Lake in the Hills Parks & Rec notes

Registration for all programs takes place at Village Hall,

600 Harvest Gate, Lake in the Hills or call (847) 960-7460. Check out the Web site lith.org.

For all

Festival of Trees/Santa Ride-In: Would you like to help the Parks & Recreation Department of Lake in the Hills transform the Village Hall into a winter wonderland this holiday season? Local businesses are being sought to sponsor a tree for $75 and not-for-profit organizations to decorate them. All trees will be on display throughout the month of December.

Residents and spectators at the Santa Ride-In scheduled at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, are encouraged to "vote" for their favorite tree in the form of nonperishable food or household item donations. The collection will be donated to the Lake in the Hills/Algonquin Food Pantry.

The decorating group of the tree receiving the most "votes" wins a Lou Malnati's pizza party. All sponsors and not-for-profit organizations interested in being a part of this communitywide celebration can call the Parks & Recreation Department at (847) 960-7460.

Stop Smoking Through Hypnosis, 18 years and older: Have you wanted to quite smoking, but been unable to kick the habit? Join the Lake in the Hills Parks & Recreation Department in the Great American Smokeout of 2008 by learning how to be smoke free through hypnosis. More than 400,000 deaths in the U.S. each year are from smoke-relating illnesses. Smoking greatly increases the risk for lung and other types of cancer. Tobacco smoke contains an addictive drug, nicotine, that makes it difficult, but not impossible, to quit smoking. Attend this free class conducted by Art Liedecker, a board certified hypnotist, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, in the Village Hall Community Room. Attendees will receive a free CD to help facilitate them in achieving their goal of being smoke free. Preregistration is required. Call (847) 931-1800, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays, to register.

For youth

LITH Letters to Santa: Capture the spirit of the Christmas season by having your child receive a letter from Santa himself. Send a self-addressed and pre-stamped, business-sized envelope to Santa Claus, c/o Lake in the Hills Recreation Department, 600 Harvest Gate, and it will be forwarded it to Santa. Requests must be received by Dec. 5. Sorry, Santa can only deliver to Lake in the Hills residents.

For seniors

Senior Afternoon Bingo, 55-plus: The Lake in the Hills Parks & Recreation Department meets once a month for an afternoon of Bingo. Join the group from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, in the Village Hall Multipurpose Room for coffee, snacks and two hours of Bingo fun. Preregister for this activity. Resident rate is $2 per person; nonresident rate is $3 per person.

Seniors - On the Bus We Go: Calling area seniors. The Lake in the Hills Parks & Recreation Department is fueling the bus for another exciting trip. Join the group on Wednesday, Nov. 19, for an afternoon of shopping at Woodfield Mall. With the finest collection of department stores and specialty shops in the Great Lakes region, you can surround yourself with fashion, food and fun. Resident rate is $7, nonresident rate is $9. Fee includes transportation only. Preregistration is required as seating is limited. Remember to bring spending money. The bus departs from the Village Hall, 600 Harvest Gate, Lake in the Hills, at 9 a.m. sharp and returns at approximately 4 p.m.