Fundraisers

To submit a listing, e-mail tricity@dailyherald.com or fax to (847) 608-0849.

Sunday

Mobility for Ability: On Sunday, join the Association for Individual Development for its second annual benefit motorcycle run, "Mobility for Ability." The run will start at AID's Elgin office at 1135 Bowes Road and will go to Elburn, Maple Park, Burlington and Pingree Grove, then back down to South Elgin where festivities are planned. The event will feature games and prizes including a Saturday night stay in Galena for two.

Registration is from 9 to 11 a.m. on the day of the event. Riders who bring in pledges also have the opportunity to earn bike-run T-shirts and a commemorative bike-run pin. Those who register by Tuesday pay $20 per bike and $5 for additional riders. Registration after Tuesday is $30 per bike and $5 for additional riders. Breakfast is including in registration but may be purchased for $5 for those who do not wish to ride. For information call Ann at (847) 931-2293 or visit www.the-association.org.

Founded in 1961, AID is a nonprofit, community-based organization that serves more than 3,800 individuals throughout Kane, Kendall, DeKalb, DuPage, suburban Cook, and Will counties. More than 20 programs are available for individuals with developmental, physical and/or mental disabilities and those who have suffered a trauma.

September 6

Batavia House Walk: Batavia MainStreet presents the 2008 Batavia House Walk on Sept. 6. This second annual MainStreet benefit event is co-chaired by Sharon Harwick of Fabric Boutique and Michaelynn Rose of Rose Photo Studio. It showcases an eclectic mix of near west side Batavia homes. Area residents are invited to tour five housing styles that celebrate Batavia at this year's walk, "A Walk on the Avenue." The five house styles include and English Cottage, Tutor, Italianate, Cottage in the Woods and Contemporary. The homes are close enough together to walk from downtown parking and back to the tea at the Batavia Depot Museum.

More information about the Batavia House Walk is available at www.bataviahousewalk.com. Presale tickets are $25 each and may be purchased online or at any of the five ticket sale locations: Bee-Attitudes Antiques, 9 S. Batavia Ave.; Sue's Family Hair Co., 137 S. Batavia Ave.; K. Hollis Jewelers, 147 S. Randall Road; and Gibby's Wine Den in Geneva, 1772 S. Randall Road, as well as the MainStreet office, 2 E Wilson St., upstairs.

Ticket prices go up to $30 day of the event. The house walk benefits Batavia MainStreet and efforts to revitalize downtown Batavia.

Volunteers are now needed to make the Batavia House Walk a success. House docents and volunteers are needed as well as servers for the tea from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 6. Interested persons should contact volunteer co-chairs Kelly Mackenzie at (630) 879-0357 or kelly_mattson@hotmail.com; or Sharon Mitchell at (630) 406-8946 or smitchell82@comcast.net.

September 7

DayOneNetwork: DayOneNetwork is hosting its first "Run for DayOne" on Sept. 7 at Pottawatomie Park in St. Charles. The event has been planned with families in mind: there will be a 5K Run for individual runners, and a Family Walk that is less than a mile and accessible for everyone. The 5K Run will begin at 8 a.m. and the Family Walk will begin at 9 a.m. Joining the walk will be 95.9 FM "The River" radio station, and local vendors will be providing refreshments and beverages after the race at the pavilion. Entry fees, which include one T-shirt, are $20 per runner, and $20 per family of walkers. Additional T-shirts available for $6 each.

Since 1989, DayOneNetwork, Inc. has been providing service coordination and advocacy for children and adults with developmental disabilities and/or delays in Kane and Kendall counties, and Hanover Township of Cook County. To register for the race, and for information about services, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities visit www.dayonenetwork.org or call (630) 879-2277, ext. 114.

"Holy Grail" motorcycle run: Anyone with a motorcycle, who likes to have fun and wants to make a difference, is invited to join the Blue Knights II International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club in its annual "Holy Grail" ride on Sept. 7. All proceeds will benefit Lazarus House, a community shelter which served 363 homeless men, women and children last year.

Lazarus House provides emergency shelter, meals, rent, mortgage and utility assistance, and job training to people in need. Last year, Lazarus House served more than 67,000 meals and helped 98 households remain independent through financial assistance.

"The number of people staying at Lazarus House has surpassed 70 several times in the past weeks." reported Lazarus House executive director Darlene Marcusson. "We anticipate the numbers to continue to remain high. While needs are great, donations have dipped. This economy has hurt many people, so we are extremely grateful to the Blue Knights for caring for us this year."

Event registration starts at 10 a.m. Sept. 7 at the Third Rail Pub, 97 N. La Fox St. (Route 31), South Elgin. The first bikes leave at 11 a.m. The ride ends at Poor Boy's Pub, 283 Montgomery Road in Montgomery. The donation is $25 per motorcycle. Inquiries may be directed to Dean Akey at (630) 232-9811.

September 13

Hesed House: The fourth annual Hike for Hesed will take place at 9 a.m. Sept. 13 at 659 S. River St. in Aurora. The three-mile, family and dog-friendly hike will benefit the ministries of Hesed House that help the poor and homeless of the Fox Valley: Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry, Aurora Soup Kitchen and Public Action to Deliver Shelter. Live music from The Paul Avers Band, activities and a picnic lunch will follow the hike at Hesed House. This year, hikers may register online and create a sponsorship page so friends and family can easily support the cause by visiting: www.events.org/hikeforhesed.

Each individual participant or team will seek sponsors to support their walk. Sponsors may include family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, corporations and more. Anyone collecting $25 or more will receive a Hike for Hesed T-shirt. Any individual or team collecting $1,000 or more will have their name engraved on a plaque for the Donors' Wall of Honor at the new facility located at 680 S. River St. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. at Hesed House, at which time hikers will turn in their sponsor sheets. The walk will begin at 10 a.m., leaving Hesed House's parking lot, traveling to the Transportation Center, and returning to Hesed House.

To receive a printed Hike for Hesed participation packet, information on sponsorship opportunities or for questions, call Tom Aguillar at Hesed House at (630) 897-2156 or visit the Web site at www.HesedHouse.org/hike.html.

Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice: On Sept. 13, the second annual Hike for Hospice will offer you an opportunity to remember, honor and celebrate the lives of those touched by Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice. Starting at 9 a.m. and held along the Fox River in Batavia, "Hike for Hospice" will be a 5k fun run and walk for the entire family. Pets, strollers, roller blades and bikes are all welcome.

A special appearance by JoJo the Clown, face painting, chair massages and stories from families will all be available as well. Proceeds from "Hike for Hospice" enable it to provide hospice and bereavement care to the community free of charge. In 2007 alone, the hospice cared for 44 patients each day and volunteers provided nearly 10,000 hours of support throughout the year. As a volunteer hospice, they do not receive insurance or Medicare reimbursements, making your generosity vital to its mission to provide the best in compassionate services to persons with life-threatening illnesses and the bereaved. They have all experienced the loss of a loved one, perhaps even someone touched by the programs and services offered by the hospice. Form a team with your family, co-workers, neighbors or friends in memory or in honor of your loved ones or walk as an individual. Adult registration is just $25, with all proceeds benefiting Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice. Children, age 6 to 13, are $15 and children under age 6 get in free. Visit www.FVVH.org to learn more about Hike for Hospice and to register. If you are interested in volunteering, call Jackie Lowe at (630) 232-2233, ext. 228.

September 27

Stephanie Joseph Memorial Fund: Two-time U.S. figure skating champion Evan Lysacek will be joined by an all-star skating lineup when he hosts "An Evening of Hope,'' a show benefiting The Stephanie Joseph Memorial Fund in collaboration with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois. The show is set for 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, not far from where Lysacek was born and raised in Naperville. Lysacek decided to organize this show as a tribute to his friend, Stephanie Joseph, who died at 21 in February after battling soft tissue sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, since she was 8.

Joining Lysacek in this magical night are Olympic ice dancing silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, World champion and 2007 national champion Kimmie Meissner, U.S. silver medalist Ryan Bradley, 2007 pairs champions Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski, world ice dancing champion Shae-Lynn Bourne and national champion Rudy Galindo.

Additional cast members are pending. In addition, there will be 10 local up-and-coming skaters performing and four synchronized skating teams, including the Chicago Jazz.

Tickets for this event are $50 for general admission for adults and $25 for children 12 and under and they include a meet-and-greet session with skaters after the show. VIP sky boxes, which include 14 people, are $1,500 and include an hourlong VIP session with skaters, refreshments and a Paul Mitchell gift basket. All proceeds from the show will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois. For ticket information, contact Fran Fitzhenry at frannie3021@aol.com.