Many creative ways this season to donate food

Who doesn't love pigging out on Thanksgiving Day?

If you're a local runner, you can enjoy a guilt-free Thanksgiving dinner by running in Algonquin's annual Turkey Trot 5K Fun Run and Walk.

Registration takes place between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. at Life Time Fitness, 451 Rolls Drive, on Thanksgiving Day.

The run begins promptly at 8 a.m. and there will be door prizes for participants.

It costs $10 for adults, or equal value in nonperishable food stuffs.

All proceeds and food will be donated to the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Food Pantry.

For more information, call Life Time Fitness at (847) 458-6200.

Bingo: St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Pingree Grove will be holding its second annual free bingo and turkey raffle Friday.

The free event runs from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

You'll get one Bingo card for free and if you bring five nonperishable items for the church's food pantry, you'll get an extra card.

Pizza from Rosati's, soda and homemade baked goods will be available for sale.

Turkeys and other prizes will be raffled off.

You can purchase tickets from any church member. Tickets will also be sold at the door.

The church is at 14N205 Reinking Road.

For information, call the church at (847) 464-5440.

Christmas, already? Hard to believe it's time to start thinking about Christmas, when we've barely gotten past Halloween.

Anyway, Lake in the Hills' eighth annual Festival of Trees will be held Dec. 5.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will lead the lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. at village hall, 600 Harvest Gate.

You can either decorate your tree with a theme of your choice, or to sponsor a tree to help a nonprofit organization participate.

For $75, businesses can participate by buying a live evergreen tree covering with lights.

Those who bring nonperishable items to the ceremony will be asked to vote for their favorite tree by putting food and household items at the base of the tree.

A lighting ceremony will be led by Santa and Mrs. Claus at 5 p.m. at the Lake in the Hills Village Hall, 600 Harvest Gate. All of the food collected will go toward benefiting the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Interfaith Food Pantry and the Grafton Township Food Pantry.

For information, call Casie Peltz at (847) 960-7460 or send an e-mail to at cpeltz@lith.org.

Entries are due today.

Lenore T. Adkins covers Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Pingree Grove, Cary, Fox River Grove and McHenry County College. To reach her, send an e-mail to ladkins@dailyherald.com or call her at (847) 608-2725.