The briefs
'Diamonds & Denim' benefit
The Hawthorn Woods Women's Club will conduct its third annual Charity Casino Night, "Diamonds and Denim," from 6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Nov. 15 at Royal Melbourne Country Club in Long Grove. The event will feature Las Vegas-style gambling including, black jack, poker, roulette and craps. Two Texas Hold'em tournaments will also be held. A silent auction will be held, with a preview from 6:30 to 7 p.m., and the auction closing at 11 p.m. There also will be a diamond raffle drawn at midnight. A light buffet including hors d'oeuvres is included along with a complimentary drink. Entertainment includes Brazilian dancers, a DJ and dancing. A contest will be held for the best denim. All proceeds will benefit women and children in Lake County. Tickets are $65 before Nov. 1 and $75 after Nov. 1. The Texas Hold 'Em tournament entry is an additional $50. For more information and online ticket purchasing, visit the Web site hwwc.info.
Winter coat drive
A coat drive benefiting the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lake Zurich will be held Nov. 3 through 14 at First American Bank. Donations of clean, gently-used winter coats of all sizes for men, women and children are sought. Drop off coats at 33 S. Rand Road, Lake Zurich.
Join Warren library's first Recycle-O-Rama
In the spirit of America Recycles Day, Warren-Newport Public Library in Gurnee, in cooperation with the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County will host its first Recycle-O-Rama from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. Residents are invited to bring in old crayons, household batteries, cell phones, inkjet cartridges, eyeglasses, gym shoes, CDs and DVDs for recycling. There also will be a free book and puzzle swap. The library is at 224 N. O'Plaine Road, Gurnee. For information, call (847) 244-5150.
Ag grant deadline
Teachers who would like to incorporate agriculture into their classrooms are invited to apply for grants from the Lake County Farm Bureau. Suggested projects include school gardens or themed learning materials u sed in conjunction with lessons or presentations. Applicants are encouraged to be creative and develop an interesting experience for students. Grants can't be used for transportation, food or fees for presenters. Applications are available at the farm bureau office, 70 Route 45, Grayslake, or can be requested from www.lcfb.com. Call (847) 223-6506 or e-mail ablaul@ameritech.net.
Santas wanted
Catholic Charities Lake County Services is looking for volunteers to play Santa to families, foster children and disabled adults through the annual Christmas Gift program. The program has requests for more than 12,000 gifts for families in need. This year, client sign-ups has been stopped because of a drop in the number of corporate, school and church sponsors with a corresponding increase in request. About 8,500 needy residents have been matched with donors but about 3,500 remain to be matched. If you would like to adopt a family, child, senior, developmentally disabled adult or foster child, call Jim Wogan at (847) 782-4126. Individuals, schools, churches and corporate employees are welcome to participate.
Mundelein organizes canned food drive
Mundelein High School's Student Leadership Organization will once again distribute paper bags to the community Saturday Nov. 8 to collect canned food donations that will be distributed to four local food pantries. Students will pick up the food donated by families on Nov. 15. Canned food donations will then be sorted on Nov. 22 and donated to Alexian Brothers, St. Mary of Vernon, Fremont Township and Catholic Charities of Waukegan. Last year, Mundelein collected and donated more than 2,500 canned food items.