Briefs: Goodwill now in Arlington

Goodwill Industries' newest store and donation center will open Friday in Arlington Heights with two days of activities. The store, at 1551 Dryden Ave., just south of Rand Road, will give away a household item to the first 500 shoppers on Friday, and shoppers can win prizes donated by area merchants. On Saturday, the store will host a live radio remote by WTMX-The Mix from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Donation hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Call (847) 670-7311 for more information.

Five-alarm chili, coming up

Whole Foods Market in Palatine is teaming up with six local fire departments for a chili cook-off from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. Customers can sample each of the various chilis and vote for their favorite. The winning fire department will get a $250 donation to its fire prevention education fund. Firefighters from Hoffman Estates, Huntley, Lake Zurich, Mount Prospect, Palatine and Villa Park are slated to participate. Whole Foods Market is at 1331 N. Rand Road. Call (847) 776-8080 for details.

School wins dairy award

Westgate School in Arlington Heights is among five Chicago-area schools to win Expanding Breakfast Awards from the Midwest Dairy Council for innovative programs that encourage students to eat breakfast. At Westgate, administrators visited local apartment complexes to encourage kids to participate in the school-offered breakfast, and teachers had classroom competitions to win breakfast for their class, which they ate with the students. The dairy council said students who eat breakfast score better on tests, have higher concentration and attendance and fewer disciplinary problems. The other winning schools are in Naperville, South Beloit and Kankakee.

Comedy benefit at Oakton

"Stand Up for Peace," a comedy benefit for Hands of Peace, an interfaith program designed to foster long-term, peaceful co-existence among Israelis, Palestinians and Americans, will be held Feb. 9 at Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines. In "Stand Up for Peace: The Two-Comedian Solution to Middle East Peace," comedians Scott Blakeman and Dan Obeidallah will raise money for Hands of Peace, where teenagers whose lives are directly impacted by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can meet on neutral ground. Tickets are $60 for adults and $30 for students. For details, see www.hands-of-peace.org or call (847) 277-1914.