Briefs: Outpost plans scavenger hunt

The Outpost's fourth annual Halloween Scavenger Hunt Pub Crawl will be Friday in Lockport. Bars included in the Pub Crawl are Carter's Place, Jackie's Pub, Paradise Bay, Stella's and Uncle Richie's.

Cost is $10 a person and includes transportation and one drink coupon. A "team" can consist of two to six players. First, second and third place teams are awarded prizes, and there is a cash prize for the first place team.

Advanced signup is required. See the bartender at The Outpost, 14929 S. Archer Ave., Lockport. For more information, call 815-836-8893.

St. James at Sag Bridge parish will be gathering donations that will be sent to our troops for Christmas. Called Operation Care Package, St. James parish will be accepting donations before and after all weekend Masses until Sunday.

St. James in located at 10600 S. Archer Ave., in Lemont. The weekend Mass schedule is 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 a.m. on Sundays. Donations can also be brought to the rectory during business hours on weekdays from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Among the items needed are: fruit snacks, dried fruits, nuts, trail mix, hearty canned soup, canned ravioli, stew, coffee, powdered creamers, presweetened drink mixes, Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, Gatorade, canned fruit, canned tuna or chicken, jerky or Slim Jims, Easy Mac, instant oatmeal, batteries (AA & AAA) ramen noodles, cup of soup, cookies, granola bars, cool scarves, blanket throws, gloves, hand warmers, socks, T-shirts, wet wipes, room fresheners, lip balm, eye drops, toothpaste and brushes, bug spray (non-aerosol) sunblock, lotion, small sizes of shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash, shave cream, disposable razors, men's deodorant, playing cards, postage stamps and prepaid phone cards. Call St. James rectory at 630-257-7000.

Lemont Public Library is partnering with the Women's Auxiliary of Lemont VFW Post 5819 to assist local veterans by collecting items for veterans at Hines Veterans Administration Medical Center and the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans Inc. These organizations are in need of cleaning supplies, paper products, toiletries, linens and office supplies. A complete list of items is available on the library's Webs site www.lemontlibrary.org or at the library.

Donations may be brought to the Circulation Desk during regular library hours through Nov. 11. For each donation, you will receive a coupon good for a free DVD rental or $1 off fines. For more information, call Cheryl Jeans at 630-257-6541 or cljeans@lemontlibrary.org.

Two art classes for children and young teenagers will begin with Nicole Nelson, a former high school and elementary art teacher, at her home art studio at 1302 Prodehl Drive, Lockport. Each one-hour class is six weeks, and the fee for each class is $60 a student.

The classes will be on Views on Color. Students will see how color affects techniques and finished artworks in different ways.

Session A for children 5 to 8 years old will be at 4 p.m. from Nov. 5 to Dec. 17. Session B, for children 9 to 14 years old, will be at 5:15 p.m. from Nov. 5 to Dec. 17.

Class size will be a minimum of three and a maximum of 10.

Private lessons and semiprivate lessons also are available for preschool through retirement ages.

All classes will teach the core skills needed to see like an artist, the fundamentals of drawing techniques and how to compose layouts for artworks. Classes will explore either a historical or multicultural artist or genre each week.

Students will walk away with skills needed to create original artworks, not reproductions.

To sign up or for more information, call Nicole Nelson at 815-838-4630.

Rosanne Belczak of Homer Glen is holding a "Toyless" Toy Drive for the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation. The foundation was started in 1996 by Colleen Kisel, a Tinley Park mom who wanted to help other children with cancer after her son was diagnosed with and survived leukemia.

Kisel got donors to sponsor "Treasure Chests" filled with toys and placed them in pediatric oncology units providing gifts to children undergoing painful cancer treatments. The treasure chests are now found in 36 hospitals across the country.

A $10 donation will sponsor one toy for the treasure chest. These toys lift the spirits of children undergoing chemotherapy and other painful treatments.

Send checks payable to Treasure Chest Foundation c/o Rosanne Belczak, 13457 W. Little Creek, Homer Glen, 60491. Call 708-301-8816 for more details.

Thanks Jordan is a foundation based on celebrating life. In doing so, Thanks Jordan helps families of a child with cancer maintain as much normal activity and family life as humanly possible during their present and future battles. Thanks Jordan is run completely on the kindness and generosity of volunteers, and those volunteers have reached and touched many lives.

Volunteers are needed to run the gift shop. Anyone interested can call Laurie Sloan at 773-430-8130. Stop by the gift shop at 130 E. Eighth St., Lockport, across the street from the library.

Lemont Junior Woman's Club is offering the Safe Sitter Certification Program from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 14 and 21 at the Lemont Safety Village, 55 Stephen St. This program is a medically accurate child care course developed especially for 11- to 13-year-olds.

This extensive 2-day course is taught by experts and trained volunteers. Safe Sitter teaches the skills needed to safely care for children of all ages. Classes are taught through hands on practice, repetition, games and activities in a safe and controlled environment.

Cost is $55 a person and includes supplies and lunch.

Go to www.lemontjuniorwomansclub.org and click on the Safety Village page to locate and download the registration form. Mail the double-sided registration form, payment and self-addressed envelope to: Safety Village Programs, in care of Julie Tate, 1213 Pleasant Place, in Lemont.

Class size is limited. Please mail in as soon as possible. Students must attend both days for certification. No refunds will be granted.

For more information, call MaryBeth Gaffney 630-243-9421 or Julie Tate 630-257-9211. community briefs