations begins at 8:30AM Mon., March 4, and is in progress.
Resident online registration for Coach-Pitch, T-ball and Machine Pitch is open. Resident Garden Plot registration is currently underway.
All online registrants will need a PIN number and Barcode, which need to be supplied by the Park District. Patrons who do not have this information may follow the instructions online to obtain it or call (630) 848-5000 and a Community Relations Representative will be able to provide it.
KidsMatter Job Fair is March 19
The annual KidsMatter Job Fair is a one-stop place for students, ages 16-23, to find seasonal and summer jobs.
Scheduled from 5 to 7:30 PM Tues., March 19, in Merner Fieldhouse on the North Central College campus, this fair provides job opportunities as well as mock interviews, resume-building tips, and internship and vocational opportunities to prepare students for the workforce. Supported by the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and a grant from The DuPage Community Foundation, last year’s fair attracted over 1,500 students.
For more information, contact Bridget Hatch, Marketing/Event Manager at bridget@kidsmatter2us.org or visit KidsMatter at www.kidsmatter2us.org.
Registration for 360 Spring Ahead is now open
Registration for the 360 Youth Services Spring Ahead 5K, 10K and Kids Fun Run is now open.
This year’s race, presented by Calamos Investments, will begin at 8AM Sun. April 14 at CityGate Centre, I-88 and Rt. 59. The cost for early registration is $30 for the 5K, $35 for the 10K and $15 for the Kids Fun Run. Runners can register at www.360springahead.com.
Edward Hospital offers a variety of classes
Throughout the year, Edward Hospital offers numerous types of wellness classes, parenting, meditation and relaxation to help residents enjoy a high quality of life. For instance, Edward offers monthly CPR classes.
A wide range of classes and tours are offered for expectant parents, big brothers and sisters-to-be and parents of newborns and multiples.
Some classes are free; others charge a fee. New sessions begin regularly.
Most classes are held in the Education Center on the Edward Hospital campus, 801 S. Washington St.
2013 Edition Irish Coffee Contest at Quigley’s
The public is welcome to cheer on local restaurants as bartenders whip up their signature Irish coffee recipes with Jameson Irish Whiskey for the annual Quigley’s Irish Coffee Contest.
Join the festivities beginning at 7PM Mon., March 11, to watch the staged event in the front of the popular pub. Impartial and experienced judges will sip and determine the best for 2013 as many of Naperville’s restaurant’s compete for prizes provided by Jameson’s Irish Whiskey. Nancy Quigley will present the winner with a big trophy that comes with bragging rights for the entire year.
Quigley’s Irish Pub is located at 43 E. Jefferson Ave. in downtown Naperville. For information about the Irish Coffee Contest and other entertainment at Quigley’s, contact Andy Nosek or visit www.quigleysirishpub.com.
ESLP offers free GED and career training
The Early School Leaver Program (ESLP) is a unique program offering free GED preparation, workplace skill-building, and specific career training for DuPage residents aged 17-21. The Early School Leaver program is funded by the Workforce Development Division of DuPage County (Workforce Investment Act). For more information or to register, call (630) 691-7577.
West Suburban Irish Quiz Night
The Quiz Night of the year begins at 7PM Tues., March 5, at Quigley’s Irish Pub. Put a team of up to eight players together or compete by yourself. Imagine the fun of the trivia questions just before St. Patrick’s Day!
Also, during this special Quiz Night collectible St. Patrick’s Day scarves will be available for $5 each. All proceeds from the sale of the scarves go to St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the chosen charity of the West Suburban Irish.
WSI Quiz Night is the first Tuesday of the month, October through June. Next month WSI Quiz Night begins at 7PM April 2.
Linden Oaks hosts monthly ‘Recovery Night’
Linden Oaks at Edward’s eating disorders program hosts monthly Recovery Night from 6:30-8PM on certain Mondays. Linden Oaks is located on the campus of Edward Hospital, 801 S. Washington St.
Recovery Night, free and open to the public, is for current and former eating disorder patients, as well as their families and friends, and supporters of the Linden Oaks program. For info, call (630) 305-5000.
Woman’s Club to host speaker on America’s First Ladies
The Naperville Woman’s Club in partnership with Naperville Public Library will host “Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives” true-life stories of America’s first ladies at 7PM on Wed., March 20. The event will take place at Nichols Library, 200 W. Jefferson Ave. in downtown Naperville.
Jacqueline Berger, known as “The First Ladies Lady” will bring some of these dynamic women from history to life, while revealing the scandals and false rumors surrounding them. Berger is an author, historian and national guest speaker. She has spoken at Presidential libraries, universities, conferences and many professional and national organizations across the country. If your favorite first lady is not covered, you will have time to ask questions of Berger after her presentation.
The event is free and the Naperville Woman’s Club will provide light refreshments.
Jaycees annual Easter Egg Hunt
Hop into the action as the Naperville Jaycees host the 30th annual Easter Egg Hunt 10AM sharp, Sat., March 30 at Frontier Sports Complex in south Naperville.
Once the egg hunt is over, be on the look-out for the Easter Bunny. He will be making a special appearance at the event. Photographs are encouraged.
This event is open to children ages 1 through 8. Children 2 and younger may receive help from an adult. Anyone over the age of 2 cannot receive egg hunting assistance.
The Naperville Jaycees Easter Egg Hunt is a free event. Participants are encouraged to donate a non-perishable food item during the event that will go to the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry. Please refrain from donating items in glass containers.
Be advised that event parking is limited and extra parking is available across the street if needed.
