Wildlife center fundraiser is Saturday
Whether you are interested in a luxury vacation in the Virgin Islands or a behind-the-scenes tour of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, check out the silent auction at the Fox Valley Wildlife Center fundraiser Saturday.
The center cares for injured and orphaned birds and mammals and depends entirely on membership fees, donations, grants and its yearly fundraiser.
The dinner and auction begins at 6 p.m. at Riverside Reception and Banquets, 35 N. River Lane in Geneva.
The center's staff says the auction is even more important this year because for the first time, the center is responsible for paying its own utilities, estimated at about $500 a month. Taking over utilities is part of a new agreement with the Kane County Forest Preserve District, which will continue to contribute the use of the house and land in the Elburn Woods Forest Preserve.
This year's live auction includes a chance to bid on a one-week vacation for up to 10 people at Satinwood in Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, valued at $3,500 to $4,410. Accommodations include two full kitchens, a pool and a sun deck. The beach, shopping and dining are just minutes away. Visit www.satinwood-usvi.com for more information.
Another major attraction of the live auction is a four-course dinner with wine pairings for six people, prepared in your home by Chef Richard Fields of Citizen Kane in Geneva. The minimum bid is $400.
Other items include a behind-the-scenes tour of Lincoln Park Zoo for six people; artwork of the Wildlife Center's habitants; bird carvings; stained glass; pet photo shoots; art classes; quilts; carved pens and more.
There is also a silent auction, a 50/50 cash raffle and wildlife presentations. The winners of this year's photo contest will also be announced and contest entries will be on display.
Tickets are $40 per person. To purchase tickets for the event, contact the Wildlife Center at (630) 365-3800 or P.O. Box 385, Elburn, IL 60119.
Enjoy the pancakes
Elburn Boy Scout Troop 7 will have an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Community Congregational Church at Shannon Street and Route 47 in downtown Elburn. Tickets are $5 and children 4 and younger eat free. The breakfast includes sausage links from Ream's meat market.
This is the main fundraiser for the Scouts, who use the proceeds to purchase equipment and to help pay their way to summer camp and other Scouting activities. Tickets are available from all Scouts and at the door.
Waubonsee exhibit open
Waubonsee Community College is hosting "The Spiked Punch and The Anti-Portraits," an exhibit by Chicago artist Geoffrey Todd Smith, through Feb. 21 in the Arrowhead Room on the Sugar Grove Campus, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Smith, who was named one of the rising stars of Chicago's art scene in the April 2007 issue of "Chicago Magazine," often uses small hexagonal shapes drawn with colorful gel pens as the building blocks of his works.
Waubonsee's exhibit features 12 of Smith's works.