Tri-Cities briefs

Autism group to meet:The Tri-Cities Autism Spectrum Kids (TASK) group is having its kickoff meeting from 7 to 9 tonight at the Geneva Lutheran Church at Third and Franklin streets. TASK is a volunteer, parent-run group, whose mission is to help school-aged children learn the social skills necessary to flourish in mainstream school, establish good communication skills to live a fulfilling adult life, and provide education and support for parents and families. To RSVP, send an e-mail to TASKkids@comcast.net or call Cathy Ostrowski at (630) 306-1553.Strike against hunger:Bowlers can help "Strike out Hunger" at a fundraiser the Northern Illinois Food Bank is hosting from 6 to 9 p.m. May 26 at Brunswick Zone, 1515 Aurora Ave., Naperville. The fee is $300 per team or $60 per person, which includes three games, shoe rentals, raffles, pizza and pop. The teams with the top three scores will advance to the championship event at eSkape Entertainment Center in Buffalo Grove on June 30. Call (630) 443-6910, Ext. 118.Kaneville parade: Kaneville Township's 115th Annual Memorial Day Parade is May 31. The parade will step off from the Dave Werdin Community Center, 2S101 Harter Road, after a program featuring guest speaker and Iraq war veteran Evan Mahan and local folk singer Lee Murdock. Special seating is available to veterans, who also will be recognized. The parade ends with a rifle salute and grave decorations at Kaneville Cemetery on Main Street. In addition, the American Legion will be collecting old flags to be retired. For more information, call (630) 992-2215.Batavia photo contest:Entries are due June 1 for Batavia MainStreet's photo contest, "Faces and Places of Downtown Batavia." Contest rules are available at downtownbatavia.com and at MainStreet's office, 41/2 W. Wilson St. Winning entries will be displayed at the Art in Your Eye festival this summer.Purchase Metra tickets online:Metra accepts credit card payment for ticket purchases made online. Using a Web feature, My Metra, commuters can create an account to manage and order tickets online. The feature also will allow them to view ticket order history, create a customized view of their train schedule and set up personalized e-mail alerts. For details, visit metrarail.com.