Tri-Cities briefs

Help rescue dogs:

TGIFriday's restaurant on Randall Road in Batavia will have a fundraiser for Paws Giving Independence from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday. The group trains shelter dogs to be service animals. There will be a "Flairtenders" bartending contest. TGIFriday's will offer a free appetizer to anyone who brings in a donation of dry IAMS dog food or dry Purina Dog Chow. There will be prize raffles, a 50/50 drawing, and several drink specials to benefit Paws Giving Independence. Call (630) 406-1090.

Education enrichment fair:

The free Educational Resource Fair for Parents of All Students: "Beyond the Classroom" is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Geneva Middle School South, 1415 Viking Drive. Learn about after-school and summer enrichment opportunities available for all K-12 students in the Kane County area. For details, visit genevaGEARS.org.

Kindergarten readiness:

Batavia public schools will have kindergarten screening Feb. 24 and 25. Students who expect to enter kindergarten in the fall will participate in group activities, while being observed by teachers, to see their fine motor, cognitive, speech and language skills. To find out what school to attend, call the district office at (630) 937-8800.

Drop-off site supports troops:

Area residents wanting to support troops overseas can drop off letters and donations at Countryside Care Centre, 2230 W. Galena Blvd., Aurora. The short-term rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing facility is collecting items for Operation Support Our Troops-Illinois. Letters and cards can be addressed to "Dear Military Person." To find out what items are on OSOTIL's wish list, go to osotil.org or call (630) 896-4686. Financial donations also are welcome and are tax deductible. Each care package box costs about $25 to ship. Checks should be made out to Operation Support Our Troops-IL and sent to OSOTIL at 1807 S. Washington St., Suite 110, Unit 359, Naperville, IL 60565 or to Countryside.

Purchase Metra tickets online:

Metra accepts credit card payment for ticket purchases made online. Using a Web feature, My Metra, commuters can create an account to manage and order tickets online. The feature also will allow them to view ticket order history, create a customized view of their train schedule and set up personalized e-mail alerts. For details, visit metrarail.com.