The briefs

Annual cemetery walk held Sept. 26The 23rd annual Elgin Cemetery Walk will be from noon to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, at Bluff City Cemetery, 945 Bluff City Blvd., Elgin. Tickets are $6 in advance, $7 at the event and $3.50 for children under 18. Tickets are available at the Elgin Area Historical Society Museum, 360 Park St., Elgin and Ziegler's Ace Hardware Stores at 258 N. Spring St. or 1158 Lillian St., Elgin. For details, call (847) 742-4248.Volunteers needed to help seniorsOne of the greatest threats to seniors is loss of independence, especially for those who cannot drive. Why not volunteer to drive a senior to their doctor's appointments. Volunteers can set their own availability and preferred driving range, and are reimbursed for gas mileage and meals where applicable. Drivers are also covered by excess liability insurance. If you are interested in volunteering, call Wendy Holtz, RSVP/Neighbor to Neighbor program coordinator, at (847) 741-0404. If you know a senior that is in need of transportation or could benefit from the service give them a call.'Two-Fur Fridays' offered this monthAnderson Animal Shelter, 1000 S. LaFox St. in South Elgin, will offer "Two-Fur Fridays" in September.Adopt a black kitten or a black cat and get half off the whole "Kitten Kaboodle" on all Fridays in September. Fifty percent off the original adoption fee of $155 for anyone who adopts a black kitten or cat.The $77 adoption fees include spay/neuter, annual vaccinations, microchip identification, feline leukemia/FIV testing, deworming, collar and ID tag and a carrying case. For anyone that adopts two black cats, the second is only $30. For details, visit andersonanimalshelter.org.Learn about alpacas this weekendDuring National Alpaca Farm Days, meet alpacas and learn more about these inquisitive animals at two local farms on Saturday, Sept. 25 and Sunday, Sept. 26. Stop by from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rivendell Alpacas, 9N942 Dittman Road, Elgin; or 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Waldron Grove Alpacas, 39W856 McDonald Road in Elgin. Admission is free.They will have demonstrations of carding and spinning fiber, discussions on alpaca husbandry, products for sale, and more.For information on Rivendell, contact Jill Muirhead at (630) 715-7895, e-mail gmuirhead@earthlink.net or visit www.alpacasatrivendell.com. For details on Waldron Grove, call (847) 888-3934 or visit www.susanwaldronart.com.For a complete list of participating farms and ranches, visit www.NationalAlpacaFarmDays.com.VNA needs volunteers for clinicsVNA of Fox Valley is seeking volunteers to work at flu shot clinics in the greater Elgin area. Volunteers assist customers with registration and paperwork. Their role is essential to keeping the clinics running smoothly. Volunteers typically work 3-4 hour shifts at various locations and are required to provide their own transportation to the site. Training is provided; applicants should enjoy working with the public and providing good customer service. For more details and upcoming training dates, call Linda Reiter at (630) 482-8112 or lreiter@vnafoxvalley.com.W. Dundee church hosts rummage saleFirst Congregational Church, 900 S. Eighth St. in West Dundee, will hold its fall rummage sale from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23. A bag discount sale will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24.The church provides financial support to area organizations in the community serving children, individuals and families and continues its assistance to area households in need with home repairs, meals and school supplies. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund these charities which help the hungry, the homeless and those in need in the greater community. Items for sale will include everything from jewelry, books, toys, clothing and household goods to furniture. Clean out your closets and set aside all of your gently worn clothes and those no longer needed possessions. Computer electronics, televisions and exercise equipment will not be accepted. Donations are welcome at the church from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the setup days, Monday, Sept. 20 through Wednesday, Sept. 22. A letter acknowledging donations will be available upon request for income tax purposes. For details regarding the sale or to arrange a drop-off for your donations, call (847) 426-2161, ext. 210 or visit fccdundee.com.Casino night to benefit children"Take a Chance on Children Casino Nite," benefiting The Children's Advocacy Center, will be from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24 at Millrose Restaurant, 45 S. Barrington Road, South Barrington. Have fun playing poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, and Texas Hold'em. Cost is $30 per person in advance or $40 per person at event. All prices include a free beer and $10 worth of playing chips. To register, contact Susan Reedquist at (847) 885-0100 or visit cachelps.org. The Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County strives to reduce trauma and provide support to child victims of violence and their families. The center, 640 Illinois Blvd. in Hoffman Estates, serves as a community resource to facilitate the identification, intervention and prevention of child abuse.Elgin church hosts OktoberfestSt. Laurence Catholic Church will host an Oktoberfest Party from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 at the church, Standish and Jewett streets in Elgin. In addition to a German dance band, there will be baskets raffled off for $2 or six raffle tickets for $10. The dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m. will feature brats, sauerkraut, pulled pork, salads, beer, wine, soda and sweets. Tickets for this adults only event are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. For tickets and information, call church office (847) 468-6900.Enjoy Big Band sound on SundayLes Pace and the Pacemakers will host a free public dance from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26 at the Elgin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, 1600 Weld Road. Featuring big band era music, the band consists of musicians who come together for the sheer enjoyment of proving music for dancing, singing along, just listening or reminiscing. Refreshments and light food fare are available for purchase. For details, call Les at (847) 742-3879.Circus comes to town on SundayThe Woodstock Jaycees, in conjunction with B Z Electric and Woodstock Harley Davidson, are bringing the circus to town at 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26 at the McHenry County Fairgrounds in Woodstock.The Kelly Miller Circus includes well-known favorites like Fridman Torales on the Rola Bola, Casey McCoy's Tigers, Natalie Cainan's Dogs, and the Kelly Miller Elephants. They also have clowns, trapeze artists, jugglers and fire artists.Tickets are $10 in advance for adults and $6 for children. They can be purchased in Woodstock at Country Cupboard, 123 E. South St., Woodstock VFW Post 5040, 240 N. Throop St., Quick Beverage Mart, Route 47 and McConnell Road, and Armanetti's, 800 S. Eastwood Drive. Tickets are also available at 4005 N. Kane Ave., Unit H in McHenry. The day of the circus on Sunday, Sept. 26 ticket prices are $14 for adults and $10 for children. Money raised will help run future community projects. For information, call Shelly at (630) 624-1645 or Mark at (847) 417-3446.