Northwest suburbs in 60 seconds

Event raises $55,000

The Mount Prospect School District 57 Education Foundation's most important fundraiser of the year -- Xtravaganza -- brought in a record $55,000 that will benefit the students of four schools: Westbrook, Fairview, Lions Park and Lincoln Middle School. About 400 people attended the March 8 event, held at Meridian Banquets in Rolling Meadows. Guests enjoyed a casino, live and silent auctions, a band and DJ, a "Deal or No Deal" gift certificate giveaway sponsored by the PTA and a performance by the Lincoln Middle School Jazz Band. The foundation also announced it has surpassed the goal of its yearlong Decade of Giving campaign. Xtravaganza marked the 10-year anniversary of the District 57 Education Foundation. The campaign was launched a year ago to celebrate this milestone by bringing the amount of money raised in 10 years to $500,000.

Workshop on native plants

Citizens for Conservation will present its third and final community education program for the season from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Hwy., Barrington. The presentation, given by Citizens for Conservation members Karen Hunter, Peggy Simonsen and Meredith Tucker, will focus on native plants in the home landscape, including the benefits of using them and the beauty of natives in sunny, shaded and shoreline gardens. The program is free, but donations will be accepted at the door. For more information or to reserve a seat, call (847) 382-7283.

Making a flower puppy

The Wheeling Garden Club will hold a "Puppy Bouquet" workshop at 7 p.m. April 9 at the Wheeling Masonic Lodge, at the southwest corner of Dundee Road and Milwaukee Avenue. Bernie Horcher, of Horcher's Country Flowers in Wheeling, will show how to make a white puppy from mums in a basket. The cost is $15 per person, and reservations need to be made today. Call Linda Reading for more information at (847) 520-0125. The Garden Club meets the second Wednesday of the month. To join, call Christine Brady at (847) 537-8642. The club also is accepting applications for scholarship assistance. Local residents who wish to enroll in classes dealing with horticulture, entomology, trees, landscaping or residential gardening should call Joyce Stemp at (847) 537-0567 for a scholarship application.

Clearbrook fundraiser

Clearbrook's 19th annual Jelly Belly Days will be held May 16 and 17 at intersections and storefronts around the suburbs and in Chicago. Jelly Belly Days is one of the Rolling Meadows-based charity's largest fundraising events of the year, as volunteers collect donations in exchange for a packet of Jelly Belly candy. The California-based company donates more than 100,000 packets of jelly beans to Clearbrook's event. Volunteers are still needed for 2½-hour shifts; contact Janis Edelheit at (847) 385-5008 or at jedelheit@clearbrook.org.